Development and Validation of “Architectural Furniture”
Research on Furniture Combining Architectural Functions
(“Architectural Furniture”) Vol. 2

Toshihiko Suzuki

---

2. Design of Architectural Furniture
In the previous paper, we reported that we produced a canopied kitchen and a closet combining a function of partition for a client. These pieces of Architectural Furniture were produced as a case study to cope with renovation of condominium buildings. In response to the results, we propose more universal Architectural Furniture in this paper. That is, Architectural Furniture which is useful for everybody according to their needs. Three types of Architectural Furniture have been produced based on extracted basic human behavior in residential building. They are “Mobile Kitchen”, “Foldaway Guest Room” and “Foldaway Office, dealing with such actions as “to eat / to cook”, “to sleep / to relax”, and “to work / to study” respectively.
Then, we describe about the outline of common structure in the three types.

First, we assembled laminated plywood made of natural colored oak veneer into a box shape. Making a corner part with radius face and a flat part separately in advance, both parts were united into one by dowel subsequently. The method was chosen in order to cope with such problems as the range available for production by laminating and economic efficiency. In addition, the interior was coated with white urethane and only the top boards of kitchen and desk were finished using white melamine facing plates with high durability. The movable parts were connected by stainless long hinge, door hinge, slide rail, etc.

2-1. Mobile Kitchen
Recently, island type kitchen has increasingly been introduced in residential houses.
Island kitchen has not only an advantage capable of using its space open, making multiple people possible to participate in cooking, but also a problem that large space is required with a need to install equipments and pipe fitting at the center of the room. That’s why we designed “Mobile Kitchen”. It is possible to fold the kitchen away while it isn’t used and to make a space around it when you invite guests to your party. “Interior characteristics in relation to kitchen” is shown in Fig.2. Typical interior elements are provided with several functions but not with all functions Architectural Furniture is aiming at. For example, “Island Kitchen” segments space and provides functions in place but it isn’t movable and alterable. Then, the island kitchen has been downsized and mounted with casters. In this manner, all functions were installed in the mobile kitchen aiming at complementary effect.