Inspired by the work of Josef and Annie Albers, ROUND STUDIOS‘ new innovative flat-pack lighting collection explores the fundamentals of colour theory.

For architects Paul and Colleen Wygers, starting a bespoke design studio was a natural evolution in their architectural careers. “Over the years we have designed and facilitated the manufacture of a variety of crafted items through our practice Urban Solutions, so we decided to focus our efforts in a more formal way,” explains Paul. And so ROUND STUDIOS was born.

ROUND STUDIOS has allowed the husband-and-wife team to add a new scale to the projects they have undertaken previously while incorporating design influences and theories they have been interested in throughout their careers.

READ MORE: Lights On: New Lighting Designs

Their first exciting collection is a vibrant flat-pack range of nine luminaires. The ROUND 2022 COLLECTION is a direct result of duo’s interest in the work of Josef and Annie Albers. “During lockdown we became interested in the teachings of Josef Albers and particularly in his colour theories. We started experimenting with colour layering in a self made light box and the results grew into an experiment of hue and perspective,” says Paul. “The experiment continues daily as we continue to indulge in Josef Albers methods of practical exploration,” he adds.

Paul and Colleen experimented with many colour combos for the first collection but ultimately settled on honey gold and red for the interior of the luminaires. These hues gives off a warm glow and are the most compatible colour combo when paired with any one of the five standard exterior colours offered in the collection. Besides the standard colours, there is also a special range of Josef Albers colour combos (Albers #1 to #5) inspired by his “Ode to the Square” paintings.

After trying out a variety of materials, the duo ultimately decided to use PET for the ROUND 2002 COLLECTION. “We started with powder-coated aluminium but it was too expensive, unsustainable and the colour choices were limited. Acrylic was too brittle and difficult to recycle. We settled on PET because it ticks a lot of boxes for us. It’s able to accept small tolerances, is more pliable and therefore stronger than acrylic. and it’s 100% recyclable,” explains Paul.

The future of ROUND STUDIOS looks bright – the duo already have two new collections in prototyping. “The Albers Collection draws inspiration from both the geometry and colour combinations of Josef Albers’ “Ode to the Square” series and the Tube Collection is a minimalist structure covered in a printed and patterned external skin that we are collaborating on with some local graphic designers,” says Paul. “We hope to launch the Tube Collection in the next couple of weeks.”

For more information on ROUND STUDIOS, follow them on Instagram or contact hello@round.africa.

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Local furniture brand SPAAS, established in 2015, creates high-quality, flat-pack furniture that is both sustainable and affordable.

The brainchild of Cape Town designer Dean Westmore and Paarl-based architects Peter Neokorides and Gerhard Kriel, SPAAS brings together form and function with a easily transportable furniture collection that’s simple to assemble. “Our collection of designer furniture is manufactured using FSC-certified wood (meaning it comes from a sustainable source) and all our products arrive flat-packed and ready to assemble without glue or screws,” says Dean.

“Like all great adventures, our company developed rather organically,” he says. “We didn’t plan on starting a furniture business: all we did was make things we loved, in our own time. Like a hobby. We soon found out that other people loved our furniture too.

For more information, visit spaas.co.za.

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Local brand Wintec® Innovation, who is behind the design of Stratflex®, has released a brand-new flat-pack table and chair, go-to lightweight furniture pieces designed with practicality and versatility in mind.

The Induna table is made from 18 mm Birch laminate with a hard-wearing, smooth, matte, water-resistant coating. The table is hinged with full-grained natural vegetable tan leather and can be assembled by two people in under two minutes.

Also made from high-quality Birch, the Impala chair is the perfect match for the Induna table. Stratflex® technology allows the chair to comfortably mould to the shape and weight of its user. The Impala packs to less than 45 mm in height and can be assembled in less than five minutes by two people.

The Stratflex® Impala retails at R1 995, while the Stratflex® Induna costs R3 495.

Both are available via wintecinnovation.co.za.

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Siphesihle Lwazi Mshibe has caught our attention with his flat-pack office furniture under the brand Songa.

His brand Songa started off as a failed competition entry, says Lwazi. The brief was to design innovative multifunctional office furniture. He may not have been recognised in the competition, but for the same design he was selected to take part in the Emerging Creatives programme at Design Indaba 2017.

