Meeting with AC/AL
AC/AL is a design studio founded in 2013 by Amandine Chor and Aïssa Logerot, two designers who met during their design studies at ENSAAMA Olivier de Serres before entering ENSCI Les Ateliers. They combine a tropism for industrial manufacturing processes and a valorisation of use via minimalistic lines… This passion was put into use for the Horizon sun lounger, a perfect distillation of their philosophy.
How would you describe your work?
We are fervent subscribers to the school of functionalism. We like to meet challenges surrounding use, ergonomy and function; this is our starting point every time. Next we look at the client’s story to propose to them essential lines, clear silhouettes, while also playing around with the details that will provide the project’s singularity. We do a lot of prototyping.
After Tectona informed us about their desire to remedy the lack of a stackable sun lounger in their catalogue, we thought it would be interesting to propose furniture in aluminium, a material that we have mastered and that is particularly well suited to the outdoors, especially the hotel sector, as it is both light and stackable, qualities that are highly prized in this field.
How did you translate these intentions into lightness and ergonomy?
The technical starting point for the piece was to ensure that it had fine features and was light and easy to use. Our work concentrated on improving comfort, both comfort in everyday use and when manipulating the lounger, particularly the backrest. We focused on making it easy to adjust the recline angle, which we achieved with a simple and effective manual system. As for aesthetics, we favoured horizontality, to allow the lounger to blend into the landscape, optimising enjoyment of whichever setting it was in.
We experimented a lot with braiding and stringing… and the results were extremely complex from a visual and technical standpoint. Finally we opted for Batyline, a material that is both comfortable, due to its softness, and light, both in terms of its visual impact, given that the weave is translucent, and in terms of its weight, making it portable. Batyline is also highly durable, able to withstand all weather conditions and UV.
Horizon is also highly mobile…
Yes, a lot of work went into “finessing” the elements, the flat base in aluminium, light and corrosion-resistant, ideal for the outdoors, and the horizontal bar in teak. This solid teak bar emphasises the horizontality of the sun lounger’s profile. Together these two materials make for an interesting contrast, because teak is not only a nod to Tectona’s historic know-how but adds a natural warm finish, and clarity to the ensemble. A detail, which actually isn’t one, that lends cachet. We came up with a system incorporating caster wheels on the rear legs to allow users to lift the lounger and move it around like a wheelbarrow. The wheels are almost invisible, discreet elements adding an essential quality for outdoor furniture without subverting the design.
