DESIGN NAME: Fluid Cube and Snake
PRIMARY FUNCTION: Smart Furniture
INSPIRATION: Hello Wood had to reimagine the genre of public furniture so they turned them into visually attractive and functional installations, powered by renewable energy. The lines were inspired by nature. The expansion joints that prevent the cracking of the wood also play role in shaping the character. The firm truly believes that the purpose of innovative design is to turn articles of everyday use into lovable objects. The furniture designs were commissioned by MVM Hungarian Electricity Private Ltd.
UNIQUE PROPERTIES / PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Hello Wood created a line of unconventional outdoor furniture with smart functions for public spaces. The City Snake is a modular structure; its elements are variable to fit the given site. The Fluid Cube is a fixed unit with solar cells swimming between the layers of its glass top. The integrated Usb sockets, Wifi hotspot and lighting are all powered by the shock resistant solar panels. The furniture have been installed at 4 educational institutions where they also serve as a community space.
OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION: The smart furniture designs were created for public spaces. Passersby can recharge their phones or tablets with the solar powered USBs while recharging themselves, as well, by chilling on the furniture. The openings of the Fluid Cube are designed so more than one unit can be lined up side by side while the elements of the City Snake are variable to fit the given site.
PROJECT DURATION AND LOCATION: Hello Wood started the design process in January 2019 and the tender started in Spring. The 4 pieces of outdoor furniture (2 of each design) were distributed to 4 educational institutions in the frame of a tender by the client during the Autumn of 2019. The jury selected the winners based on a complex system of criteria, including the characteristics of the site, the number and means of students, and the creativity of the individual bids.
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PRODUCTION / REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY: The furniture family features a lighting system and Usb outlets, as well, which required the integration of solar panels and batteries. The larch pieces were cut from sawn blocks of wood using cnc technology. In spite of the limits of the technology, the studio successfully managed to design the large scale structure that fits a regular cnc machine without producing waste.The final hollow wood beams lie on a steel structure.
SPECIFICATIONS / TECHNICAL PROPERTIES: Fluid Cube: 27000 mm x 28510 mm x 29810 mm
City Snake: 4210 mm x 7650 mm x 400-1670 mm
TAGS: smart furniture, public spaces, sustainability, mobile installation, street furniture, wooden architecture
RESEARCH ABSTRACT: The focus was to create a public structure which has high aesthetic quality and practical function as well. During the research process, the studio studied the existing solar outdoor furniture designs. It had to fit into the following criterias: had to be ergonomic, adaptable to all kinds of public spaces, had to be made of renewable resources and while being able to withstand public use, had to be easy to manufacture, transport, install, had to radiate an intimate, organic feel and openness.
CHALLENGE: The biggest challenge in designing public furniture is to create an aesthetically pleasing object which is also vandal proof, withstands everyday use in the middle of a public space and attracts users. That is why Hello Wood used massive, durable larch beams and planks, combining functionality and design. They also had to comply with several technical and safety standards. During production the studio had to figure out how to fit the big pieces of wooden planks in the CNC machine in one piece.
ADDED DATE: 2020-02-25 15:26:14
TEAM MEMBERS (7) : Chief designer: András Huszár, Chief designer: Péter Pozsár, Chief designer: Dávid Ráday, Project designer: Csaba Bányai, Project designer: Gellért Ollé, Architect: Dániel Kiss and Architect: László Mangliár
IMAGE CREDITS: Image #1: Photographer Zsuzsa Darab, Fluid Cube, 2019.
Image #2: Photographer MVM, City Snake, 2019.
Image #3: Photographer Zsuzsa Darab, Fluid Cube, 2019.
Image #4: Photographer MVM, Fluid Cube, 2019.
Image #5: Photographer MVM, Fluid Cube, 2019.
Video Credits: MVM Hungarian Electricity Private Ltd.
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