For this assignment, I began to look for inspiration based on my interest in product design. I was intrigued by Jean-Sébastien Lagrange and Raphaël Ménard’s the ZEF Climatic Table. This table, looks like any other dining table, it has a sleek oak design with four legs and looks quite modern; However, it can cut energy costs by as much as 60%. Underneath the surface of the table, lie phase-changing materials that basically act like a “thermal sponge” according to the designers. These phase changing materials are located between the wood and the anodized aluminum bottom in order to enable climate regulation. The table is made to be potentially located at homes and offices, just as any other dining table. It is mundane and extravagant at once.
I am intrigued by two things in this design: the combination of professions of the designers, as well as the energy absorbing aspect to furniture design which is never before seen in the home scene. This is a product of the combination of knowledge and creativity between an industrial designer and an engineer. These view points have the potential to create solutions or other greater problems. Introducing something that is this revolutionary into the everyday home scene is not as seamless as it is marketed to be. Both of the designers’ goal is to continue creating energy-absorbing home products, and I wonder it this fits into Raymond Loewy’s MAYA (Most Advanced Yet Acceptable) principle. Are humans ready to let go of the static element of furniture and allow scientific machines into their homes? How far will people go in terms of money and ownership to save money on energy? Is furniture even a viable solution to solve the energy spending issue?
