Lucy - Multifunction Furniture for Urban Living

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Preface

The technological age is upon us and so is the opportunity to design for its wireless generation: people born in the 1980’s and so forth. These groups of people are surrounded with laptop computers and other wireless technologies on a regular basis. In the past when laptops were considered a luxury, desktop computers basked in the market. However, on June 6, 2005, USA Today Newspaper announced that in May 2005, laptops outsold desktop computers for the first time noting a time of change (Sandoval).

Laptops unlike desktops are designed for portability as users have the freedom to choose their workspaces. Since the design of the laptop has yet to improve ergonomically, ideal laptop workspaces have yet to be defined. In an age when home sizes are continually decreasing, this undefined workspace is being jeopardized even before it is established. High-rises, condos, town homes, and apartments are the small spaces in which urbanites live and work in the 21st century.

Sources
Sandoval, Greg. “Laptops outsell desktops for first time.” USATODAY.com – Laptops outsell desktops for the first time. June 6, 2005. <http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2005-06-06-laptops-outsell_x.htm>

Intent

The aim of my degree project is to address the issues surrounding the live/work relationship in small homes, focusing on the use of laptops and the wireless network. Lucy is a seating system designed to accommodate small spaces as well as to aid the use of laptops ergonomically. Taking dimensions from office seating and standard table hieghts, Lucy blends storage and a flat working surface for a more upright  position for laptop use. I would like to introduce Lucy, an intimate object that is diverse in its functions through seamless transformation at the user’s convenience.

Features

Lucy comes in three separate units. These pieces lock together using ready-to-assemble hardware. The hidden drawers underneath each end piece efficiently utilize the couch’s footprint. Using simple soft close mechanisms, the way Lucy moves is intended to give the user and Lucy an intimate connection. The middle unit which harmonizes the side sections, also hides a table. The solid walnut table with metal accents and flush mounted handles allow the user to actuate the table easily. The table is connected to a front panel which unifies the entire object as a couch, and also acts as an extension to the working surface. A support leg is concealed under the table, stows away neatly when Lucy acts as a couch. Intended for laptop use, the table has infinite advantages. Like the drawers, the table also integrates a soft close system using rotational dampers to slow the downward motion when the table is put away. The multifunctional aspect of Lucy can deter users from buying more furniture, that may take up more space in their small homes.

To the naked eye, Lucy looks and feels like a regular couch. Seamlessly integrating a table, and two drawers, Lucy transforms into a laptop workspace for the wireless generation.