Where does your interest in interior design come from?

I discovered my interest in it at a young age through interior design television shows, coupled with an awareness of my own creative abilities. I always knew I would be an architect or interior designer.

Tell us about your artistic process.

I draw inspiration from biophilic and sustainable design theories. I am always thinking up ways to solve problems through innovative design. I combine African-inspired concepts with modern day technology, and then I produce design solutions like the flat-pack Songa Office Set.

What can we expect from Songa?

I am working on creating a website where young people starting their independent lives, moving house and travelling often can buy easy-to-use flat-pack furniture solutions that are cheaper and more convenient than traditional options.

View more of Siphesihle’s work at behance.net/lwazimshibe.

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Professing a kind of “Band-Aid architecture”, the innovative Architects of Justice have devised the SEED library, a low-cost literacy and community-building solution that can be completely flatpacked. 

The education system in South Africa faces many challenges, one of them being the limited access to libraries, especially for schools in disadvantaged areas. The Johannesburg-based Architects of Justice (AOJ) believe we cannot afford to wait around until there is enough money for brick and mortar, and are rolling out a series of micro flatpack SEED libraries. “SEED” is an acronym for Supplementary Extended Education Device, but also metaphorically represents the “germination of knowledge”.

The micro flatpack libraries, which also feature a study room that doubles as a training and workshop area for the community, are an even more accessible version of the firm’s original container-based SEED library (that we wrote about here). Not only can the building be completely flat-packed, but the interior furniture too, making it easy to transport on the back of a truck and assemble on location.

Two libraries have been opened so far – in Eisleben Road Primary School in Mitchell’s Plein and Somelulwazi Primary School in Soweto’s Freedom Park. AOJ developed them in partnership with BBDO ad agency and both were sponsored by Shout SA, the organisation founded by musicians Danny K and Kabelo Mabalane, to focus on improving the lives of children in disadvantaged communities.

In addition to the books, the interiors of libraries are stocked with colourful furniture that has been scaled down to be appropriate for children. In the middle of the structure there are clerestory windows that can be opened to facilitate airflow for passive cooling. An overhang, to provide protection from the sun, shades these. Insulated wall paneling ensures comfortable temperatures to provide a warm and nurturing environment for the kids all year round.

The exterior features bright and playful graphics designed by Emma Strydom. Beyond being a place to study, the libraries are also designed to be a place where kids can hang out, with a sitting deck and swings. They also feature a Jojo tanks which collect grey water to be used for irrigation. “The tanks are an amazing opportunity for young learners to learn sustainability issues that they might not be aware of,” says Kuba Granicki, partner at Architect of Justice.

He also added: “We do not advocate that this is the best library in the world, but the fact is that while we wait for government to resolve issues with our education policy and make sure that every school has a library, 93% of South African schools have no libraries. It is a kind of Band-Aid architecture, but right now our guiding design principle is to do what we can to keep education from getting worse.”

In order to get them financed, the outside walls of the structures also double up as billboards, so that sponsors can use it as advertising space, although Kuba is quick to point out that “we steer sponsors away from blatant product placement, as this is not what the libraries are about.” Besides Shout SA who have sponsored three libraries, other sponsors for different libraries have included 702 Talk Radio and Exclusive Books.

architectsofjustice.com, shoutsa.co.za

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For those of us not born with amazing carpentry skills or aspirations, there are now ways to cheat. DIY for dummies. 

Are you not handy enough to make your own furniture from scratch but still want to feel you have some part in creating the piece you’ve put on display? Flat-pack furniture is just right for you. The Klik birchwood modular shelving and cupboard system by Raw Studios can be adjusted to suit everything from an office to a child’s room; the Dokter and Misses Flexi Desk is a basic unit to which various attachments, including a noticeboard and a drawer, can be added; and the hand-turned oak coat rack by Harry Parr-Young makes great use of under-utilised wall space. 

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Owner Vernon Williams and main design force behind the flat, Cornell Karsten, bought the Sea Point flat together in April, and by September had moved in. Located in a block of flats that was very trendy in the 1980s, the three-month renovation turned the dim, claustrophobic flat into a slick and sunny space with an extensive wooden deck and plunge pool.

