Lilian van Daal, a design graduate, has used a 3D-printer to create a “Biomimicry” chair that pushes the frontiers of furniture design by mimicking natural forms.

“You need five or six different factories [to produce conventional upholstered furniture]. But with 3D printing you can produce very locally and you don’t have material waste in the process; you use only the material you need,” van Daal explained in this movie for Dezeen.

The chair is named for its imitation of natural constructs, like plant cells, whose essential forms serve their functions. Van Daal studied the densities of materials, noting how their varying distributions affected structural strength. With 3D nylon, van Daal was able to grow the piece to operate as chairs ought to — flexibly.

Van Daal was featured by Dezeen as part of its collaboration with MINI to explore innovation in design and technology.

Photos courtesy of Dezeen