words Anna Bates
This “Furniture System for Small Apartments in Big Cities” makes it possible to furnish a shell in one swoop, and then disassemble it and take it with you when you leave.
Designed by New York based architects Obra, the Urbia set is designed for urban types – “those who constantly drift between plazas, boulevards and cafes only returning home to sleep and clean laundry,” say the architects.
The ash plywood system comprises wood panels that act as walls, or cabinets that divide up areas. There’s lots of incorporated storage and shelving, as “these types tend to accumulate large book or shoe collections”. The hollow panels are CNC-milled and can be assembled into a variety of configurations with fasteners. Each panel is 2×8 feet so it can be carried up small stairwells and fit into elevators easily.
While the emphasis is on lightness, fast construction and flexibility, the real goal was to create a “luxurious concept”, a response to “ill-conceived spaces dressed up as luxurious by the inclusion of a few expensive materials”.
image Assembly in progress
image The kitchen and living room
image Lots of storage and shelving is incorporated
image A sneak view of the bedroom
