4x4 Bench by Shayan Ramesht is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2024 Bronze A' Design Award in Furniture Design Competition Category.
BronzeFurniture· 2024
4x4 Bench
Client: Unspace
Bronze A' Design Award Winner in Furniture Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #154784The Design
About 4x4 Bench
The 4x4 bench has been designed and constructed with a reuse approach, utilizing recycled materials. The bench is made using 16 recycled paper tubes, each measuring 160 centimeters in length. The challenge in designing this bench was placing the tubes on the smallest possible contact surface of the circle, as the tubes tend to slide on top of each other, requiring a larger contact surface for stability. To solve this challenge, recycled plastic pieces were designed and produced to prevent lateral movement of the tubes on each other.
The Recognition
About the Bronze A' Design Award
4x4 Bench is a Bronze A' Design Award winner, a highly prestigious recognition granted to outstanding designs distinguished by creativity, ingenuity, and astuteness. Bronze winners are amply skillful and strikingly creative artifacts that authenticate the vast experience, imagination, and resourcefulness of their designers. 4x4 Bench is expected to be a highly regarded, admired, and cherished object that is notably professional and innovative. This Bronze A' Design Award-winning design incorporates best practices in art, science, design, and technology, and is excellent for its attention to detail. 4x4 Bench splendidly satisfies needs, touches desires, charms feelings, and appeals to curiosity.
Interviews
Grand Interview
Your innovative approach to sustainability with the 4x4 Bench has earned recognition through the Bronze A' Design Award - could you walk us through the journey of transforming recycled paper tubes into a functional piece of furniture that can support up to 230 kilograms?
The journey began with a question: What if overlooked industrial waste could become structural? Recycled paper tubes, often discarded after use in carpet manufacturing, became my primary material. Each tube, with its inherent strength and uniform dimensions, was reimagined not as waste, but as a modular unit. I selected 16 tubes, cut them to 160 cm length, and arranged them in a grid-like pattern. Through careful structural balancing and load distribution—combined with plastic connectors—this configuration evolved into a bench that could support up to 230 kg. The success lies in designing with the logic of the material, not against it.
The 4x4 Bench showcases an intriguing solution to the challenge of tube stability - what inspired your design of the recycled plastic pieces that prevent lateral movement, and how did you arrive at the final configuration?
During initial prototypes, I realized that cylindrical objects tend to roll or slide, compromising structural reliability. This instability led me to design custom-fit recycled plastic stabilizers, placed at contact points to lock the tubes in position. These pieces not only solved the functional challenge, but also added visual rhythm and contrast to the design. I arrived at the final form after multiple rounds of prototyping, seeking a solution that was both minimal in appearance and maximum in effect—allowing the tubes to retain their raw identity while functioning as a solid bench.
In developing the 4x4 Bench, you have created a striking balance between raw materials and refined design - how does your philosophy of emphasizing inherent aesthetic qualities in recycled materials influence your creative process?
I believe materials carry their own story, and that true sustainability lies in not masking it. In the 4x4 Bench, I chose to keep the raw character of the paper tubes—scratches, faded textures, slight inconsistencies—because they contribute to the object’s authenticity. Instead of polishing or covering these traits, I frame them through contrast: by designing precise plastic connectors and clean alignments, the rawness becomes intentional. This contrast informs my entire process—refining the assembly while allowing materials to remain honest.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- The 4x4 bench is made using 16 recycled paper tubes, each measuring 160 centimeters in length, which are used for carpet rolls. The uniqueness of this bench lies in the placement of these tubes on the smallest possible circular section contact surface, as overlapping circles have a tendency to slide and fill up a greater contact surface area with empty space. To solve this problem, recycled plastic parts were designed and produced to prevent lateral movement of the tubes on top of each other.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- The bench has dimensions of 160*43*43 centimeters and can accommodate 3 people. It weighs 22 kilograms and can withstand a weight of up to 230 kilograms according to the test results.
- Tags
- Bench, Furniture Design, Recycled, Interior Furniture, Minimal
- Production Technology
- All materials have been used in their raw and natural colors with emphasis on their inherent aesthetic qualities in the design and construction of this bench. This concept has the potential to expand into a complete set of furniture and tables, as its approach and concept involve reusing recyclable materials and giving utility to such materials that are abundantly seen in our surroundings.
- Design Challenge
- Attention to detail while maintaining simplicity is an important aspect of the design and idea behind this bench. For example, in addition to its role in compressing the pipes and holding the overall structure of the bench, the retaining straps have created handles by doubling the extra part of the strap, making the bench easier to move around. Additionally, the technical specifications label of the product or the symbols printed on the product seek graphic aesthetics when combined with an industrial product.
- Research
- The primary method of research in this project involved conducting a literature review of reference databases to determine the extent of household or industrial waste disposal. The importance of this issue is whether these wastes are being recycled in today's age or if they are recyclable. The main approach of 4x4 Bench was based on this inquiry and aimed to use the answer to provide a practical effect while maintaining beauty and design challenges. This approach strives to demonstrate the beauty and practicality of the recycled materials used to users.
- Inspiration
- Nowadays, one of the biggest global issues is waste generation and environmental pollution. Recycling and reusing existing materials multiple times is one way to prevent less waste production. Therefore, the idea of creating a functional object using recycled materials gave birth to the construction of this bench.
- Project Duration
- 2023, Iran/Shiraz
- Operation Flow
- This bench is suitable for use in cafes or offices. The entire bench is designed for indoor spaces. In addition, to ensure long-term use for bench users, cushions with clear recycled plastic covers filled with recycled fabric fibers are designed and considered as an alternative. This approach is in line with the trend of using available materials.
- Image Credits
- Image #1: Shayan Ramesht, 4x4 Bench , 2023
Image #2: Shayan Ramesht, 4x4 Bench , 2023
Image #3: Shayan Ramesht, 4x4 Bench , 2023
Image #4: Shayan Ramesht, 4x4 Bench , 2023
Image #5: Shayan Ramesht, 4x4 Bench , 2023
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