Rotterdam-based design studio The New Raw has designed and manufactured a sinuous 18-meter-long piece of furniture for the entrance zone of an office building in Utrecht, the Netherlands. The sculptural and multifunctional element is inspired by geological layers and 3D printed with approximately 880 kilograms of plastic waste.
The New Raw designed and manufactured the Stratum furniture on behalf of PicNic, the online supermarket wanted such an object in the entrance hall of its new office in Utrecht. The furniture swings, bends and takes on different heights and widths; it forms, for example, a planter, a counter, a bench, a small desk and a standing table.
Drop-off layers
Stratum is 3D printed with plastic waste, with The New Raw linking layer upon layer of printing to the idea of geological deposits. Like rock formations created as sediments compacted and hardened over time, Stratum was constructed by layering one layer on top of another, then curing the material.
The ridges resulting from printing were deliberately employed and the rounded shapes are meant to reinforce the metaphor of the geological process. Patches of gray have been added to the basic off-white color, at randomly spaced intervals and in different directions. This pattern also refers to geological layering, while the shades used were inspired by stacking crates from supermarkets, the design firm explains.
Tactility
Stratum is the result of the combination of design, robotics and craftsmanship, the design studio explains. The New Raw deliberately wanted to give the furniture an artisanal flair. The wavy lines and surface should further stimulate the senses and an interaction with the object, explain designers Panos Sakkas and Foteini Setaki.
"Materiality is an important factor in our research, as it plays an important role in our mental, visual and physical perception of a space," say Sakkas and Setaki, founders of The New Raw. "In this case, Stratum reinforces the character and functionalities of an ordinary entrance hall while at the same time generating a sense of familiarity, making visitors feel at ease."
Plastic printing
Stratum is the largest object the studio has created to date. The New Raw always works with 3D printing and recycling plastic waste. Previously, for example, the studio made the "swing furniture" Glyph, beach furniture and changing cubicles Elements and seating with integrated planter Pots Plus. The New Raw was regularly involved in the Print Your City initiative.
