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The Viera folds to create custom furniture

The Viera folds to create custom furniture
The Viera is mat of cushioned equilateral triangles that fold to form multiple types of comfortable furniture
The Viera is mat of cushioned equilateral triangles that fold to form multiple types of comfortable furniture
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The Viera is mat of cushioned equilateral triangles that fold to form multiple types of comfortable furniture
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The Viera is mat of cushioned equilateral triangles that fold to form multiple types of comfortable furniture
The Viera is mat of cushioned equilateral triangles that fold to form multiple types of comfortable furniture
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The Viera is mat of cushioned equilateral triangles that fold to form multiple types of comfortable furniture
Once it's laid out, the Viera can be reshaped to your liking, whether you want to recline at a specific angle, sit upright, or relax somewhere in between
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Once it's laid out, the Viera can be reshaped to your liking, whether you want to recline at a specific angle, sit upright, or relax somewhere in between
For the prototype, the triangles were made of a soft polyurethane foam encasing a rigid polycarbonate backing and covered in felt fabric
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For the prototype, the triangles were made of a soft polyurethane foam encasing a rigid polycarbonate backing and covered in felt fabric
Each side of the cushions measured 36 inches (91 cm), which the team determined to be an optimal size for an average person to sit on
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Each side of the cushions measured 36 inches (91 cm), which the team determined to be an optimal size for an average person to sit on
The Viera design team experimented with several combinations of various shapes before settling on just equilateral triangles.
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The Viera design team experimented with several combinations of various shapes before settling on just equilateral triangles.
For the prototype, the triangles were made of a soft polyurethane foam encasing a rigid polycarbonate backing and covered in felt fabric
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For the prototype, the triangles were made of a soft polyurethane foam encasing a rigid polycarbonate backing and covered in felt fabric
To make the finished Viera, the triangles were sewn together into a single mat, with polycarbonate strips between them to hold them in place when folded
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To make the finished Viera, the triangles were sewn together into a single mat, with polycarbonate strips between them to hold them in place when folded
View gallery - 8 images

Go to almost any public park or college campus, and you're likely to find a large number of people ignoring any benches in favor of lounging around on the grass. Many people enjoy relaxing in an open environment, which is almost impossible to find in a typical apartment or office building. That's why one design team recently set out to recreate that feeling of openness indoors with the Viera concept, a mat of connected cushions that can fold to form multiple places to sit.

The Texas-based design group, consisting of Sergio Aleman Jr., Umbelina Cantu, Kellee Kimbro, and Thi A. Vu, wanted to build a comfortable sitting area with a similar openness that could be altered on the fly into multiple positions. They soon decided that cushions designed to fit together into different furniture types could provide exactly what they were looking for. After experimenting with several combinations of various shapes, the group settled on making all of the cushions into equilateral triangles, which seemed to provide the most options for folding into different configurations.

For the prototype, the triangles were made of a soft polyurethane foam encasing a rigid polycarbonate backing and covered in felt fabric. Each side of the cushions measured 36 inches (91 cm), which the team determined to be an optimal size for an average person to sit on. To make the finished Viera, the triangles were sewn together into a single mat, with polycarbonate strips between them to hold them in place when folded.

Once it's laid out, the Viera can be reshaped to your liking, whether you want to recline at a specific angle, sit upright, or relax somewhere in between
Once it's laid out, the Viera can be reshaped to your liking, whether you want to recline at a specific angle, sit upright, or relax somewhere in between

Once it's laid out, the Viera can be reshaped to your liking, whether you want to recline at a specific angle, sit upright, or relax somewhere in between. And when it's combined with other Vieras, there's almost no limit to the ways an empty room could be transformed into a complete living space.

Sadly, the design team hasn't revealed any plans to turn their creation into a consumer product yet. It's too bad, since the Viera would certainly make an excellent addition to a living room, library, or any other place where people want to kick back and relax.

Source: Coroflot

View gallery - 8 images
3 comments
3 comments
Caimbeul
My wife says it's the fanciest dog bed she ever saw.
Suman M Subramanian
Isn't Eideard's wife being unjustifiably harsh on the model? :)
Kidding aside, I'd have to try out a Viera to see how comfortable it is.
SLB
Great idea! I'd love to have one or two of these for the rec room.
I suggest using Kickstarter to fund initial production -- it's a great way to gauge consumer interest.