Qiu Design has created a furniture series that encapsulates material innovation to provide an ergonomic design solution.

The project sees innovative design born of combining flexible rubber with rigid plywood.

The plywood is milled through CNC machining and filled with rubber in order to create resilient plywood. The rubber is squeezed as the 'rubber plywood' is deformed under pressure – the rebound tension becomes stronger as the pressure increases, so that the two forces give the material a better strength. Different milling structures allow differences in resilience at different areas on the same plywood.

Flex-chair is ergonomically designed with softer lumbar and more supportive backrest. Flex-cabinet has bendable and resilient boards that allow a new way of opening and closing. Flex-bench is shaped by the weight of its occupant, creating a subtle interpersonal interaction.

This project has been longlisted in the furniture design category of Dezeen Awards 2022.

Designer: Qiu Design

Project: Flex