Developed by STACKLAB, The Felt Collection is a conceptual furniture line which includes benches, stools, side tables and chairs. Every piece is made using off-cut premium Merino wool sourced from regional manufacturers (one based in Toronto and the other in Upstate New York) using a custom-developed algorithm. The algorithm creates better efficiencies and expands upon material life cycles and market opportunities.
The Felt Collection, further explores and expands upon the studio’s mandate to apply critical thinking that leverages existing technologies, infrastructures, and the people behind them to innovate.
Floor prototypes were exhibited with Boston-based Art + Design Gallery, Salon, in March 2020 and the full collection debuted digitally at Milan Design Week at the Isola Design District in June 2020.
The Challenge & Its Algorithmic Solution
The Felt Collection was driven by applying a critical lens to the industry and explores, a reversal of the commonplace practice of putting form before material.
STACKLAB identified surplus off-cut and end-of-bolt felted wool that, when stored, occupied significant factory space and led to severe wastage. They identified regional manufacturers who had this waste in their processes and collaborated to figure out how to aggregate their material.
In turn, they designed a system to categorize the surplus and developed an algorithm that matches the categorized pieces to their specifications and uses. The outcome is a collection that is inherently based on efficiency, reuse, and unapologetically references STACKLAB’s design process.
Where to find Felt
The price point of The Felt Collection starts at $3,000 and can be ordered directly through STACKLAB and Alpenglow Projects in Canada and through designated dealers in the United States. Customers, with the use of an iOS device, can use AR technology available on STACKLAB’s website to place and play with the various pieces in the collection in their homes.
The Felt Collection is on display with Alpenglow Projects in Vancouver now through April 2021 and is a part of Dutch Design Week, October 17-25 as a feature designer in the exhibit “Materialized,” which is focused on sustainable design solutions with innovative production techniques.
The collection will also be exhibited in Boston, New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles, kicking off November 2020 through to summer 2021. Please get in touch to learn more about the exhibit details and dates.
What’s Next
The Felt Collection’s second iteration is in the works. Customers will be able to interact with the algorithm to create custom pieces and receive real time feedback related to their order’s price and wastage impact.