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Houses by the Seas

“Houses by the Seas” is a collaboration project between Design Soil from Kobe Design University and Muthesius Kunsthochschule Kiel in Germany.
Under the theme of “seaside life”, we challenged to convert culturally unique matters into new furnitures and interior elements while observing differences and specialities of life that are occurred with geographical similarities and cultural differences in the both port and major shipbuilding cities.

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  • Nori

    Rack
    Design: Kotaro TOMINAGA
    Size: W.870 x D.320 x H.800
    Material: Plywood, Maple, Nori net

    Nori nets are stacked in sets of 10 layers when used to grow seaweed in the sea, evoking a mysterious aura around them.
    Utilizing nori nets that would otherwise be discarded after they have served their purpose, I have captured this beautiful sight that is rarely seen and incorporated it into our everyday life in the form of furniture.

  • Shelly

    Beach toy
    Design: Hana ITOME
    Size: φ120×60, φ114×57, φ108×54, φ102×51, φ96×48, φ90×45, φ84×42, φ78×39
    Material: PLA

    Shelly is an object shaped like multiple shells that can be enjoyed on a sandy beach. The pointed tip of the shells can be pressed into the sand to stabilize them.
    Each piece can be filled with sand in which other pieces are stacked or used like a shovel to scoop up sand. The pieces with holes and grooves can also be used to enjoy the unique movement of sand flowing through them.

  • Sand Witch

    Stool
    Design: Daichi SAWAMURA
    Size: Φ.300 x H.420
    Material: Pine, Wool, Sand

    Even unstable objects that typically rock back and forth or roll around on a hard surface become completely stable on a sandy beach as the sand shifts to support the object.
    Sand Witch is a stool with sand stuffed into the cover that wraps around its feet, making it look like an inextricable part of the beach. Just like magic, this stool does not rock back and forth even on an uneven surface.

  • Trawler

    Stool
    Design: Kotaro TOMINAGA
    Size: Φ.300 x H.390
    Material: Pine, Polyester net

    Even within the same house, each room serves a different function and features the use of different objects. This is similar to how the ecosystem varies across different zones in the sea.
    Under the seat of Trawler is a small net that can be used to hold small items, as if it were a fishing net that stores the “local specialties” unique to a particular room.

  • Marina

    Chair
    Design: Kaito ONISHI
    Size: W.730 x D.600 x H.750 / SH.350
    Material: White ash, Stainless steel, Cotton

    While the fenders of a boat are suspended over its external surface to protect the hull, the fender-shaped cushion of Marina gently surrounds the user sitting in it.
    Not only can the cushion be used as a padding for the chair, it can also be draped over the chair’s exterior just like a boat’s fender to allow others to lean against the chair.

  • Sunset Beach

    Hygrometer / Table lamp
    Design: Mika INADA
    Size: Φ.95 x H.300
    Material: Ash, Glass, Cork, Silica gel, Lamp

    The air on the beach is more humid than that on land and has a distinctive feel on the skin. Sunset Beach is an object that gives visual form to humidity.
    The color of the silica gel changes with humidity, from a deep blue color reminiscent of the sea at dusk to the pink hue of the sea as the sun sets before finally returning to its original blue color as it is exposed to the heat of the lamp.

  • Fish On!

    Desk light
    Design: Izumi YANO
    Size: max H.1,200
    Material: Carbon rod, Cotton, Sand, Aluminium

    When a fish bites the line, the tip of the fishing rod will bend and take on the shape of a sharp curve. Fish On! is a light whose design is inspired by the movement of fishing rods.
    The direction and angle of the light vary depending on the position of the weight (which takes the place of the fish) as well as the length of the string, staging the scene of a fish being reeled in.

  • Aphros

    Low table
    Design: Asuka SAKAMOTO
    Size: Φ.700 x H.420
    Material: White ash, Plywood, PLA, Glass top

    Aphros is a table that attempts to reproduce the shimmering bubbles on the surface of the sea.
    Featuring small, short, and transparent pipes laid between two glass panels, the table’s top panel alters its appearance depending on the angle from which it is viewed as surreal shadows are cast by the light passing through it.