Xuzhi Zhang

Modular Design & Space Folding in Sustainable Furniture

The purpose of this exegesis research is to investigate how modular cardboard furniture can be designed to provide maximum portability for urban renters living in small, temporary domestic spaces. This study addresses the practical problem of many types of furniture systems being very difficult to move, transport, and rebuild when people move frequently but do not have access to private vehicles. Cardboard was evaluated to be an appropriate material because it is lightweight, recyclable, and inexpensive, and can be easily cut and folded into compact modular components.

This study uses a practice-based research approach that utilises a combination of contextual and literature review, iterative design development, digital modelling, small-scale laser-cut prototyping and full-scale cardboard prototyping. Through these processes, the project evolves from early fold-based experiments to develop into a modular furniture system that can be transported, assembled and reconfigured by a single occupant. Structural stability and ergonomics were treated in this manner as supporting elements for portability rather than separate primary research objectives.