Ariu Armchair by Research and Development Design Italia Srl is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2024 Silver A' Design Award in Furniture Design Competition Category.
SilverFurniture· 2024
Ariu Armchair
by Research and Development Design Italia Srl
Client: Rdd Italia
Silver A' Design Award Winner in Furniture Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #155624The Design
About Ariu Armchair
Ariu is an armchair that merges eco-design with adaptability, revolutionizing sustainable furniture with its easily disassemblable structure, promoting waste reduction and recyclability. Its core, an ottoman, links the spheres with tensioning bands, blending form and function. This modular design allows use as exercise balls, catering to the demand for versatile furniture. Ariu adapts to modern interior design needs by offering space-efficient, multifunctional solutions, encouraging sustainable consumption. Innovation can lessen environmental impact and redefine sustainable living!
The Recognition
About the Silver A' Design Award
Ariu Armchair is a Silver A' Design Award winner, an extraordinarily prestigious recognition granted to top-of-the-line, gorgeous, and impressive designs. Silver winners are tremendously brilliant and exceedingly creative works that illustrate the outstanding expertise, talent, and acuity of their designers. Ariu Armchair is expected to be a wonderful, showpiece work that is remarkably professional and profoundly innovative. This Silver A' Design Award-winning design is a highly notable, admired invention that benefits and advances the boundaries of art, science, design, and technology. Ariu Armchair is a vastly envied creation that evokes desires, introduces positive feelings, and sparks amazement and wonderment.
Where to Get It
Sustainable Product Development and Industrialization Services
We transform innovative concepts into manufacturable products through cutting-edge prototyping, VR visualization, and eco-design principles. Our interdisciplinary approach combines traditional craftsmanship with digital innovation for sustainable industrial solutions.
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Design Interview
What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
The main principle behind Ariu is ecodesign, emphasizing sustainability, adaptability, and user-centric functionality. The core idea is to create a versatile and modular sofa system that meets diverse needs while minimizing environmental impact. Ariu draws inspiration from the spherical shapes of water atoms, symbolizing the intrinsic relationship between humans and natural resources, particularly reflecting the water resource challenges faced in the Puglia region. This inspiration underscores the convergence of comfort, nature, and versatility in Ariu's design, aligning it with eco-friendly principles and innovative, user-focused solutions.
What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
My main focus in designing Ariu was to create a multifunctional armchair that goes beyond traditional design, offering both fitness functionality and eco-friendliness. I wanted to achieve a versatile piece that adapts to various uses, such as lounging, exercising, and serving as individual poufs. By integrating these features, I aimed to challenge the conventional notion of an armchair and promote a more sustainable approach to furniture design. The use of eco-friendly materials and a disassemblable structure further underscores my commitment to sustainability, ensuring that Ariu is not only innovative and practical but also environmentally responsible.
What are your future plans for this award winning design?
For the future of Ariu, my plans include expanding its versatility and reach. I aim to develop additional modular components and accessories that can further enhance its functionality and adaptability, catering to even more diverse user needs and spaces. Exploring smart technology integrations, such as IoT connectivity, could provide users with advanced customization and control options.
Additionally, I plan to collaborate with eco-friendly material innovators to continuously improve the sustainability aspect of Ariu, ensuring it remains at the forefront of environmentally responsible design. Expanding its availability in international markets is also a priority, making this award-winning design accessible to a global audience.
Ultimately, my goal is to see Ariu evolve into a comprehensive solution for modern living, combining innovation, sustainability, and user-centric design to positively impact homes and lifestyles around the world.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- Ariu embodies the principles of ecodesign and adaptability. Its disassemblable structure simplifies disposal, with the central ottoman serving as the primary structural component that connects air chamber elements through tensioning bands. Going beyond its role as a simple armchair, Ariu enables modules to function independently as exercise balls or individual poufs. Weighing a mere 12kg strategically minimizes fuel impact during transport, contributing significantly to the reduction of reliance on fossil fuels.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Width 1300 x Height 750 x Depth 1100 mm
Modules: x1 Pouf, x4 Big spheres, x1 Medium sphere, x3 Small speheres. The covering is sourced from controlled yarns, where the use of harmful chemicals during the production phase is minimal or eliminated, and it can be replaced at any time thanks to a specific system of straps and air chambers. - Tags
- Ecodesign, Innovation, Versatility, Fitness, Confort
- Production Technology
- An internal tensioning system, starting from the central ottoman (the sole structure of the furniture), creates tension throughout the product. This results in controlled chaos, where air chambers are organized in such a way as to provide a well-defined range of movement, also enhancing the ergonomic characteristics of the furniture.
- Design Challenge
- The challenge presented a dual objective: first, to devise a functional and user-friendly system for the easy removal and precise repositioning of the spheres in Ariu, and second, to optimize the material realization process for the cover.
Our primary focus was on engineering a system that simplifies both the extraction and placement of the spheres. Simultaneously, significant attention was dedicated to perfecting the material realization of the cover. This involved exploring innovative construction methods and materials that not only align with the design's aesthetic but also enhance its overall functionality. - Research
- The inspiration behind Ariu's design is deeply rooted in the intricate structure of water atoms, specifically their spherical shapes. The research process involved an in-depth exploration of the scientific and symbolic aspects of water atoms. Understanding the molecular structure and significance of water in sustaining life formed the basis for Ariu's conceptual foundation. The cohesion among the spherical elements in Ariu goes beyond mere symbolism. It is grounded in a thoughtful rationalization that strategically brings together comfort, nature, and versatility. This integration aligns closely with the principles of ecodesign, emphasizing sustainability and harmony with the environment.By delving into both the scientific and regional aspects, Ariu seeks to offer a holistic solution that embodies both symbolism and functionality in a design that is ecologically mindful and contextually relevant.
- Inspiration
- Ariu draws inspiration from the spherical shapes of the atoms that make up water, as it encapsulates the intrinsic relationship between humans and natural resources, with a particular focus on the Puglia region which has been facing deep issues with water resources in recent decades.The cohesion among the spherical elements of Ariu is not merely symbolic, but it rationalizes the convergence of comfort, nature, and versatility in line with the principles of ecodesign.
- Project Duration
- The project started in 2021 and it was exhibited as prototype in Dubai Expo in 2021, in Salone del Mobile in 2022 and in Autentico Design in Puglia in New York in 2023.
- Operation Flow
- Ariu can be used as a armchair, but even for fitness purposes, since the structure is a composition done from spheres. It can be disassembled.
- Patents
- Copyright belong to RDD ITALIA
- Team Members
- CEO: "Vito D'Amato"
Designer: "Michelangelo Bove"
Project manager: "Corrado Massimo"
Innovation manager: "Cesaria Digregorio" - Image Credits
- Images and Video : Michelangelo Bove / Designer
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