Bondo Sofa Fale i Totonu by Hongji Yin is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Apamemea in Mamanu Meafale Competition Category.

ApamemeaMeafale· 2026

Bondo Sofa Fale i Totonu

by Hongji Yin

Client: Hongji Yin

A' Design Award Apamemea Winner in Meafale Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #173794

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Colors

The Design

About Bondo Sofa Fale i Totonu

O le Bondo o se sofa mo totonu o le fale ua mamanuina e lagolago ai fesoʻotaʻiga faʻaagafesootai i le aiga. O le foliga o le Bondo e faʻasino i amioga faʻaagafesootai a luko, ia e malolo ma galulue faʻatasi. O le sofa e 227 cm le lautele, 106 cm le loloto ma le 89 cm le maualuga, ma e 38 cm le maualuga o le nofoaga. O le fausaga i totonu e faʻaaogaina ai le plywood ua tipi saʻo i le masini CNC faʻatasi ai ma se laupapa tua composite ua faʻatumuina ma sosoʻo. O le ufiufi o le ie Knoll, ma o se laupapa tua walnut teuteu e suitulaga i le faʻapipiʻiga masani e pei o se pusa. E mafai ona faʻatasia ni iunite se tele e fausia ai se avanoa nofoa faʻasoa e sili atu ona lapoʻa.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Apamemea

O le A' Design Award Apamemea na manumalo ai Bondo Sofa Fale i Totonu, o se faamaoniga matuā mamalu e tuuina atu i mamanu ese e iloga i le fatufatuaʻi, le atamai ma le poto. O ē manumalo i le Apamemea o mea e iai le tomai atoa ma fatufatuaʻi mataʻina e faamaonia ai le poto masani tele, le mafaufau ma le atamai o tagata mamanu. E faamoemoeina Bondo Sofa Fale i Totonu e avea ma mea e vivii tele, ua pelepelea, e iloga i le tomai faapolofesa ma mea fou. O lenei mamanu na manumalo i le A' Design Award Apamemea e tuufaatasia ai faiga sili i le faatufugaga, saienisi, mamanu ma tekonolosi ma e sili ona lelei i le mataituina o mea itiiti. Bondo Sofa Fale i Totonu e faamalieina matagofie manaʻoga, pa i manaʻo, faalataina lagona ma faaosofia le fia iloa.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: Bondo is a prototype that reflects my speculation on social behavior and ecological systems. A sofa often bears functions like social interaction, resting, and food sharing. All of these resonate well with the social behavior of wolves, which are highly efficient and collaborative social animals. By referencing the image of wolves'social interaction, this project is expected to promote indoor activities and facilitate social interaction.
Dimensions & Packaging: Width 227cm x Depth 106cm x Height 89cm
Seat height 38cm
Tags: Nature, Organic, Special Structure, Knoll, Ergonomics, Sculpture Sofa
Production Technology: The sofa is crafted with high-grade Knoll fabric, selected for its superior tactile properties tailored for sublime skin contact. The internal structure features precision CNC-cut plywood, combined with an innovative spliced-fill composite backboard design that optimizes perfect harmony between artistry and stability. Breaking away from conventional box-style assembly, the decorative walnut wood backplate transforms meticulous craftsmanship into a distinctive visual statement.
Design Challenge: A major challenge is to incorporate features of abstract social behavior patterns into a tangible object. Such disparity between biomimetic abstraction and manufacturability in actual industrial production challenged the proceeding of this sofa design. As a result, I extracted the iconic image of two wolves grooming each other, interpreted it into formal design language using sketches, modeling, and rendering, and ultimately infused such a social mode into the physical construct of my project.
Research: Through the completion of the project, I conducted profound research into biology, sociology, and human-centered design. To mirror the wolf pack behavior via my design, an ethological analysis and a comparison between human and wolf hunting modes are carried out. I also organized 5 groups, with 3-5 persons each, to simulate living circumstances using the sofa. After meticulously reviewing and analyzing the post-occupancy questionnaires, I adjusted the dimensions of the product accordingly.
Inspiration: The project was inspired by the social behavior and interaction of wolves, which often collaborate to hunt and rest. By incorporating these social features and their symbiotic relationship into the design, I intend to foster interaction and mutual assistance among humans, and ultimately promote interpersonal relationships. Further, this project transcends mere bio-inspiration, boldly exploring the nuanced boundaries of biology, design, aesthetics, and functionality.
Project Duration: The project started as a design in October 2023 in Los Angeles and finished in March 2024 in Los Angeles.
Operation Flow: Designed as indoor furniture that advocates social interaction, Bondo could encourage users of all ages to enjoy their lives with a close social distance. People can simply grab a cup of coffee and some snacks and sit with their family to enjoy the latest TV series or watch a breathtaking football match. When we need to host a party of over ten people, we can combine several pieces of this furniture together to form a shared space.
Patents: Hongji Yin holds the copyright for all visual
Image Credits: Photographer Hongji Yin, Bondo, 2024. ]