Two student designers have seen the future and building toward it with a flexible, foldable, affordable and recyclable cardboard desk that support the weight of a whole person but can also be built in minutes without any tape or connective hardware. The desk has an adjustable height factor allowing it to be used while you are standing or seated.
From Refold creators Fraser Callaway, Oliver Ward, and Matt Innes: “the way we work is changing. We are more mobile and more connected than ever before. We have the ability to do our jobs from almost anywhere at anytime, but our workspaces have been slow to reflect this.”
Standing desks, its New Zealand-based designers argue, are healthier and more interactive than conventional sitting types – they raise energy levels and encourage group collaboration, idea sharing and more. Of course, a fringe benefit: standing desks require no chairs, so this becomes a one-piece furniture solution, further simplifying the design problem.
Created in three sizes for different heights and body types, these desks could be deployed “for schools, creative studios, pop-up stores, mobile offices, or disaster relief.” Since the desks can be adjusted up or down, you could also theoretically carry two and use one to sit in, too.
The material is 100% recyclable, using digital fabrication rather than conventional die cutting for greater precision and overlapping vertical with horizontal oriented cardboard fluting, laminated together to provide maximum structural support. Pieces can also be replaced individually, such as the top should the surface become worn or damaged during transit or usage.
