Airy Bureau by Ivana Wingham is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2023 A' Design Award in IJzer in Kantoormeubelontwerp Competition Category.

IJzerKantoormeubels· 2023

Airy Bureau

by Ivana Wingham

Client: Ivana Wingham

A' Design Award in IJzer Winner in Kantoormeubels Category

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Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #146323

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The Design

About Airy Bureau

De Airy-werktafel is gemaakt als experimenteel prototype als reactie op de steeds ruimtelijker inwisselbare studioruimte, waarbij het identificerende anker van de designarena de eigen werktafel is. Airy balanceert op de paradox tussen de ingewikkelde complexiteit van een op maat gemaakt meubelstuk en een extreem snel montage- en demontageproces en past zich van de ene plaats naar de andere aan aan individuele gewoonten. Dit zorgvuldig vervaardigde prototype is mobiel, functioneel, aanpasbaar en een vriend op maat in onze werkruimtes. Het biedt: lichte mobiliteit, formele functionaliteit en schuine aanpasbaarheid.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award in IJzer

Airy Bureau is winnaar van de A' Design Award in IJzer, een prestigieuze erkenning die wordt toegekend aan goede ontwerpen die voldoen aan de professionele en industriële eisen die worden verwacht van goed ontworpen creaties. Winnaars in IJzer tonen grote vaardigheid, hoge specialisatie, deskundig inzicht en het creatieve vermogen van hun makers. Airy Bureau wordt verwacht een hooggewaardeerde, bewonderde en gekoesterde creatie te zijn die praktisch en innovatief is. Dit ontwerp dat de A' Design Award in IJzer heeft gewonnen, integreert de beste praktijken uit de sector en heeft bekwame technische kenmerken die verbonden zijn met knowhow en talent. Airy Bureau wordt gerespecteerd om zijn grondigheid en is ontworpen om verbeteringen van de levenskwaliteit te bieden die helpen de wereld een betere plek te maken.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: Airy is designer’s mobile worktable where studio is a space of a desk, be it inside or outside. Curved table-top surrounds the body. Airiness of design offers lightness and a thorough view of any background. Its four unique sides make it uniquely adaptable to any place. Carefully crafted, sturdy and light, it straddles the paradox between complexity of a bespoke furniture and extremely fast assembly and disassembly process.
Dimensions & Packaging: Due to its curved form and when fully assembled AIRY length and width dimensions vary depending how they are taken. Length is from 2200 to 2400 mm, width is from 600mm to 1000mm. The height of the tabletop is constant until it curves on one side and is 740mm. The packaging of the table would be packaging of its parts with instructions for home assembly.
Tags: Airy, Work Table, Bespoke, Adaptable, Mobile, Unique, Oblique, Functional
Production Technology: Airy work table’s production and materiality combine traditionally modernist techniques of making with digitally drawn precision of each element of the construction to provide 1:1 final production drawings while utilizing slow techniques to achieve a fast assembly process. Specially built two part presses were used to form curved panels. Glued, cross-grained ash veneers are laid between the two parts that are held together under pressure in the press. Metal support and legs were made from hollow bars resting on hollow studs. Side metalwork was laser cut and welded with great precision and finished in powder coating.
Design Challenge: Designed in the UK and made in Serbia the biggest challenge was making the large press for tabletop due to unavailability of large machine vacuum presses. The press was made from numerous layers of chipboard sheets cut to shape fastened by specially designed metal bars and layered with metal sheets. Another challenge was choice and thickness of veneered material in which oak veneer proved to be too porous and the first tabletop attempt was discarded. Final option worked extremely well with ash veneer.
Research: Design Research aim was to create a unique prototype for currently changing work space. Its objective was to make a bespoke design combined with a fast assembly and disassembly process. The method used was based on design and detailed drawings (1:1), high quality craft and numerous tests and experimentation on how to achieve such an outcome. While the prototype displays one option there is an opportunity to change such options without changing the nature of design.
Inspiration: As studio space becomes spatially and virtually interchangeable the identification anchor for design place becomes its own worktable. AIRY is such an identifier, like a favourite travel bag, it adapts to individual habits from one place to another. A beautiful traveller, this carefully crafted prototype is mobile, functional, adaptable and bespoke friend in our workspace. It offers: Light Mobility, Formal Functionality and Oblique Adaptability.
Project Duration: The project started in 2019 in London and was completed in 2021 in Serbia. The project is located at present in Serbia and it has not been yet exhibited publicly.
Operation Flow: Formal Functionality is present in airy-gap transitions between its parts for easy assemble and disassemble process. Oblique Adaptability is achieved by its design construction and materiality. Oblique Adaptability of the table makes its every elevation unique. Celebrating mobility, Airy anchors its place in each new environment. Bespoke design of table elements turns utility into designed seduction.
Patents: Copyrights belong to Ivana Wingham, 2021.
Image Credits: Image No 1: Designer/Architect, Ivana Wingham; Photographer, Marko Poplasen; Manufacturer, Milan Zivkovic;
Airy Front And Right Side View, 2021.
Image No 2: Designer/Architect, Ivana Wingham; Photographer, Marko Poplasen; Manufacturer, Milan Zivkovic;
Airy Left And Front Side View, 2021.
Image No 3: Designer/Architect, Ivana Wingham; Photographer, Marko Poplasen; Manufacturer, Milan Zivkovic;
Airy Process Of Assembling View Upside Down, 2021.
Image No 4: Designer/Architect, Ivana Wingham; Photographer, Marko Poplasen; Manufacturer, Milan Zivkovic;
Airy Back Left Side View, 2021.
Image No 5: Designer/Architect, Ivana Wingham; Photographer, Marko Poplasen; Manufacturer, Milan Zivkovic;
Airy Right Top Side View Detail, 2021.