Discover Layers designed by Beckmans x EFG
In collaboration with EFG, Beckman students Ebba Qvinnström and Sigrid Mårtensson developed the Layers design concept, which consists of seven pieces of furniture made from a total of twelve components.
The assignment awarded to graduating Beckman students Ebba Qvinnström and Sigrid Mårtensson entailed creating at least three pieces of furniture from 15 components to raise circularity to a new level. It resulted in the Layers design concept – seven transparent, minimalist pieces of furniture with a future-proof design and material interfaces without permanent joints.
“Achieving versatile functionality with just a few components that also had to be included in at least two pieces of furniture, was a rewarding challenge whose constant exploration was important to us. Once we had created the furniture covered by the brief, our curiosity took us to new heights. By applying further combinations, the series resulted in seven pieces of furniture,” says Ebba Qvinnström, student at Beckmans College of Design.
Based on twelve components, the students, working with EFG, created a furniture range that included a chair, an armchair, a bar chair, a bar stool and a stool, a classic coffee table and a small coffee table for work. The name Layers refers to EFG’s sustainable layer-by-layer design philosophy, whereby all components can be removed, updated and replaced as needed to create furniture that lasts.
“The layer-by-layer furniture we manufacture at EFG allows customers to update products over time and use the components again. Working with graduating students from Beckmans, we took things a step further and began using a set of components to build furniture from the outside in,” says Andreas Mattisson, Manager Product Development at EFG and hands-on tutor in the collaboration with Beckmans College of Design.
The furniture is made solely of wood and metal and was assembled using screws. It was painted black to achieve a uniform expression. Throughout the process, the focus was on creating a range of furniture whose structure and design contribute to versatility. The aesthetic challenges involved creating a range of furniture that was beautiful both individually and together. Layers open a new way forward in the furniture industry, where form goes hand-in-hand with sustainability. The students seek to use the furniture range to encourage the restoration, reform and update of components and also to combat overconsumption.
“Today’s furniture industry is grappling with the problem of unsustainable production. Being a result of trends and fashion, much furniture has short lifespans. Discussions concerning these aspects led to our creating the long-lasting, adaptable furniture known today as Layers,” says Sigrid Mårtensson, student at Beckmans College of Design.
“Encouraging collaboration with the younger generation and schools to continue exploring and challenging tomorrow’s design from a circular perspective is important for EFG,” says Andreas Mattisson, Manager Product Development at EFG.
About Layers
Layers is the result of a design collaboration between EFG and graduating students Ebba Qvinnström and Sigrid Mårtensson from the Product Design programme at Beckmans College of Design. Layers consists of twelve components that together create seven different pieces of furniture with a focus on transparency and material interfaces that lack permanent joints.
Photography: Julia Malmquist, Ebba Qvinnström och Sigrid Mårtensson
Graphics: Axel Wahl