Spaces with Potential

Stofa

By WenBin Mai

Research

First Ideas Sketches

Evofa Concept

Scale/Size Research

Stofa Concept

Tube Concept

Cushion CAD

Beam Concept

Stofa Concept MK2

Final Stofa Concept

Bibliography

How did I decide my question?

In the present, housing is getting smaller by the year, as prices per metre² are raising, people are resorting to buying/building smaller houses. Right now, Hong Kong has one of the highest population densities in the world. A place full of skyscrapers/flats towering over the roads. It is very difficult to get a home there. It would cost around £1,200-£2000 per month for an average sized one-bedroom apartment (“Rent and Housing in Hong Kong: Everything You Need to Know | InterNations GO!”, 2020). You can imagine how much it would require renting an apartment for a family. With this in mind, the goal is to design an idea that can save space in a household. Which can help families buy a smaller property

(“Sean Foley (@stfeyes) • Instagram”, 2020)

Should people consider a micro-house?

Micro-housing requires less money and land to build. There are many compact design ideas that can be integrated in a micro-house. It is like having a small house but with the possibilities of a normal house. With such a small footprint it requires less energy to run. By 2050 it is estimated 9.7 billion people would be on the planet. There is only limited space of land available. So, in the future there will be a time where there is no space left.

WenBin

(“Sean Foley (@stfeyes) • Instagram”, 2020)

Narrowing down all the basic requirements in a household can help limit a selection of items.

Looking at what we do in a certain space can show what is being used and what is there for one purpose only. For example, what do we do in the living room? Watch television or relaxing on the sofa reading a book. Looking at each item and thinking if we can design a new item that can be multifunctional or do the same function in a more compacted space.

(Zadran, 2020)

Researching into small spaces gives a lot of inspirations into what sort of path this project will be heading. There are different techniques to save space in a household. From interior designs/structure of the house to little products that are multi-use. So, with all the information, different types of ideas can be generated using these.

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Plate Concept

Different cultures have different eating styles. Western countries in Europe/America like to have their food on their own plate to eat. While Eastern countries in Asia like to place their food on plates in the middle for everyone to take and share. The following 2 ideas are focused on how to use space on a dining table trying to minimise the usage of the surface area. These are targeted for Eastern families, as using stacking creates more space but still have easy access to food.

Seat Concepts

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WenBin Mai

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Continuing the path of sofas concepts. As many sofas have unused space within the structure. The following concepts will be heading towards how that space can be transformed for different uses.

Evofa - First Concept

The first concept sofa features a pull-out tray from the armrest of the table. Allowing users to use it to eat or work on. Which was inspired by the trays that airplanes have that fold in and out whenever needed. Although this sofa, middle tray does not fold like the airplane style ones. Which means it either has to be a smaller tray to store into the armrest or create a 3-axis rotation fitting that allows the tray to swivel.

To find a comfortable size for the sofa. I got 2 people to sit at different distances. To find the sweetspot for comfort and small size. This helped with creating a GA drawing for a standard i can use to create other sofa concepts. Also looking at different current market products can help with the scale.

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Stofa - First Concept

This concept is focused on storage only. Stripping down the whole sofa to just the structure, we can see there is a lot of space that can be used to place items into. This is still a very early stage concept as; the structure can be very fragile and require inner frame support. As soon as the Solidworks model was built, problems started to appear with measurements and would require readjusting. However, with this model it shows all the spaces that can be used in the sofa.

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Tube Concept

To create more unique sofa designs, branching out to different construction material and methods. Which can give a diverse range of different aesthetics to the sofas. This tube started as a piece that was extruded. Which is very simple but looks very different to sofas for homes but more for an office. Since it was a full aluminium extrusion it has a lot of weight to the sofa. Replacing the middle part with extruded aluminium tubing it can lower the weight of the sofa and gives it a different look as well.

Pillow created using freeform tool

Beam Sofa Concept

This sofa concept revolves around a main beam running along to support the weight. This was very different to what you see in usual homes. The look was mainly for people on a commercial setting as it the material and aesthetic create that feeling.

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Chester

WenBin

The second version of the beam sofa was focused on cutting down the materials used. Using the “I” structure of the beam will help weight while maintaining the sturdiness of the sofa. Also adding the storage underneath gives it some purpose like having a rack to store magazines. This Sofa is on a smaller footprint than others as it doesn’t have an armrest. Because it now more targeted towards commercial environments.

Final Stofa Concept Development

Going through with the storage sofa (Stofa), it would be a great area of focus on as you always need somewhere to store items. So, it would suit to many people’s needs. Focusing on form over function as the sofa needs to be more ascetically pleasing, as the only different between a normal one is just having storage implemented in it. Researching into minimalist ideas from products to companies. The final concept was based on the Wassily chair designed by Marcel Breuer in 1925 and Mac Pro by Apple. Bauhaus is minimalist art movement while Apple targets for simple and easy to use.

("Wassily™ Chair | Knoll", 2020)

("Mac Pro", 2020)

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Chester

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Using the inspirations from the Wassily Chair and Mac Pro, gave a new concept of the “Stofa”. It features storage under both sides of the armrest with a large pull out draw underneath the middle frame of the sofa. This new concept uses a combination of tubular steel to create the main frame, with pieces of leather wrapped around to create seating, backrest and armrest. The storage is also embedded into the armrest frame created by wood. The combination of wood (warm, natural), Metal (cold, sturdy) creates a nice balance.

