Furniture under pressure

“Furniture Under Pressure” explores the potential of shape-memory materials in furniture design, with a particular focus on seating. The project addresses the climatic, technical, and aesthetic challenges posed by the transportation of goods in industrial design, investigating the possibilities offered by flat-packing through materials capable of occupying a fraction of their volume and then reconfiguring into a single piece without mechanical assembly.

The project experimentally evaluates the opportunities offered by “smart” materials that can reconfigure, under certain conditions, into a state that occupies a fraction of their original volume, and then return to their full shape. These materials include those with natural compressibility, shape-memory properties, or the ability to bend either naturally or through engineered processes.

Inspired by Gaetano Pesce’s iconic Up5 chair, the project’s goal is to identify and select a wide range of materials suitable for producing a seat that can be transported in a reduced volume and expand back to its original shape once unpacked. At the same time, the knowledge gathered will be shared through an online catalog showcasing the studied materials and their properties, as well as the results of the performed tests. This inventory will serve as a virtual materials library available to designers.