Perch by Jason Hu

"Inspired by the branches and roots of mangrove trees along the Demerara River, Perch is a playful seating element that can be rotated into a variety of seating positions. The user chooses to establish their ideal saddle height, angle, handle, and orientation. Thus, settling into Perch becomes an active and personalized process, much like sitting in a tree." -- Designer, Jason Hu (collaboration with Trevor, Shawn, and Bebe)

The lucky group of graduate students constructed their projects in the Liana Cane factory, an ethical working environment using only renewable, non-timber rainforest materials. Liane Cane’s owner, Jocelyn Dow, did her best to make students feel welcome in the foreign environment and encouraged them all to form personal relationships with the employees at the factory to heighten their experience. Over the course of their adventure, watching and engaging in works firsthand, students began to understand the intense labor commitment required in manufacturing products. Awe-inspired by the process, they have all since vowed to continue to design with a greater consciousness, underscoring that designing and manufacturing really do go hand in hand.

+ The Guyana Project