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Butterfly Primary Function: ᱩᱰᱩᱠ ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱡᱽ ᱜᱟᱰ�?ᱨ by James Lee

Butterfly Primary Function: ᱩᱰᱩᱠ ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱡᱽ ᱜᱟᱰ�?ᱨ by James Lee is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2020 A' Design Award ᱨᱩᱯᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ in ᱜᱟᱰᱤ, ᱪᱟᱞᱟᱣ ᱟᱨ ᱯᱟᱨᱤᱵᱟᱦᱟᱱ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ Competition Category.


ᱨᱩᱯᱟᱜᱟᱰᱤ· 2020

Butterfly Primary Function: ᱩᱰᱩᱠ ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱡᱽ ᱜᱟᱰ�?ᱨ

by James Lee

Client: Butterfly Flexible Seating Solutions Limited

A' Design Award ᱨᱩᱯᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ Winner in ᱜᱟᱰᱤ Category

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The Design

About Butterfly Primary Function: ᱩᱰᱩᱠ ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱡᱽ ᱜᱟᱰ�?ᱨ

Book Text: ᱵᱟᱴᱟᱨᱯᱷᱟᱭ ᱫᱚ ᱢᱤᱫᱴᱟᱬ ᱞᱤᱠᱷ ᱠᱟᱱ ᱩᱰᱩᱠ ᱜᱟᱰᱤ ᱜᱟᱰ?ᱨ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱥᱤᱥᱴᱚᱢ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸ ᱯᱨᱤᱢᱤᱭᱟᱢ ᱤᱠᱚᱱᱚᱢᱤ ᱜᱟᱰᱤ ᱟᱨ ᱵᱤᱡᱤᱱᱮᱥ ᱠᱞᱟᱥ ᱯᱷᱞᱟᱴᱵᱮᱰ ᱥᱩᱭᱴ ᱛᱟᱞᱟᱨᱮ ᱵᱚᱫᱚᱞ ᱮᱢᱟᱠᱟᱠ ᱡᱚᱠᱚ ᱮᱢ ᱠᱟᱛᱮᱭᱟ᱾ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱵᱟᱴᱟᱨᱯᱷᱟᱭ ᱥᱩᱭᱴ ᱨᱮ ᱵᱟᱨᱭᱟ ᱨᱮᱠᱞᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱜᱟᱰᱤ ᱢᱮᱱᱟᱜ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱟᱨᱟᱜ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱢᱤᱫᱛᱮ ᱴᱷᱟᱶᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱫᱚᱦᱚ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱟᱨ ᱵᱟᱨᱭᱟ ᱜᱟᱰᱤ ᱢᱤᱫᱛᱮ ᱯᱨᱤᱢᱤᱭᱟᱢ ᱤᱠᱚᱱᱚᱢᱤ ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱟᱠᱷᱨᱤᱡ ᱢᱮᱱᱟᱜᱼᱟ᱾ ᱠᱮᱵᱤᱱ ᱠᱨᱩ ᱫᱚ ᱡᱟᱱᱟᱞᱟ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱜᱟᱰᱤ ᱩᱞᱴᱟᱣ ᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱥᱟᱭᱤᱰ ᱠᱟᱣᱪ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱫᱟᱲᱮᱭᱟᱜᱼᱟ, ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸᱛᱮ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱠᱚᱲᱟ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱵᱤᱡᱤᱱᱮᱥ ᱠᱞᱟᱥ ᱥᱩᱭᱴ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱦᱩᱭᱩᱜᱼᱟ᱾ ᱟᱭᱤᱞ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱜᱟᱰᱤ ᱦᱚᱸ ᱩᱞᱴᱟᱣ ᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱜᱤᱛᱤᱡ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱢᱟᱨᱟᱝ ᱥᱟᱢᱟᱝ ᱡᱟᱭᱜᱟ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱦᱩᱭᱩᱜᱼᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱥᱤᱥᱴᱚᱢ ᱫᱚ ᱚᱯᱟᱨᱮᱴᱚᱨ ᱠᱚ ᱠᱮᱵᱤᱱ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱚᱫᱚᱞ ᱠᱟᱱ ᱫᱚᱨᱠᱟᱨ ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱟᱡᱩᱨ ᱟᱨ ᱯᱷᱞᱚᱨ ᱡᱟᱭᱜᱟ ᱴᱷᱤᱠ ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱵᱮᱵᱷᱟᱨ ᱮᱢᱟ ᱠᱟᱛᱮᱭᱟ᱾

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award ᱨᱩᱯᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ

Butterfly Primary Function: ᱩᱰᱩᱠ ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱡᱽ ᱜᱟᱰ�?ᱨ ᱫᱚ A' Design Award ᱨᱩᱯᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱧᱟᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱥᱩᱱᱫᱚᱨ ᱟᱨ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱠᱚ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱮᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱥᱚᱢᱟᱱ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱠᱚ ᱫᱚ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱᱟᱨ ᱠᱚ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱵᱷᱟᱵᱱᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱠᱟᱢᱤ ᱡᱷᱟᱞᱠᱟᱣ ᱠᱚ᱾ Butterfly Primary Function: ᱩᱰᱩᱠ ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱡᱽ ᱜᱟᱰ�?ᱨ ᱫᱚ ᱠᱚᱞᱟ, ᱣᱤᱜᱭᱟᱱ, ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱟᱨ ᱴᱮᱠᱱᱚᱞᱚᱡᱤ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱥᱤᱢᱟ ᱵᱟᱲᱦᱟᱣ ᱟᱨ ᱫᱩᱱᱤᱭᱟ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱜᱚᱲᱚ ᱮᱢ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties
Butterfly is a flexible aircraft seating system that allows instant transformation between premium economy and business class flatbed suites. The concept enables operators to adjust their cabin configuration to real-time market changes, allowing them to make efficient use of valuable floor-space, increase aircraft utilization and reduce business risk. It also gives passengers new ways to configure their own space, whether it is a cosy private retreat or a family-friendly social space.
Tags
Aircraft Seating, Flexibility, Transform, Airline, Business class, Premium Economy
Inspiration
Demand is never constant, yet aircraft configurations are usually fixed. As a passenger, I often noticed wasted space on flights. Sometimes economy class is overbooked but business class is rather empty, sometimes the opposite occurs. And as someone who have once worked in an airline, I reckon the need for an adaptable seat that can react to changing market demand. The implication to the operational efficiency is transformative, much like a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly.
Project Duration
The project started in 2014 in Hong Kong and is still ongoing.
Operation Flow
Each Butterfly suite is made of two reclining seats staggered relative to each other. When both seats are used, they are sold as premium economy class. Airline crew can flip the window seat over to form a side couch, which turns it into a long-haul business class suite for one passenger. When the aisle seat is flipped over as well, it forms a flat surface continuous with the side couch, which together forms a large sleeping surface long enough for a passenger to lie flat diagonally.
Patents
Patented
Team Members
James Lee
Vincent Tam
Lars Rinne

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