Revolutionizing Space Utilization: Huxley's Ladder Bookshelves

A Unique Blend of Minimalism, Functionality, and High Craftsmanship

Originating from a term-long graduate-level class assignment at Art Center College of Design, Huxley's Ladder was born out of the need for more usable bookshelves. The design is versatile, suitable for use as a single unit, multiple units together side-by-side, against walls, or units back-to-back to create aisles. This flexibility makes it suitable for residential, contract, or hospitality use.

The uniqueness of Huxley's Ladder lies in its ability to maximize space utilization with reach accessibility under standard 8'/2.4m ceilings. The bookshelf is sturdy and stable enough for an adult to climb up to reach items up to the top shelf by using the dowel-shaped structural crossing members as rungs of a ladder. This feature adds a playful element to the design while maintaining its functionality.

The design process involved a basic design-narrative sketch, form and construction ideation with additional sketches, 3D modeling in SolidWorks, photo-real presentation renderings made with V-Ray for Rhino and Photoshop, and some 1:1 handmade wood and MDF physical mock-ups of construction elements. The final product is made of quarter-sawn white oak and satin white lacquer finished high-grade MDF, milled with a CNC router and traditionally constructed with wood dowels and glue.

Despite challenges in milling the vertical wood stringers from quarter-sawn white oak, a naturally temperamental and highly variable material, the first prototype was successfully completed in 13 weeks. The project was begun in January and completed in April of 2014 in Pasadena, California, USA. It was selected by Art Center College of Design, Environmental Design Dept Chair David Mocarski and instructor Cory Grosser for the following summer term exhibit of the school's best student works of art and design in the Art Center Student Gallery.

Huxley's Ladder from Marc Scimé's Los Angeles based Studio for Design synthesizes monastic and utilitarian and unites fun and function. The thing that makes Huxley's Ladder fun is what also makes it functional and vice-versa. This design was awarded Golden in A' Furniture Design Award in 2016, a testament to the marvelous, outstanding, and trendsetting creation that reflects the designer's prodigy and wisdom.