Press Release
Ariu Armchair by Research and Development Design Italia Srl Wins the Silver A' Design Award in Furniture Design
Research and Development Design Italia Srl honored for furniture design by the international grand jury of the 2023 - 2024 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 17, 2024 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the Silver A' Design Award in the Furniture Design category for Ariu Armchair by Research and Development Design Italia Srl, designed for Rdd Italia. The award was conferred within the 2023 - 2024 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the Silver A' Design Award
The Silver A' Design Award celebrates top-tier designs that embody excellence and innovation. This award acknowledges creations that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional, reflecting the designer's deep understanding and skill. Silver A' Design Award recipients are recognized for their contribution to raising industry standards and advancing the practice of design. Their work often incorporates original innovations and elicits a strong emotional response, making a notable impact on the improvement of everyday life.
About Ariu Armchair
Ariu is an armchair that merges eco-design with adaptability, revolutionizing sustainable furniture with its easily disassemblable structure, promoting waste reduction and recyclability. Its core, an ottoman, links the spheres with tensioning bands, blending form and function. This modular design allows use as exercise balls, catering to the demand for versatile furniture. Ariu adapts to modern interior design needs by offering space-efficient, multifunctional solutions, encouraging sustainable consumption. Innovation can lessen environmental impact and redefine sustainable living!
About Research and Development Design Italia Srl
RDD Italia is an Innovative Start-Up that, starting from the tradition and know-how typical of our territory, stands out for the use of digital design, rapid prototyping, and Virtual Reality visualization systems aimed at offering new products and services with high technological content. We support companies in research & development, industrialization, and their digital transition journeys, intending to create value, protecting the environment, and reducing waste and emissions. We work with creativity, passion, and responsibility to satisfy customers and stakeholders and to develop our skills and our business.
Award Record
This recognition makes Research and Development Design Italia Srl a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Furniture Design Award
The A' Furniture Design Award is an international furniture competition recognizing good furniture designs by best furniture designers worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to furniture designers, product designers, industrial design studios and furniture brands from all countries. Entries typically include chairs, tables, sofas, beds, cabinets and shelves. Awarded furniture designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/furniture
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/155624
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/155624
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!155624
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/349824
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://www.rdditalia.com/
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Ariu Armchair
- Function
- Armchair
- Category
- Furniture Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Furniture & Home
- Colors
- Dim Gray, Gray, Dark Olive Green, Silver and Dark Gray
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Rdd Italia
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Research and Development Design Italia Srl
- Country
- Italy
- Recognition
- Silver A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2023 - 2024
- Design ID
- #155624
Credits
- Team
- "Vito D'Amato", "Michelangelo Bove", "Corrado Massimo" and "Cesaria Digregorio"
- Image Credits
- Images and Video : Michelangelo Bove / Designer
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Ariu embodies the principles of ecodesign and adaptability. Its disassemblable structure simplifies disposal, with the central ottoman serving as the primary structural component that connects air chamber elements through tensioning bands. Going beyond its role as a simple armchair, Ariu enables modules to function independently as exercise balls or individual poufs. Weighing a mere 12kg strategically minimizes fuel impact during transport, contributing significantly to the reduction of reliance on fossil fuels.
- Inspiration
- Ariu draws inspiration from the spherical shapes of the atoms that make up water, as it encapsulates the intrinsic relationship between humans and natural resources, with a particular focus on the Puglia region which has been facing deep issues with water resources in recent decades.The cohesion among the spherical elements of Ariu is not merely symbolic, but it rationalizes the convergence of comfort, nature, and versatility in line with the principles of ecodesign.
- Research
- The inspiration behind Ariu's design is deeply rooted in the intricate structure of water atoms, specifically their spherical shapes. The research process involved an in-depth exploration of the scientific and symbolic aspects of water atoms. Understanding the molecular structure and significance of water in sustaining life formed the basis for Ariu's conceptual foundation. The cohesion among the spherical elements in Ariu goes beyond mere symbolism. It is grounded in a thoughtful rationalization that strategically brings together comfort, nature, and versatility.
- Challenge
- The challenge presented a dual objective: first, to devise a functional and user-friendly system for the easy removal and precise repositioning of the spheres in Ariu, and second, to optimize the material realization process for the cover. Our primary focus was on engineering a system that simplifies both the extraction and placement of the spheres. Simultaneously, significant attention was dedicated to perfecting the material realization of the cover. This involved exploring innovative construction methods and materials that not only align with the design's aesthetic but also enhance its overall functionality.
- Realization and Technology
- An internal tensioning system, starting from the central ottoman (the sole structure of the furniture), creates tension throughout the product. This results in controlled chaos, where air chambers are organized in such a way as to provide a well-defined range of movement, also enhancing the ergonomic characteristics of the furniture.
- Operation and Interaction
- Ariu can be used as a armchair, but even for fitness purposes, since the structure is a composition done from spheres. It can be disassembled.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project started in 2021 and it was exhibited as prototype in Dubai Expo in 2021, in Salone del Mobile in 2022 and in Autentico Design in Puglia in New York in 2023.
- Specifications
- Width 1300 x Height 750 x Depth 1100 mm Modules: x1 Pouf, x4 Big spheres, x1 Medium sphere, x3 Small speheres. The covering is sourced from controlled yarns, where the use of harmful chemicals during the production phase is minimal or eliminated, and it can be replaced at any time thanks to a specific system of straps and air chambers.
- Keywords
- Ecodesign, Innovation, Versatility, Fitness, Confort
