A compact, upgradeable and modular living platform design for SDUs in Hong Kong.
2019
Integrated Living Platform
@ PolyU 2019
Team project with Wong Ho Ting, Wong Chi Yin
⏱ 2.5 min
A compact, upgradeable and modular living platform design for SDUs in Hong Kong.
It includes a height-adjustable table, a transformable sofa, a wardrobe, and a customized storage area. It also has a standard-size single bed and a double bed. All three joints applied metal folding technology, which makes them low-cost and durable. The joints are easy to assemble and reassemble, allowing users to customize and construct in different living environments. The universal joint applies to different structures, which enables the construction of the entire Integrated Living Platform by itself.
Research
To solve the space problem in subdivided units in Hong Kong, our project is designed to create a new living experience for nano-flat households. Titled Integrated Living Platform, it is a compact, upgradeable and modular living platform designed for SDUs in Hong Kong.
From Gao's family case study, we saw the opportunity to design an all-in-one integrated furniture to save space and create a more organized home arrangement. During the research process, our team studied cases from Mr. Gao's family, who lives in a subdivided flat in Hong Kong. We studied their living by creating storyboards, mapping user emotions, and creating a 1:1 floor plan of their flat to experience the real size.
We explored with empathy the scenarios and stories of the user experience, and we defined the group of people we designed for and how they lived. We saw diversity in the three family members. For example, the father needs a diary writing place; the mother needs more storage room, and the son needs his private sleeping area and space for doing his homework.
From the user experience map, storyboard, timetable, persona, and interior drawing, we found several problems regarding the family's living space. Including hard-to-reach and messy storage spaces, three people sleeping in the same bed, small dining and working spaces, and so on. As a result, our challenge is to satisfy individual needs in this extreme living environment with only 70 sq ft of a three-people apartment. At the end of the day, to create a meaningful and pleasurable living experience for the Gao's family and the household of Hong Kong SDUs.
After thorough market research, we found that there is no single best furniture option that will solve Gao's family's space problem.
Issues found were that most of the ready-to-assemble furniture on the current market was not fully customizable with an unfit dimension. Additionally, it was a waste of space in a compact, subdivided, flat, or small home environment (Human).
We also see the current market's complicated yet not upgradable and modularised joint system in the bed design (Technology). This limited the life span or durability of furniture regarding a change of dwelling place (Financial). As well as the waste of not sustainable material (Sustainability).
On the other hand, it is rare to find an affordable (regarding subdivided flat household financial state) and compact integrated bed covering all three living activities, sleeping, working, and storage due to the small and fragmented market size for the extreme living environments.
Challenges and Opportunities
From the research and case study of Gao’s family, we explored with empathy the scenarios and story of user experience, defined the group of people designed for and how they live. We see diversity in the three family members. Below is the summary of the method used and its study area respectively.
We define the problems and identify the user needs. We would like to have a balance in financial requirements, human needs, applying technologies, and environmental sustainability.
Design Criteria
- Compact and upgradable modular system
- Accessorized
- Sleeping with privacy
- Cater for working and dining on the same platform
- Expandable storage area
- Safety
Design Strategy
Our project aims to design a compact and upgradable modular system, which is accessorized and provides private sleeping opportunities, a working plus dining platform as well as an expandable storage area. At the same time, with the consideration of safety issues, to give a design solution for the sake of higher living quality for the Gao’s family.
The furniture will cover the three main activities of the family: sleeping, working, and storage. We see the opportunity in designing a compact and upgradable modular system on an integrated living platform. Our project is to design an innovative joint system that allows easy assembling and disassembling of the furniture, and also maximize its customizable features to save more space in subdivided units.
Integrated Living Platform
Compact, Upgradable, Modular
The Integrated Living Platform is designed in a small footprint to fit nano flats. It is all-in-one integrated, so as to avoid stand-alone furniture and save room. It includes a height-adjustable table, a transformable sofa, a wardrobe, and a customized storage area. Not to mention the standard size single bed and double bed.
Construct with joints
Strong, Low-Cost, Durable
The joints are also easy to assemble and reassemble, allowing users to customize and construct in different living environments. Also, the universal joint applies different structures, which enables the construction of the entire Integrated Living Platform by itself.
The furniture will cover and integrate the three main activities of the family: sleeping, working, and storage. We see the opportunity in designing a compact and upgradable modular system on an integrated living platform. The project also introduced an innovative joint system that allows easy assembling and disassembling of the furniture, also maximizing its customizable feature to save more space in subdivided units.
Finally, we hope to spread the idea of green furniture, the innovative joint systems, as well as the raising of public concern on subdivided flat living issues, through our design, the Integrated Living Platform.
