Living in a large city induces families to stay in: traffic and long distances are considered big constraints. Caio Vilela, father to 3 boys: "We live in Sao Paulo, boxed in our apartments and jobs under the rain, so it's important to find options at home; we love staying in." (Germani, 2011).
Yet, in Brazil prevails a misconception that education is restricted to schools; little importance is given to the impact other spaces, such as residential and public, have on child development and education, resulting in inappropriate designs with unfit sizes, functions and aesthetics, usually derived from adult-centered projects or guided by gender patterns and the media.
There have been few interesting projects to supply a high demand. Most of them are personally customized and inaccessible to the middle and lower classes, and the industry doesn't provide quality or variety. There is, therefore, an opportunity to innovate through industrial design and create change with a broad reach.
Yet, in Brazil prevails a misconception that education is restricted to schools; little importance is given to the impact other spaces, such as residential and public, have on child development and education, resulting in inappropriate designs with unfit sizes, functions and aesthetics, usually derived from adult-centered projects or guided by gender patterns and the media.
There have been few interesting projects to supply a high demand. Most of them are personally customized and inaccessible to the middle and lower classes, and the industry doesn't provide quality or variety. There is, therefore, an opportunity to innovate through industrial design and create change with a broad reach.
The first step in this research was to analyse how Constructivism authors relate child development and the environment, since this school of thought believes the environment leads children to develop through personal efforts.
Then, in order to define constraints and specifications, I collected technical data, such as the Brazilian child's anthropometry and ergonomics, and bedroom dimensions in new developments in the area of Sao Paulo where families from the defined niche tend to live in.
Qualitative data was collected through national and international markets research and field research, the latter via observations and interviews conducted with parents, pediatricians, educators, psychologists and physical therapists.
To be able to identify in a larger scale the changes children from the defined niche tend to go through as they grow up and therefore what characteristics the furniture would have to follow, an online inquiry was conducted with parents or legal guardians.
Then, in order to define constraints and specifications, I collected technical data, such as the Brazilian child's anthropometry and ergonomics, and bedroom dimensions in new developments in the area of Sao Paulo where families from the defined niche tend to live in.
Qualitative data was collected through national and international markets research and field research, the latter via observations and interviews conducted with parents, pediatricians, educators, psychologists and physical therapists.
To be able to identify in a larger scale the changes children from the defined niche tend to go through as they grow up and therefore what characteristics the furniture would have to follow, an online inquiry was conducted with parents or legal guardians.
After collecting data from different sources, the research's results were processed and analysed to be translated into project requirements and opportunities that could be seized in the design.
A table mapping child ages to their needs was created to serve as reference during the design process, defining the functions the furniture set should perform at each stage and, therefore, which of its components could be adapted to meet emerging needs.
A table mapping child ages to their needs was created to serve as reference during the design process, defining the functions the furniture set should perform at each stage and, therefore, which of its components could be adapted to meet emerging needs.
In order to have a broad reach, the furniture set should be cost-effective; its components should be multifunctional or able to adapt to meet the child's needs at every age.
The furniture should fulfill a bedroom's regular functions, incorporating others that impact child development, such as having things at reach, providing opportunities to organize the space, having a play area and possibly stimulating their motor and cognitive skills' development.
Children should be able to move some of the pieces of furniture, allowing for their use in other rooms, stimulating socialization with family members.
The furniture should fit comfortably in small bedrooms (80 ft²) and use trustworthy, easy to clean and durable materials. As the child grows, it should adapt easily to new uses, without complex mechanisms, additional investment or generation of obsolete parts.
The furniture should fulfill a bedroom's regular functions, incorporating others that impact child development, such as having things at reach, providing opportunities to organize the space, having a play area and possibly stimulating their motor and cognitive skills' development.
Children should be able to move some of the pieces of furniture, allowing for their use in other rooms, stimulating socialization with family members.
The furniture should fit comfortably in small bedrooms (80 ft²) and use trustworthy, easy to clean and durable materials. As the child grows, it should adapt easily to new uses, without complex mechanisms, additional investment or generation of obsolete parts.
Volume studies
In order to visualize the volumes of the larger pieces of furniture in the bedroom area, several duplex paper models were built in a 1:10 scale.
The bed's size was based on standard mattress sizes. Taking into consideration the area reserved for the bedroom door, built in closet (common in Brazil), window and leaving at least 1'4" between pieces of furniture, ideally 2', the bed would have to be designed in a way that its area could also be used for other activities.
In order to visualize the volumes of the larger pieces of furniture in the bedroom area, several duplex paper models were built in a 1:10 scale.
The bed's size was based on standard mattress sizes. Taking into consideration the area reserved for the bedroom door, built in closet (common in Brazil), window and leaving at least 1'4" between pieces of furniture, ideally 2', the bed would have to be designed in a way that its area could also be used for other activities.
Ideation
Since the project has pieces that depend on one another, the ideation and the project development occurred simultaneously, with several iterations.
Since the project has pieces that depend on one another, the ideation and the project development occurred simultaneously, with several iterations.
Making a model was essential for the design. Even though I already had most pieces' definitions, several iterations of model making surfaced problems with details or limitations from materials and techniques.
In order to build the set, I had to acquire new skills, such as sewing, and learn or create new techniques to achieve the results I wanted. An example is the technique I used to make the curves on the furniture; after trying out 2 processes suggested by the technicians I decided to try a new idea: I made profiles of each curve (or table), joined them with battens and covered the structure with a layer of thick veneer.
The model was built in my university's shop, without an industrial setting's support, however, the shop's technicians have industry experience and discussed with me the techniques I was using and the ones that would be preferred in a serial production, thus I was able to consider the industry's capabilities on the final design.