The base storage have one way axis wheels which allow users to slide the storage out with ease.

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The first CAD model pointed out problems with the original design. The draws where longer than required so making them shorter. The back of the armrest can be pulled off to access the storage, which can store items that are not used occasionally. It is attached via magnets allows easier access. There is an optional clip on box to store any extras

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The main problem was the seating. The original idea was to have leather that was stitched together on both sides of the frame to give it the “seating” space. However, the stitching would not be able to support the weight of 2 people. Therefore, going with the traditional technique of upholstery is the best option. Creating the webbing between the frame gives a comfortable seat. The design on the cushion was to have a thick seat as most weight is focused on the seat with a tapered back. Side cushions are added for more comfort.

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Material Selection

There are 3 main sections of the sofa that can change colour, frame (Metal), storage (Wood/Vinyl) and Cushions/armrest (Leather/ Cloth). The metal frame will be constructed by steel. A metallic coating of colour can be applied. Each can be changed to the user’s preference. Different material can make the sofa cost more expensive. The sofa will have come preassembled due to the construction of the product would be too hard to make it flatpack.

Cushion Material

Full Grain Leather - Full grain leather (highest grade of leather) which is the top layer of the animal hide that has natural imperfection and retains the imprints of the animal it was taken from. The leather is mainly left untreated, besides hair removal. As it can retain it’s original texture and markings. The only treatment is dyeing the leather.

Top Grain Leather - Top grain is taken from the outer layers of hides. It is usually buffed up to remove any imperfections. It is also easier and cheaper to work with compared to full grain leather. It also has about 12-14% water content will can acclimate to the body temperature when sat in it.

Polyurethane Leather - This man-made leather can look and feel like genuine leather. It can be embossed with any texture to fit the design. It a cheap alternative to real leather. However, the durability isn’t as good as real leather. It can be easier to split and crack due to the PU leather not being able to breath. The leather also doesn’t product patina as it ages.

(Kiley, 2020)

Linen is an extremely strong natural fibre. It’s smooth and soft to the touch. It can resist pilling and soiling. However, it can wrinkle easily. It can be blended with cotton for greater elasticity.

Wool is a durable choice for upholstery fabric in a sofa. Although it can be a bit scratchy and if not part of a blend, can be difficult to clean and risk felting.

Velvet can be made from cotton, silk, or polyester. Velvets made from polyester are more durable than their natural fibre counterparts. However, it can be difficult to clean but stands out for it’s comfort, texture, and wide range of colours.

Microfiber is a knit blend polyester fabric, microfibre is softer than suede and much easier to clean. It’s tightly woven fibres provide durability and moisture resistance while still having the aesthetic qualities of suede.

(“Upholstery Fabrics”, 2020)

Walnut is a strong and versatile wood, it has a fine grain that is very dense and cause it to be shock resistant. There different colour walnut depending on the type.

Maple is one of the hardest wood used for furniture. It's often used for heavy-use products like dining sets and dressers, as it can take a lot of beating. Its more affordable than other hardwoods.

Mahogany has a pleasingly fine and straight grain due to the size's of the trees. Mahogany is produced in large boards which makes its perfect for focal point furniture. Mahogany's aesthetic gives a room warmth and timeless look to it.

Birch has a very bright cream/yellow colour to it making it "great for modern furniture". It has elegant with clean crisp grain that is great for minimalist interior design

Oak is a durable and long-lasting wood and very dense. This wood is suitable for modern and traditional furniture style. Oaks comes from light brown to pinkish-red with a swirling or striped grain. Scratch and stain resistance if finished well

Bamboo can grow 10 times faster than hardwoods. It is resistant to swelling and shrinking. Eco-friendly material with a blond colour to it. Great use for modern design and eco-families.

Pine can be used for rustic and farmhouse design. It's fast growing compared to hardwoods which can be less expensive and colour can lighten up a room.

The last option is to have chipboard with vinyl and plastic laminate which can result in a very minimalistic look and cheaper alternative.

WenBin

Stofa The multi-purpose sofa that space saving with multiple storage conpartments. Made using aluminium tubing frame and wooden structure, along with leather cushioning.

Bibliography

Zadran, H. (2020). Visualizing and Demonstrating 3D Floor Plans. Retrieved 25 May 2020, from http:// hhomedesign.com/?p=16450

Wassily™ Chair | Knoll. (2020). Retrieved 25 May 2020, from https://www.knoll.com/product/wassily-chair

Upholstery Fabrics. (2020). Retrieved 25 May 2020, from https://canvasman.co.uk/upholstery-fabrics/

Sean Foley (@stfeyes) • Instagram photos and videos. (2020). Retrieved 25 May 2020, from https://www. instagram.com/stfeyes/

Mac Pro. (2020). Retrieved 25 May 2020, from https:// www.apple.com/uk/mac-pro/

Kiley, T. (2020). 6 Differences Between Real Vs. Bonded Vs. Faux Leather. Retrieved 25 May 2020, from https:// www.btod.com/blog/real-vs-bonded-vs-faux-leather/

Rent and Housing in Hong Kong: Everything You Need to Know | InterNations GO!. (2020). Retrieved 25 May 2020, from https://www.internations.org/go/moving-tohong-kong/housing

-Peter Drucker

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