Project Overview
A modular, stackable storage system that unfolds.
Organisation
Team
Toby Horrocks
Project Brief
The idea for Freefold began in 2008 when architect Toby Horrocks moved into an empty rental apartment and needed furniture. The Freefold Popup Box is sized to hold paperbacks in horizontal boxes, art books in vertical ones, and is strong enough to put a TV on. When a renter needs to move, they can either keep their books in the boxes, or flat-pack the system and reassemble it in their new home.
Project Innovation / Need
The modular geometry and its ability to create a free-standing screen wall makes it an infinitely adaptable furniture system to suit any space. Arrange it as a bookshelf, screen, plinth or bench; face it in or out – it will always maintain the same overall pattern. Light weight for transport, it is easy to assemble with no glue. Slots in the sides allow the modules to be connected together.
Design Challenge
The initial design concept envisioned plywood as the material. The shift to cardboard, learning about this material, and getting the form to unfold flat took a lot of time and prototyping.
Sustainability
Freefold Popup Boxes are made from Xanita x-board, a strong and light cardboard, which is composed of 97% recycled post-consumer waste, and is 100% recyclable.
Product Design - Furniture
This award recognises a component or overall product. Consideration given to aspects that relate to human usage, aesthetics, selection of components and materials, and the resolution of assembly, manufacturing and the overall function.
More Details