Pebble Tables

Client: Kansas Children’s Discovery Center

Location: Topeka, KS

Date: 2014

A large amount of donated scrap plywood initiated this service project, in which three heavy-duty rolling bench/tables with integrated storage were built for the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center. We called the soft form of these tables “pebbles” and imagined their function on the floor of the Discovery Center would attract children to sit for a moment to read donated books.

Grasshopper, a computer plug-in for parametric design, was used to create a flexible computer model where just a few numerical and graphic inputs would produce a completed form along with cut sheets for CNC production. By using this program, an infinite amount of pebble forms could be generated and compared to the available scraps that would be used to make the tables. The CNC mill at the College of Architecture, Planning, and Design at K-State was used to mill out the components for the tables; prior to production, models were laser cut to test the fabrication process.

As of 2023, the tables are still in use at the Discovery Center.