KRAM/WEISSHAAR

R18 ULTRA CHAIR

Clemens Weisshaar and Reed Kram have developed a chair using methods borrowed from the future of automotive manufacturing in collaboration with Audi's Lightweight Design Center. The chair's multi-material space frame is made from carbon composites, carbon micro-sandwich and high strength aluminum and weighs only 2.2 kg or 77 ounces. The chair embodies Audi's ultra lightweight design credo by following strict guidelines to shave off every ounce of excess weight.

Project website: r18ultrachair.com
On Facebook: facebook.com/r18ultrachair

R18 ULTRA CHAIR

Audi_r18_ultra_chair_designed_by_clemens_weisshaar_and_reed_kram_front_view_photo_tom_vack Audi_r18_ultra_chair_designed_by_clemens_weisshaar_and_reed_kram_rear_view_photo_tom_vack Audi_r18_ultra_chair_designed_by_clemens_weisshaar_and_reed_kram_front_view_photo_tom_vack Audi_r18_ultra_chair_designed_by_clemens_weisshaar_and_reed_kram_rear_view_photo_tom_vack
Tom Vack

Clemens Weisshaar and Reed Kram have developed a chair using methods borrowed from the future of automotive manufacturing in collaboration with Audi's Lightweight Design Center. The chair's multi-material space frame is made from carbon composites, carbon micro-sandwich and high strength aluminum and weighs only 2.2 kg or 77 ounces. The chair embodies Audi's ultra lightweight design credo by following strict guidelines to shave off every ounce of excess weight.

Project website: r18ultrachair.com
On Facebook: facebook.com/r18ultrachair

Clemens_weisshaar_and_reed_kram_audi_r18_ultra_chair_public_beta_at_palazzo_clerici_tom_vack_cropped
Tom Vack

The R18 ULTRA CHAIR's genesis incorporates crowd-sourced data acquired through thousands of testing sessions held in Milan during a PUBLIC BETA installation at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in April 2012. Using advanced physics simulation software, the big data set enabled designers and engineers to analyze a wide variety of load scenarios and carefully adjust and optimize the carbon fiber composition, geometry and dimensions of the final object accordingly.

Clemens_weisshaar_and_reed_kram_audi_r18_ultra_chair_public_beta_at_designmiami_tom_vack_01_cropped
Tom Vack

At DESIGN MIAMI/ the chair's designers and engineers are giving visitors an intimate insight into their studios and labs, displaying drawings, samples, models, mock-ups, moulds and prototypes from the various stages of the development process. This includes an industrial welding robot and the chair's namesake and inspiration, the R18 Ultra - the pace car for an entire technology: Audi ultra.