Everybody loves the idea of flat-pack furniture arriving and not having to dig around for hex keys and tubes of glue to put it together. But this tool-free approach can also call into question the stability of the piece. Israeli industrial designer Ruthy Shafrir is confident she has arrived at the perfect compromise, with a snap-together shelving unit inspired by the shape of a bee hive.
Ruche, the French word for beehive, is a unique, adaptable shelving unit for the home or office. Shipped as a pile of aluminum or cardboard sheets, the pieces slot together to form an array of hexagonal and triangular shelves. Shafrir says this process takes less than six minutes.
Potential uses for the Ruche shelving unit range from holding toilet rolls to shoe storage to a home bar. It can also be wall-mounted or placed on the floor or another flat surface. According to Shafrir, this design comprising only regular shapes, is what allows it to bear relatively heavy loads.
In cardboard, the maximum load ranges from 10 kg (22 lb) for the small 15.5 in (34.5 cm) high version, to 64 kg (142 lb) for the large (39.4 in (100 cm). In the sturdier aluminum model, the small version can bear 18 kg (39.6 lb) and the large 80 kg (176 lb).
Shafrir is looking to raise funds on Kickstarter for the production of the Ruche. Pledge levels range from US$30 for a small cardboard shelving unit to $180 for a large aluminum. Shipping is slated for February if all goes as planned.
You can check out the pitch video below.
Source: Ruche
