Tokyo, Japan
“The distinctive design provides a single elegant solution that supports a range of different ways in which people want to work,” states Yuichi Ishihara, the Creative Director who headed up the team at tangerine.
Yuichi Ishihara from the British design agency tangerine and Syouichi Izawa from Okamura Corporation teamed up to design a new age work capsule—the Co-comori Modular Work Booth—inspired by the current COVID-19 pandemic situation and the need for employees to be independent of their workspaces.
Traditional capsule booths have faced the hurdle of “Ease of introduction” due to construction and high cost.
Co-comori aka the work capsule has been designed so that the direction can be changed according to mood and is less than half the weight of previous products.
The design has been awarded the prestigious 2021 Good Design Award by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
The 7kg solo booth panel can be easily moved by 2 people. When fitted into the L-shaped base it is strong and free standing.
The front to rear inclining panel lessens eye contact when at the worktable, but shifting your gaze lets you see outside.
This semi-enclosed space provides a feeling of privacy without feeling locked in. As office spaces have become more like living rooms, the softly curved design blends into these spaces.
The panel with its vertical lines creates a beautiful arc when in the curved L-shaped frame. The panels being made of recycled felt, reduce CO2 emissions during manufacture, and are also recyclable, thus environmentally friendly.
“People’s job-demands and their mindset are not static. So, we saw an opportunity to create a flexible space with interchangeable furniture items that can be quickly deployed and orientated to suit different situations and behavioral needs for working space,” explains Ishihara.
“People desire flexibility throughout the day and I believe that, while the character of a work space should reflect functionality and efficiency, it should also be capable of changing mode to suit your mood as you progress throughout the day—whether you are in a relaxed or studious frame of mind or require somewhere private for introspection or socialisation with a colleague. By thinking about both the emotional and rational needs for workspace, Okamura and Tangerine created the Co-comori concept. The result is both unique and distinctive.”
Project: Co-comori Modular Work Booth
Designers: tangerine Limited and Okamura Corporation
Design Team: Syouichi Izawa and Yuichi Ishihara
Manufacturer: Okamura Corporation
