Dezeen Magazine

OS & OOS bases gridded furniture collection on architectural structures

Eindhoven design studio OS & OOS has created a range of furniture based on architectural constructions, which are built from individual steel ribs fixed in a gridded structure.

Dutch design duo Oskar Peet and Sophie Mensen from OS & OOS constructed their Matrix furniture range using multiple strips of laser-cut steel, which are then assembled into lattice frameworks.

The collection includes a series of benches and lights, all designed with a minimal aesthetic.

When viewed from different perspectives, the thickness of the steel-cut gridded sections give the impression of different transparencies.

This structure also playfully interacts with light, as each lighting piece casts unusual, geometric shadows onto the projected surface.

The build of each piece was inspired by the principle of "form meets function", OS & OOS told Dezeen.

As each strip of steel is cut from a sheet, they can be customised to fit particular purposes such as seating or surface use, making the matrix structure highly versatile, they added.

"The Matrix project is, and began as, a system to allow for endless configurations and constructions. As the construction of the Matrix is built up of individual ribs, the ribs can be designed any which way," said the studio.

"This allows the system to be applied to products as well as interior features, or even architectural structures themselves," they added.

According to Peet and Mensen, the construction works like a puzzle, as each of the strips slot into each other and are then tack-welded together at every second square to ensure that they stay in place. The steel slots are finished with cap strips.

After assembly, the furniture is powder-coated in various colours, including white and umber.

Powder-coating also makes the products durable and weather-resistant, making it possible to place them both indoors or outdoors.

The design duo first used the gridded system to create screens for the Ace & Tate flagship store in Eindhoven. They then manipulated these single surface structures to create different shapes suitable for furniture and lighting pieces.

"We have tried to showcase a broad spectrum of solutions with the structure, as almost anything is possible with it. We see possibilities to work with architects, interior designers, and city planners to create specific solutions both functional and well designed," the studio told Dezeen.

OS & OOS was founded in 2011, after Peet and Mensen graduated from Design Academy Eindhoven. Alongside the Matrix range, the duo also released their Tunnel collection, which uses aluminium pipes to create sawhorse-inspired furniture.