In order to build the set, I had to acquire new skills, such as sewing, and learn or create new techniques to achieve the results I wanted. An example is the technique I used to make the curves on the furniture; after trying out 2 processes suggested by the technicians I decided to try a new idea: I made profiles of each curve (or table), joined them with battens and covered the structure with a layer of thick veneer.
The model was built in my university's shop, without an industrial setting's support, however, the shop's technicians have industry experience and discussed with me the techniques I was using and the ones that would be preferred in a serial production, thus I was able to consider the industry's capabilities on the final design.
Mobili comprises basic pieces of furniture that are either multifunctional or adaptable, meeting the child's needs at every age. Some examples are:
High bed - the bedroom's centerpiece. Its top can be used as play area or bed and its bottom for play, study, or as a niche for the low bed. One of its sides can embed shelves and hooks, and its front can have curtains that close the niche, making it even cozier.
Low bed - adapts from junior bed to single bed simply by removing the toy chests and cushions that limit the mattress area. The chests can be attached to the wall and the cushions stacked as an ottoman.
Table set - allows small children to use the small piece as a seat, the medium as a table and the large as a shelf or play hut. As they grow, the small piece becomes a nightstand or shelf, the medium, a seat and the large, a table.
Safety guards - when no longer needed, they can be joined to form a structure used as a clothes or toy bin, a shelf unit or a clothes stand.
Mobili allows kids to build their own bedrooms, giving them choices and freedom to develop their personalities while providing them with challenges, leading them to solve different problems and develop their motor, cognitive, emotional and social skills.
The furniture maintains proper reaches throughout childhood, allowing children to organize their world and become independent; belongings are easily accessible, promoting their use.
It has several features, such as puzzles (ottoman), drawing (blackboards), puppet theater (window and stairs) and role playing, that help develop children's skills: drawing develops language and symbolic thought process; role play teaches them to express themselves and deal with conflicts; and details, such as LED lights and embroidery, spark curiosity, engaging them in small fantasy worlds.
Mobili can benefit child education and development while enabling kids to have the bedroom they want or need and to adapt it as they choose and grow.
The furniture maintains proper reaches throughout childhood, allowing children to organize their world and become independent; belongings are easily accessible, promoting their use.
It has several features, such as puzzles (ottoman), drawing (blackboards), puppet theater (window and stairs) and role playing, that help develop children's skills: drawing develops language and symbolic thought process; role play teaches them to express themselves and deal with conflicts; and details, such as LED lights and embroidery, spark curiosity, engaging them in small fantasy worlds.
Mobili can benefit child education and development while enabling kids to have the bedroom they want or need and to adapt it as they choose and grow.
Model
Composition examples
7.5m² bedroom for a 3 year old
junior bed: toy chests on the foot of the bed and backboard limits mattress area
safety guards
play area on top
small table set - the large table is used as shelf and play hut
12m² bedroom for a 5 year old
single bed (on top)
safety guards
play area under the bed
play area under the bed
joined safety guards: storage bin
big table set - small stool is used as a nightstand (attached to the wall)
big table set - small stool is used as a nightstand (attached to the wall)
single bed (on top)
safety guards
play area under the bed
ottoman (stacked backboard cushions)
blackboard behind the bed
big table set - small stool is used as a nightstand
big table set - small stool is used as a nightstand
storage chests attached to the wall and used as cabinets
7.5m² bedroom for a 13 year old
single bed
play, reading or relaxing area on the top
joined safety guards: storage bin
ottoman (stacked backboard cushions)
big table set - small stool is used as a nightstand (by the bed, on the floor)
storage chests attached to the wall and used as cabinets
big table set - small stool is used as a nightstand (by the bed, on the floor)
storage chests attached to the wall and used as cabinets
Some of the system's pieces
The stairs
The higher the steps, the wider they get. This allows children to climb them alone and with confidence; they get a sense of security while climbing.
The hut's ceiling
Holes shaped as little ants let the colored LED lights on top of them to set any mood the child wants
Two LED spotlights allow children to read in the hut
Two LED spotlights allow children to read in the hut
Lower bed
Casters with breaks makes cleaning and rearranging the bedroom easy and yet safe
It's a single bed, but can be used with a junior matress by using the ottoman's pillows as backboard and the storage chests to limit the bed's lenght
Table set
small child > older child
small seat > nightstand
small table > larger seat
shelf or play hut > larger table
Ottoman
Backboard that also limits the area of the bed for the junior matress
Can be used as an ottoman when pillows are stacked
Stacking the pillows makes for a fun game for a young child, that has to combine the animals' heads and bodys correctly to make sure the seat surface is leveled
Chests
Limit the area of the bed for the junior matress
Easy access to toys and books
Both chests have two see through or open sides, which allows children to have a better knowledge of what they have, disencouraging accumulation
Can be attached to the wall
Can be finisehd with blackboard paint or coloring illustrations
Can be attached to the wall
Can be finisehd with blackboard paint or coloring illustrations
Trundle drawer
Stores large board games and small objects
Has casters, for easy access
Has a blackboard finish, so the child can write what's stored inside
Has casters, for easy access
Has a blackboard finish, so the child can write what's stored inside
The acrylic sides can be removed, making it easy to clean
Shelves
Can be enbedded on the tables and on the high bed
Gives children the freedom to choose how they want to organize their own bedrooms
Enbedding and securing the shelves makes for an exercise of children's fine motor skills
Coat rack, shelf or storage bin
When the child is old enough to sleep without safety guards, they can be reused. Joined, they become a stand that can be used as a coat rack, a support for shelves or a support for a storage bin for toys or dirty clothes
