Folding Pākaukau ʻAoʻao by Max Niemiec is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Hao in Hoʻolālā Lako Hale Competition Category.

HaoLako Hale· 2026

Folding Pākaukau ʻAoʻao

by Max Niemiec

Client: Paul Maxwell

A' Design Award Hao Winner in Lako Hale Category

5,047

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #180622

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Folding Pākaukau ʻAoʻao

He pākaukau ʻaoʻao ʻo Folding e lawelawe pū ana ma ke ʻano he kiʻi kālai geometric i manaʻo ʻia e nānā ʻia mai nā ʻaoʻao a pau. Ua hana ʻia ka pākaukau mai kahi papa lāʻau paʻa laminated hoʻokahi, i ʻoki ʻia i ʻehā ʻāpana a hui hou ʻia ma nā huina ʻoi a me nā huina peleleu, no laila me he mea lā ua pelu ʻia ke ʻano o ke kino. Hoʻomaʻemaʻe nā chamfer lōʻihi e emi mālie ana i nā lihi ʻaoʻao he nui. Hoʻohana ʻia ka hoʻohui dowel, nā jig hana lāʻau, a me nā ʻano hoʻopaʻa kūikawā no ka hoʻohui ʻana. Pelu ʻia ka papa ʻekolu manawa, a hōʻike kēlā me kēia o nā ʻaoʻao ʻehā i kahi nānā ʻokoʻa. He 483 mm ke ana o kēlā me kēia anakahi.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Hao

Ua lanakila ka hoʻolālā Folding Pākaukau ʻAoʻao i ka A' Design Award Hao, he ʻike hoʻohanohano i hāʻawi ʻia i nā hoʻolālā maikaʻi e hoʻokō ana i nā koi ʻoihana a ʻoihana hana i manaʻo ʻia mai nā mea hoʻokumu i hana maikaʻi ʻia. Hōʻike nā lanakila Hao i ka mākau nui, ka loea kiʻekiʻe, ka ʻike akamai a me ka hiki hana noʻeau o ka poʻe i hana iā lākou. Manaʻo ʻia ʻo ka hoʻolālā Folding Pākaukau ʻAoʻao he mea hoʻokumu i mahalo nui ʻia, hoʻohiwahiwa ʻia a aloha ʻia e pono a hou. ʻO kēia hoʻolālā i lanakila i ka A' Design Award Hao e hoʻohui ana i nā hana maikaʻi loa o ka ʻoihana a loaʻa nā ʻano ʻenehana mākaukau i hui pū ʻia me ka ʻike hana a me ka makakoho. Mahalo ʻia ka hoʻolālā Folding Pākaukau ʻAoʻao no kona nānā pono a ua hoʻolālā ʻia e hāʻawi i nā hoʻomaikaʻi ola e kōkua ai i ka hana ʻana i ka honua i wahi maikaʻi aku.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: This side table design is a geometric sculpture meant to be enjoyed from all sides. It is made from one laminated slab, cut and joined back together on acute and obtuse angles, to give the impression that it has been folded into a table-like form.
Dimensions & Packaging: Width 483 mm x Depth 483 mm x Height 483 mm
Tags: folding, table, geometric, sculptural, side table, origami, taper, facet
Production Technology: The first step in the process is to make a laminated hardwood slab. Then the slab is cut into four pieces. The use of woodworking jigs and fixtures is necessary to cut the unusual angles and tapered chamfers. Dowel-type joinery and special clamping methods are used for the final assembly
Design Challenge: In minimalist designs a recurring challenge is finding the sweet spot between simplicity and complexity. Based on the initial design concept it was clear that the base and top of the table needed to be parallel planes. Two folds would have been the minimum to accomplish this but would have also been too simple to be interesting. Four folds would have been too complex and less structurally sound. The conclusion that this design required the slab to be folded three times provided the constraints and scope for the remainder of the design work.
Research: For this design the portion of the effort that was mathematical was far grater than in most other design projects. Although at first sight the folding table may appear elegantly simple, transforming this concept into reality was a highly complex trigonometric challenge. Each adjustment to the aesthetics required a long series of recalculations
Inspiration: The objective in this design was to create something that is both simple and radically new. The design process began with experiments folding a rectangular strip of paper. After transitioning from working with the flat plane of the paper to the thick wooden slab, the incorporation of the long tapered chamfers became aesthetically necessary - one of the most delightful elements of the design.
Project Duration: February 2025 - September 2025
Operation Flow: The folding table is best suited for use as a side table in an open space that provides as many unobstructed views as possible. Since it appears different from each of it's four sides, the front of the table depends on the preference of the viewer.
Patents: Application No. 30/046,172
Filed: February 3, 2026
Team Members: Max Niemiec
Image Credits: Brian Shumway