The Aesthetics of Efficiency_three corners

This semester we cooperated with the company “16 Boxes” and Ernst Office during the short project “KP_The Aesthetics of Efficiency “under supervision of Prof. Dr. Kretzer. “16 boxes” is a Berlin based company with the goal of creating sustainable furniture that is easy to build by simply connecting the parts made from plywood. This cooperation wants to achieve even more sustainability by using the leftover parts from production off their shelf. So, our goal was to create something new from these parts, the “waste” from 16 boxes, so that they won’t have to throw so much away. Our process was focused on the material. At first, we had to understand what is even possible with the plywood and the limitations we’ve been given.

We knew we were limited by the wooden plates size but also by keeping additional parts at a minimum. A goal we set ourselves was to find a shape that was easy and would allow maximal usage of the space we had. What we also always kept in mind was the idea of giving the customer the ability to extend their product if they needed too.

Process

We took a closer look at modular systems because they seemed very efficient. After deciding we wanted one of those systems for our product, we started looking more into geometrical shapes we wanted to use for our product. The triangle quickly came to our mind since it’s not a shape you often see in furniture but it’s still a very simple form. The regularity of the triangle shape is perfect for achieving optimal usage of the leftover wooden plates. To achieve even more efficiency, we focused on equilateral triangles because no matter which way you would turn them, the sides will always fit together. This way it opens even more possibilities for creating different furniture and constructions.

After we did some research we created a connector system. We cut out some parts with the laser cutter so that we could create mockups. Based on these we went to the wood workshop and build all our parts by hand. In larger scale production the parts would be cut out with a CNC milling machine.

1:1 Prototype

Our final product is a coffee table with three kinds of connectors. It consists of twelve equilateral triangles with six milled notches ,twelve straight, eight 130 degree and four 100 degree connectors. The connectors fit perfectly into the notches so it builds an even surface.

With our system we’re trying to attract people who are looking for furniture with a different shape than what you usually see in stores but is still aesthetically pleasing. At the same time we are also able to hit our goal by giving people the opportunity to create their product the way they currently need it. Give them several possibilities of customization.

The Final product from three Corners is extensible, you can add more equilateral triangles to establish your own furniture. Another cool feature is, that the table always has a unique look, no matter how much pieces you use for your own furniture.