What it does
This project presents a series of modular furniture made from sheet metal. Through folded, stackable flat units, it significantly reduces shipping volume. Users can freely assemble lamps, tables, chairs, and curved shelves to extend product lifespan.
Your inspiration
In today’s fast-paced industrial world, many plastic tables and chairs in restaurants are discarded after short use due to peeling or stains. Can furniture be modular, repairable, and reusable to extend its lifecycle? We collaborated with local sheet metal factories, applying Taiwan’s refined bending techniques to bring metal into modern home aesthetics. Inspired by Taiwan’s diverse culture, we integrated Japanese lattice patterns into the design of furniture. The lattice softens the metal’s hardness, adds cultural depth, and lets light gently pass through—like memories flowing into daily life, adding quiet poetry to everyday spaces.
How it works
To realize the vision of modular furniture, we selected four common household items—lighting, tables, chairs, and shelves—for deconstruction and redesign. We targeted commercial dining spaces, where frequent furniture reconfiguration is often required. The chair design includes two leg lengths that can be attached to the seat to form a stool or a high chair. Hollow legs create storage space beneath the seat. The lighting module features an L-shaped unit that can be combined in multiples of four to form table lamps, pendant lights, or floor lamps. The base accommodates most standard tube lights and sockets. The table can be reconfigured into square, rectangular, or low variations, while shelf units can be flexibly assembled into different storage forms. This modular approach allows users to adapt to changing spatial needs, increasing flexibility and extending product lifespan.
Design process
This project is a collaborative work with Taiwa Precise Technique Co., Ltd., a Taichung-based company known for its innovative design spirit. To ensure visual consistency, we incorporated Japanese lattice patterns commonly seen in Taiwan into the product’s overall language. The material used is black steel, processed with surface finishing techniques. During prototyping, we found that the hollow structure needed for hanging the chair reduced its overall strength. Therefore, we removed the lattice pattern from the chair legs to maintain structural support. For the storage basket and seat cushion, we selected easy-to-clean fabric to enhance practicality. In the laser-cutting and bending of the table and lighting modules, we encountered frequent issues where dense lattice patterns caused deformation during cutting or bending. We repeatedly adjusted the spacing and width of the lattice to preserve the visual identity while ensuring strength. For the bending process, we revised several corner shapes to fit existing rounded jigs. Additionally, to allow users to DIY assemble the furniture, we designed circular holes to align with oval holes, improving the ease and accuracy of assembly.
How it is different
The core of this design lies in its modularity, allowing flexible transformation into various forms. During the production stage, we considered the characteristics of sheet metal processing and designed basic units using simplified procedures to improve manufacturing efficiency. In the transportation stage, each unit can be stacked, effectively reducing shipping volume and costs. In the usage stage, the metal material is highly durable and, compared to natural materials, less prone to dust accumulation and easier to clean—making it ideal for commercial spaces. Finally, at the end of the product’s lifecycle and in reverse logistics, we considered its potential for reuse. Through partial processing or repair, the product can quickly re-enter the cycle and begin a new stage of life, fulfilling our sustainable design goals.
Future plans
The product is now ready for mass production. We plan to start with lighting as the first launch. A market survey will be conducted to determine pricing and positioning. At the same time, we will work with partner manufacturers to optimize production processes for better efficiency and quality. Further durability tests will be carried out, followed by multiple design and manufacturing iterations. After initial optimization, we will proceed with small-batch production and user testing to gather feedback for future improvements and scaling up.
Awards
2025 Young Pin Design Award - Design Collaboration Category Winner 2025 A+ Cultural Heritage Creative Award - Sustainable Cultural Heritage Design Finalist
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