A seat that nestles into rocks, seamlessly integrating into your natural surroundings, the false creek climbing rope cushion is a site-specific material exploration project, made 100% from recycled climbing rope.
Featured in: From Here with DESIS: Designing for All Beings
Design for Social Innovation and Sustainability (DESIS) September 17 – October 8, 2026
False Creek Climbing Rope Cushion
Recycled climbing rope
Concept Development
I began this project with a visit to the assigned site, taking inspiration form the naturally occuring shapes around me. Passers by enjoyed hobbling along the rocks, but their jagged shapes do not invite a user to sit and reflect.
Material Explorations
Next, I dove into material explorations, exploring the different ways climbing rope could be taken apart and manipulated. Seeing what kind of stitches are best for holding its strength, stitching tension, does it like to be cut, can you take it apart further before sewing, etc.
On-Site Prototyping
I conducted on-site prototyping to better understand the different shapes and sizes the rocks create in their gaps. I made models from found objects such as pillows and cardboard to hold this information, and brought them back to my workspace to begin ideating shaps and forms.
Making
After sketching and synthesising shapes from my collected measurements, I began translating them into climbing rope using the different material techniques I had developed. This became an exploration of pairing traditional pattern-making methods with an unconventional material, adapting familiar techniques to work with the unique structure and limitations of climbing rope.
