DESIGN NAME: SHANTONG
PRIMARY FUNCTION: Modular Furniture Set
INSPIRATION: Some friends have children. They complain that the living space has become compact. This is because the family room is a space shared by both children and adults, but the needs of the two can sometimes conflict a little. Children‘s furniture and play equipment often take up a lot of space in the home and become unsuitable when the child grows up. So in this project by SHANTONG, we want to combine the needs of children and adults to create a fun, functional and sustainable piece of furniture.
UNIQUE PROPERTIES / PROJECT DESCRIPTION: SHANTONG is a modular system of abstract plywood elements, which can be used as a stool, chair, hideaways, fort, and so on. Therefore it meets the various requirements of a family.
We've innovated SHANTONG's molding process, departing from conventional molds. And the components are smartly and mechanically connected and can be assembled and disassembled with bare hands. 100% of the material can be recycled at the end of the product's life.
OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION: Assembling:
Each stool assembly has a connector that will have a male and female connector on it. Therefore the user can connect two stools by plugging the male connector into the female connector. For example, a chair with a backrest for an adult can be assembled by inserting the small male connector into the medium female connector.
PROJECT DURATION AND LOCATION: The project started in April 2023 and finished in July 2023 in Darmstadt.
FITS BEST INTO CATEGORY: Furniture Design
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PRODUCTION / REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY: SHANTONG has some innovations in technology.
The first is the utilization and expansion of steam bending wood technology. Through custom flat cutouts, the 3D form can be accurately achieved by gently pressing the pre-bent sheet from both sides' midpoint. The next is about connection. SHANTONG has a unique accessory that allows two modules to be assembled into one chair. We designed the connecting piece as a clamp that can be installed with bare hands without the need for any glue or tool.
SPECIFICATIONS / TECHNICAL PROPERTIES: Small: 600 mm x 360 mm x 330mm
Medium: 640 mm x 460 mm x 530
Large: 680 mm x 560 mm x 630
The shape of SHANTONG is suitable for stacking. Therefore, it is easy to be transported and stored. Not only can the same pieces be stacked, but the three different sizes can be stacked together as well, making SHANTONG very space-efficient for home storage.
TAGS: child design, furniture design, bentwood, modular design, stackable furniture
RESEARCH ABSTRACT: The family room is a space that is shared by children and adults, but the needs of both can sometimes conflict a little. Children‘s furniture and play equipment often take up a lot of space in the home and become unsuitable when the child grows up. In this project by SHANTONG, we tried to combine the needs of children and adults to create a fun, functional and sustainable piece of furniture.
We‘ve innovated SHANTONG‘s molding process, departing from conventional molds. Through custom flat cutouts, the 3D form can be accurately achieved by pressing the pre-bent sheet from both sides‘ midpoint.
The outcome is an adaptable set of abstract plywood components, serving as stools, chairs, hideaways, forts, and more. SHANTONG meets the various requirements of a family.
CHALLENGE: The most challenging part was controlling its flat shape to produce a 3d shape that meets the ergonomic needs of both children and adults. We did a lot of testing and versioning of the shapes.
ADDED DATE: 2024-02-27 23:14:12
TEAM MEMBERS (2) : Designer: Duowen Ji and Designer: Kaihe Wang
IMAGE CREDITS: Kaihe Wang and Duowen Ji, 2023.
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