Furniture for M.I.T. University
Project Architect for FF&E (furniture, fixtures and equipment) for Steven Holl Architects, 2001-2002
Furniture design for a dormitory for 350 students, with 17 apartments, 10 study lounges, dining hall, night cafe, auditorium…
The concept for
the building is based on a sponge - porosity at every scale. Each student
room has at least nine operable windows. They are positioned in a 40”
grid. This 40” grid forms the basic module dimension of all furniture;
a 40” wide U-profile made out of formed plywood. Oriented in all
directions, these U-profiles include a bed, a desk, a wardrobe, a set
of bookshelves, and a seven-drawer cabinet. The possibilities for recomposing
one’s environment are endless.
All the public rooms are furnished with custom-made furniture and design
classics. After a long research and development phase we were able to
produce all furniture in Austria, China, Denmark, Italy, Switzerland and
the United States.