Something To Sit On
- Published: 27 September 2007 17:07
- Last Updated: 24 October 2007 18:21
The Architects' Journal, the UK's most respected weekly architecture magazine, and top design manufacturer Modus Furniture, have teamed up for the second Something to Sit On competition
Gone are the days of being chained to your workstation nine to five. The traditional boundaries between the city and the office are breaking down as today's dynamic workforce logs on in coffee bars and parks alike. We invited our readers to conceptualise a seating opportunity for informal working on a laptop, for either individual or group use. Can the desk and the armchair be combined?
Our competition partner Modus will produce a prototype of the winning seating design, which could become part of its product range. We set few limits on how the piece would be made, but asked that it be predominantly upholstered. We were looking for a piece that would fit within the existing Modus ranges and that had the potential for production.
Out of 50 entries, the judges picked these six designs for the shortlist. And then the wuinner, which is Lab, by Camilla Bendix and Charlotte Budtz.
www.modusfurniture.co.uk
www.architectsjournal.co.uk
Winner - Lab
A reworking of the traditional school desk. While facilitating solo working, the polygonal desk shape of this stackable light-weight design allows the formation of more sociable clusters.
Materials: Stainless steel, acrylic, upholstered seat
Designers: Camilla Bendix and Charlotte Budtz
Runner-up - Quads
The base of this sofa system is punctured with a hole for access to plug sockets for your laptop; its hollow form offers a space to store bags out of the way.
Materials: Polyurethane inner shell with composite polyester webbing, upholstered upper
Designers: Barnaby Gunning, Gunning Groothuizen Architects
Shortlisted - Flyby
With a particular eye on the airport market, this modular seating solution functions well as both a sofa and, with its hinged paddle-shaped table, an informal desk.
Materials: Bead-blast aluminium frame, Bute tween upholstered polyurethane foam
Designers: Simon Beames & Alastair Townsend, Youmeheshe.
Shortlisted - Base 01
Materials: Alucobond body, steel frame legs, upholstered combustion modified foam
Designers: Richard Bassett, LSI Architects
Shortlisted - Acorn
These playful white-lacquered stools are designed to swivel in any direction so that you can comfortably hold a laptop on your knees.
Materials: Fibreglass shell, moulded rubber foot to prevent skidding, with a base of 8kg of lead and epoxy keel, upholstered polyurethane foam
Designers: Stephen Tierney, Tierney Haines Architects
Shortlisted - .doc chair
A laptop, which slots neatly into this spongy obelisk, can be easily removed to create a soft cushion allowing you to sit in any urban environment.
Materials: Recycled Wellington boot membrane, recycled car tyre gripping base, flex-gel cushioning
Designers: Christian Drinkwater
