Kami – No-Profile Furniture

A 12-month study into the struggles of those living in compact environments revealed two main commonalities: restricted spatial-versatility, and a lack of truly suitable furniture solutions. Concerns over poorly considered pre-supplied furniture and circulation allowance were widespread while inherent challenges like minimal floor space were unavoidable. Exacerbating this, the ‘space-saving’ furniture market was dominated by expensive, and often pre-existing solutions like beds and couches, with pieces like shelving or chairs requiring extensive wall-mounting or stowage space. These problems made it near-impossible for residents to customise space, host guests and maintain organisation leaving them feeling unsatisfied and socially-restricted by their homes.

Kami effectively occupies zero space while not in use, collapsing down to a single 11mm thin sheet. From here, the piece is lightweight enough to be hung from a stick-on wall hook, or simply left in place as a floor covering. Transitioning to fully-functional stool in seconds, Kami’s self-locking geometry and lack of removeable parts make it just as discrete from a usability standpoint. The piece is rooted in the target market’s social and aesthetic values with the variety of colourways all comprised entirely of recyclable PET. This also makes Kami stain resistant; perfect for high-use environments like University residences.

The Kami stool aims to give its target market more control over their environment while considering not only inherent, but also commonly overlooked problems of compact environments. The piece brings with it versatility and encourages activities that would be typically challenging such as social gatherings. Because of its minimal spatial impact when not in use, and ability to rapidly deploy, Kami is also suited perfectly for use in multipurpose environments like classrooms, office break-out areas and residential common spaces. Moreover, Kami is able to maintain this wide market reach while minimising its end-of-life environmental impact.

Kami, as a stool, serves as a proof of concept for rationalising a paper-based crease-pattern into a fully realised and functional furniture form. The development of additional Kami forms using the same typology is both possible and ongoing, serving to offer a ‘no-profile’ option to a variety of other common furniture types.