Future Heirlooms

Design objects are more than singular/non-referential beings; they are part of the environment they shape, as well as the historical context, like a street, a district, or a community. So far, design objects have only been conditioned by humans as subjects to accommodate, and the human body has been defined as the standard measurement criterion of this design. But now, it is necessary to un-learn and re-learn what we know in the design criteria to add non-humans as subjects to the agents.

This designed furniture, which stems from an existing typology, is a twist on its human-centered historical twin, while it can be communed in a complex, ever changing interior, architectural, and even urban environment.

The reference for the design is based on a church bench designed by the Dutch monk and architect, Dom Hans van der Laan, with what he called the ‘plastic number'. The plastic number is a system of rational order on which van der Laan ruminated, under the influence of the Modernism movement at the time. This system is driven by numbers and ratios. Throughout the design process, being liable to a plastic number becomes a rule system for choosing materials and deciding on details.

The design is twofold. While it wants to point out the existing value and remind people of that value; it also cares about reversing this rational and human-oriented design approach. This is expressed by the use of two different materials. While the American cherry is used as to point out that part was designed by Laan, the extension which was also made according to the plastic number rules, was made in American red oak.

Then again, the details appear as knots that change the nature of the design by questioning it. Collaborating with the stakeholders shows how much commonality is required and helps to understand the nature of the material.

Adapting to the original reference, the design adheres to the plastic number for material selection and detailing. Whilst the chair is playfully pivoting around itself to both sides, you may notice an unexpected lid, which leads to a mysterious box below. If you dare to open it, maybe a worm will say hi! The extension of the seating where the soil is placed has continuous holes. These holes are made to create a seamless flow for the worms that live in the compost box—which also has holes— below the seating. they can migrate from the compost box to other areas, and this idea was inspired by Subpod.