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El_Masnad Ka Hana Nui: Kapeta Noho Papahele by Sana Alabdulwahed

El_Masnad Ka Hana Nui: Kapeta Noho Papahele by Sana Alabdulwahed is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2016 A' Design Award Kala in Hoʻolālā Lako Hale Competition Category.


KalaLako Hale· 2016

El_Masnad Ka Hana Nui: Kapeta Noho Papahele

by Sana Alabdulwahed

Client: Sana Alabdulwahed

A' Design Award Kala Winner in Lako Hale Category

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The Design

About El_Masnad Ka Hana Nui: Kapeta Noho Papahele

Kikokikona Puke: ʻO El_Masnad kahi kapeta noho papahele i hoʻolālāʻia no nā lumi noho. Lawe ke ʻano hoʻolālā i ke kūʻono lima, kahi wahi kiʻekiʻe kuʻuna i nā hale o Saudi, a hoʻohana iā ia ma ke ʻano he mea nui o ka ʻāpana noho, ʻoiai ua wehe ʻia nā ʻāpana ʻē aʻe a pau o kahi noho maʻamau. Mālama ʻo El_Masnad i nā mea hoʻohana e kokoke i ka honua, no laila, kūlana kaulana a maʻalahi ke noho ʻana. ʻAʻohe kūlana paʻa o nā ʻāpana a hiki ke hui pū ʻia ma nā ʻano hoʻonohonoho he nui. Hoʻokalakupua ʻia ke kikowaena huna e ka wili wela ʻelima-ʻaoʻao, a uhi ʻia me ka wūlū humuhumu, e like me kahi kapeta ʻōwili.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Kala

Ua lanakila ka hoʻolālā El_Masnad Ka Hana Nui: Kapeta Noho Papahele i ka A' Design Award Kala, he ʻike hoʻohanohano nui loa i hāʻawi ʻia i nā hoʻolālā kiʻekiʻe loa, nani a kupaianaha. He mau hana ʻālohilohi loa a hana noʻeau nui nā lanakila Kala e hōʻike ana i ka loea, ka makakoho a me ka ʻoi aku o ka noʻonoʻo o kā lākou poʻe hoʻolālā. Manaʻo ʻia ʻo ka hoʻolālā El_Masnad Ka Hana Nui: Kapeta Noho Papahele he hana kupaianaha, kūlana ʻoi aku, ʻoihana kiʻekiʻe a hou loa. ʻO kēia hoʻolālā i lanakila i ka A' Design Award Kala he mea hoʻokumu kūpono loa, mahalo ʻia e hāʻawi i ka pōmaikaʻi a hoʻoneʻe i nā palena o ka hana noʻeau, ka ʻepekema, ka hoʻolālā a me ka ʻenehana. He mea i ʻeleu ʻia e nā mea he nui ka hoʻolālā El_Masnad Ka Hana Nui: Kapeta Noho Papahele e hoʻāla i ka makemake, lawe mai i nā manaʻo maikaʻi a hoʻāla i ka kamahaʻo a me ka mahalo.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties
Armrests, traditionally, initiates nodes where the space is highly activated in Saudi Arabia. El_Masnad uses armrest as the main component for seating unit and neglect all other parts of a seating device. El_Masnad brings the users close to the ground, so it is much more playful and intuitive for this demographic. It allows the Sitting behaviors to emerge organically and intuitively in many different configurations.
Dimensions & Packaging
For one set, a pair of two pieces: w 335cm X d 180cm X h 30cm
For two sets, two pairs of two pieces, four pieces: w 470cm X d 180cm X h 30cm
Weight: 12 kg
Tags
outdoor, livingroom, carpet, local
Production Technology
Manufacturing includes:
5-axis hot wire milling for filling foam.
CNC stitching on felt for generated pattern design.
The upholstery roll up around the foam like the traditional way of rolling a carpet. Felt was used as contemporary alternative material for traditional wool carpets.
El_Masnad is not made of any hard material that may create an obstacle in the space. It rather made with soft materials where circulation can take place.
Design Challenge
One of the most difficult challenges was finding Saudi women willing to participate in taking pictures. The Second challenge was to see the demographic dramatic lifestyle changes as an outsider, which is critical to synthesize the research findings for the design outcome. Lastly, was Understanding the relationship between the designers, makers and consumers.
Research
Perception of Saudis: The appropriate perception of personal space in the Arab world is when there is a strong eye and physical contact while conducting conversation, therefore, the pieces fit together, interlocking making contact easy and intuitive. Arab appreciate complex geometrical forms, and a boxy forms may look naïve, Therefore, the traditional armrest outline was converted into an irregular polygon. Arab view forms with considering the harmonious interplay of forms, so the perception of balance is achieved when two of non-linear El-Masnad are put together.
Inspiration
We, Saudi’s end up sitting on the ground every time though there is a typical seating device in the living room. This sparked my curiosity, and inspired to create a the living room that is intuitive for us.
El Masnad design embraces the floor as a living space and it celebrates the Middle Eastern leisure culture.
Project Duration
el-Masnad was made for a thesis study at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA, U.S.A. It was part of the Master program in Environmental design, in Furniture and Fixtures track.
Thesis started with winter term of 2014 and ended by the end of the Spring 2015. The first prototype was presented at the graduate show on April 18th of 2014.
Operation Flow
The orientation:
The development of new technologies, like tablets, eliminates the need for seating units in the living room to face t.v. wall. Therefore, the layout of El_Masnad coming together, is not oriented and does not have a direction. It integrates multiple users doing different activities.
The height:
El_Masnad is close to the ground, so it is playful and intuitive for this demographic. It makes the space feels higher.
The posture:
Sitting behaviors emerges organically and intuitively in all different situations. In addition, the users intuitively adapt new sitting position as time goes by.
The angle:
El_Masnad emphasizes the front angle for reclining instead of what is typical of using the side angle to address the variable reclining angles.

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