Intending to build a standing desk for an apartment unit in The Pavilion in Detroit designed by Mies van der Rohe, the furniture design begins with a found photograph of the construction process. As the photo shows the concrete frame of the building under construction, it triggers the idea that an appropriately scaled structure can form the desk.

As a scaled portion of one story of the building, the desk has double desktops: the upper one is a working surface while the lower provides open storage space. The desk has single materiality as the concrete structure, yet made of wood to bring warmth into the living space. And it is designed with parts and pieces that are disassemblable.

Starting as a tool to visualize and test the initial idea, the drawing help develop the design process that includes shaping overall form, determining final dimensions, and developing fabrication details.

 

Location: Detroit, Michigan

Year: 2018

Type: Furniture

Materials: Maple Panels, Maple Legs, Steel Rods

Construction Image Source: http://miesdetroit365.tumblr.com/post/21646286062