The Base

Design as problem solver

When the pandemic started and we started working from home, it turned out that our apartment space, which is comfortable for everyday living , is not suitable for staying at home 24/7 with a small child. Our son also needed a special place to work and play. We had to find the best solution, that is, design and build something. The result of brainstorming with my son Roch is the Base - inspired by the modular design of the 1960s and the spirit of DIY. The goal was a piece of toy furniture with an unobvious form but high functionality.

A place that every child needs. To read, rest, create and play!

The entire piece of toy furniture is constructed from a single sheet of 125x250 18 mm hardwood plywood. Without the use of any tools, it folds into a spatial structure with a cubic meter dimension. It contains everything a child needs to learn and play in his room - it is a room in miniature. A large tabletop with adjustable angle, three shelves and a blackboard for drawing. The base is ergonomically adjusted to the needs of the child, allowing it to create their own space and use it for a various purposes: for study, rest or play; it can be a house, a school, headquarters or the space station - no limits!

Idealistic principles

The design of the Base meets the criteria which guide me in designing - the use of relatively ecological material with great durability - the Base can be taken apart easily and given to the next child. At the same time the limitation of using one sheet of plywood for the basic construction resulted in reducing production waste to a minimum. The lack of screws and pins simplifies the assembly process.