About Noah Chalfant

I am a designer, fabricator, and sailor from the state of Maine, driven by a connection to the outdoors and a fascination with material innovation. Growing up surrounded by nature and spending much of my life on the water, I've developed a design philosophy that merges functionality with aesthetic exploration. Drawing from my experience racing sailboats and working with high-tech composites, I create objects that engage people to enjoy nature while exploring the possibilities of innovative materials and processes.

I attended Rhode Island School of Design and graduated with a BFA in Industrial Design in 2024. My time there gave me the opportunity to experiment across disciplines like jewelry-making, graphic design, and furniture-making. I was able to develop a practice rooted in curiosity and hands-on exploration.

Sustainability and material conservation play a central role in my design process. I am drawn to the efficiency and adaptability of high-performance materials, often experimenting to maximize strength and minimize waste. My project Strata is a three-sided hammock inspired by laminated race sails. It utilizes load path reinforcement and a laminated membrane to enable greater control over the compliance of the hammock. This process limits material waste and creates the possibility for designing new interactions with the fabric structure.

Sailing has been a driving passion and job for me. Along with working as a professional rigger, I have competed in offshore distance races and world championships. Sailing is a constant exercise in problem-solving—navigating weather, wind, and mechanical failures are challenges that require adaptability and creative thinking. These skills and experiences directly inform my design process.

One example of this fusion of sailing technology and design is my Float Chair—a lounge chair with a metal framework of bent stainless steel rods and a tubular steel backbone. This airy structure supports a leather seat and headrest, held in place by spliced Dyneema straps, borrowing techniques from sailing.

Skills: wood fab, metal fab, welding, manual machining, CNC, Rhino, Fusion 360, Solidworks, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Indesign, machine sewing.