With the help of builder Deon Karsten, architect Anton de Kok, In Style’s Ella Warich and Cornell, clever decisions were made to ensure space was optimised and a modern aesthetic was achieved.

With the use of 92 light fittings, the space is illuminated to create height and depth, while built-in cupboards provide loads of storage space. Mirrors were also strategically located to make the apartment look bigger while bulkheads, which drop the ceiling in certain areas, add horizontal lines which further maximise the space.

By knocking down two walls (between the living room and the kitchen, and the living room and one of the bedrooms) the flat was opened up even more. The contrast of natural light, and dark monochromatic walls and surfaces complements these architectural modifications, while creating a stark canvas that makes decor items pop.

The star of the living room is a Wim Botha bust which, upon closer inspection, is made of bibles. Other artworks in the house show off Vernon’s painterly skills, while a wooden screen in the entrance by Jacques Rossouw is an ode to Vernon’s iPhone cover.

A beautiful dining-room table by Okha and a carpet by Zoya also add a designer edge to the lounge while books and ceramics bring a touch of warmth to the space. Vernon says he is still busy adding the finishing touches to the decor with soft furnishing and more artworks.

The 90 square metre outdoor area is clad with decking by Jacques Rossouw, and a screen behind the plunge pool ensures privacy while concealing unsightly security spikes.

With these relatively minor changes the value of the flat has jumped up by R3 million, plus it’s now a dream to live in. Considering Sea Point is the most densely populated urban area in the Cape Peninsula it makes you think how many other pre-millennium apartments could make a designer comeback with a few simple renovations. Time to ask yourself if you’re sitting on a gold mine! C

Check out more luxury living on the high seas.

More information: www.vernonjohn.co.za

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SketchChair, a project by New Zealand design studio Diatom, will be released worldwide as a free and open-source system soon, having been funded by Kickstarter (the world’s largest funding platform for creative projects).

Not only does the technology allow you to design your ideal chair, but once the design phase is complete, users can send off their designs to online digital manufacturing services or local community workshops to be cut. The flat-pack piece can then be assembled by hand. Pretty nifty, right?

The SketchChair software uses a simple 2D drawing interface, automatically generating the structure of a chair and testing its stability. Users can simulate sitting on a chair with a customisable figure of themselves, in order to test and refine the chair to ensure it will comfortably support them.

The software automatically generates cutting profiles for the chairs, which can then be used to make physical SketchChairs. Using a CNC router, laser cutter or paper cutter, these parts can be cut from any suitable flat sheet material, and then easily assembled by hand.

Also, you will be able to upload the chair designs you’ve created online. These designs can then be downloaded and altered by other users, allowing the designs to constantly evolve as people continually refine and modify them. It’s an exciting kind of online sharing community, which will not only promote design but also create a worldwide virtual design studio where chair designers openly take inspiration from each other.

By designing your own chair, according to your own specific needs and desires, there’s a greater chance you’ll cherish the piece for longer. Because each SketchChair will be a flat-pack design, they’re also easy to transport and store, and therefore likely to be kept. In this way, the SketchChair software is also likely to lessen the carbon footprint of the designer (and consumer), decreasing the need for new chairs.

More information: www.diatom.cc, www.sketchchair.cc, www.kickstarter.com/projects/diatom/sketchchair-furniture-designed-by-you

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Straight from RAW Studios in Pretoria, the Standup laptop stand is a convenient and easy-to-use pine accessory that will prop up your computer when you’re on the go.

Keep your laptop free from dirt when you’re catching up on emails at a coffee shop, or use this flatpack perch permanently at your desk. Either way, it’s simple to assemble.

“We’ve made it collapsible by using a simple twist joint, and conveniently clipped the bits together so you don’t lose them when you’re mobile,” says designer Peet van Straaten, who is also known for his innovative wood lockers.

The Standup is yet another clever wood item from Peet. Since 2005, when he began Raw Studios, he has created a host of client-driven designs that are influenced by user needs, production processes and modular expansion.

More information: www.rawstudios.co.za

TAKE NOTE: VISI 55, on sale now, is entirely dedicated to wood in design and architecture. Hope you enjoy this issue as much as we enjoyed compiling it!

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