Few objects are as universal and unassuming as a chair. As part of your daily life, a chair represents functionality and simplicity. It can be easily selected and purchased from thousands of different designs based on style, material and comfort preferences. But what if a chair becomes a symbol of innovation, sustainability and design imagination?
Enter the Ta.Tamu chair. At first glance, it is a simple foldable portable chair made out of plastic and designed to use a minimal amount of material. It is actually much more — a fresh, disruptive creation born out of the visionary genius of two leaders in the world of design, Anne Asensio, vice president of Design Innovation at Dassault Systèmes and Patrick Jouin, owner and founder of Patrick Jouin iD studio.
Anne Asensio has a distinguished design background, which began in the automotive industry, where she pioneered impactful designs like the Renault Scénic automobile. At Dassault Systèmes, she leads the DESIGNStudio, which celebrates a participatory approach to design, integrating new technologies to address societal needs.
Alongside his product design and interior design work, Patrick Jouin has a history of pushing boundaries in 3D-printing furniture. Some of his pieces have been purchased by the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) in New York City. His work is currently part of the Pirouette exhibition: Turning Points in Design.
Both designers draw inspiration from nature and a desire to create solutions to improve the lives of people in urban environments and hospitals, for example. Their work not only addresses contemporary issues such as sustainability, but also reflects a broader vision of design as a complex interplay of art and science. With Ta.tamu — reproducing patterns found in nature using parametric and generative capabilities.
Since their collaboration began in 2018, Asensio and Jouin have achieved exciting milestones together, including the introduction of the original Tamu chair prototype at Milan Design Week in 2019. Their original goal was to create the most efficient chair design possible, taking up the smallest amount of space and resources and exploring the possibilities of using 3D printing and generative design in furniture making.
Ta.Tamu is the result of a four-year dialogue between Patrick Jouin’s intuitive design approach and Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Designers and engineers redefined how a chair could be reconsidered by challenging traditional design methods, pushing formal and structural limits, and inventing new ways to minimize material.
Inspired by the efficiency and precision of designs found in nature, the chair emphasizes minimal material usage, ergonomic comfort and a foldable structure reminiscent of origami. The names Tamu and Ta.tamu refer to a Japanese term meaning to fold, in order to neatly store kimonos and obis, with respect and for preservation.
From virtual to real world
By integrating design, simulation and life cycle assessment early in the creative process, Ta.Tamu also aimed for an ambitious vision for industry to transform traditional business models, promoting local manufacturing instead of shipping, along with opportunities to adjust and customize along the way.
Multidisciplinary teams collaborated through a virtual twin to model and simulate the behavior of complex assembled components, using AI and generative design to mimic nature’s efficiency. Every detail was analyzed to achieve maximum performance while minimizing material waste. At each stage of the project, the design evolved in real time through close interaction on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, with changes immediately visible to everyone involved.
“Generative design is like asking nature how it would solve a problem. It feels like collaborating with the Earth itself in creating something efficient, elegant and logical.”
Patrick Jouin
Advanced modeling and simulation capabilities were used every step of the way. Topological optimization, a scientific method for finding the most efficient shape and material distribution for a structure, was used to refine every joint and each step of the unfolding process to test how well the chair handles pressure and support points.
3D printing offered unique advantages, notably for sustainability, as it greatly reduces waste by using only the materials needed. 3D printing and additive manufacturing use a layer-by-layer approach, allowing precise control over material usage. Unlike traditional methods that cut away excess material, additive manufacturing builds objects directly from digital models, minimizing waste.
The manufacturing process is seamless, creating the chair without traditional adhesives, screws or assembly, which signifies a new approach to production. Additionally, the intricate lattice framework is built layer by layer, allowing for an enriched level of precision that enhances traditional manufacturing methods.
The result is a breakthrough design where intent, function and structure combine in a chair that weighs 75% less than it would have weighed at full density.
Why Ta.Tamu matters
Much like Meryl Streep’s iconic “cerulean blue” monologue from the popular movie The Devil Wears Prada, Ta.Tamu redefines something as seemingly mundane as a chair with influence from unexpected inspirations. Just as visionary designer clothing featuring cerulean blue started as exclusive high fashion many years before permeating mass-produced clothing designs, Ta.Tamu’s innovative design challenges the limits of what a chair can be, setting the stage for broader industry adoption of similarly revolutionary principles.
“To improve the world we live in, we have to change the way we produce, design and use materials. Ta.Tamu represents a call to action for industry to embrace a generative economy instead of continuing to create without limits,” said Anne Asensio. “Ta.Tamu was created with the technology used to innovate sustainably in industrial contexts. As a science-based company, we want to create value for society in every aspect of people’s lives through our 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Design processes integrating modeling and simulation from the start lead to innovations that improve real life.”
More than functional furniture, it’s a symbol of sustainable innovation poised to inspire industries in search of new, more virtuous production methods and business models. From aerospace to consumer goods, the principles that guided Ta.Tamu’s creation hold the potential to revolutionize how we design, build and think about product development.
A call for innovation
Both Patrick Jouin and Anne Asensio believe that Ta.Tamu represents a step beyond furniture design and a new mindset for industries striving toward minimal material use, sustainable practices, and advanced simulations.
“We need to shift how we think about creating things,” Jouin said. “Ta.Tamu proves that with creativity, engineering, and the right tools, we can collaborate to imagine a better future.”
Interested in exploring how virtual twin technology can transform your business? Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform provides the tools and expertise to create your vision.
This evolved design further showcases how innovative technologies such as virtual twins can enhance the work of artists and designers, making great design accessible to everyone. Far beyond just designing and printing a functional piece of furniture, Ta.Tamu carries a lesson about how we can reimagine how we create and consume products in a more sustainable world.
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Ready to transform your business? Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform provides the tools and expertise to create your vision.
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Maryann is a Senior Communications Manager on the Dassault Systèmes corporate communications team. She’s been with the company for over 16 years, in roles ranging from marketing communications,internal communications, creative and branding, blogging to marketing programs manager.