Dava: A Revolution in Workspace Design

Michael Strantz's Award-Winning Design Offers Innovative Solution to Open Space Challenges

Strantz drew his inspiration from the acoustic and visual stimulus saturation often found in open space offices, schools, and universities. The lack of space or rooms often means that there is no space to withdraw, necessitating furniture that is highly flexible in its arrangement and adaptable to changing circumstances. This led to the creation of Dava, a workspace furniture that minimizes acoustic and visual disturbances and allows optimal use of space due to its triangular shape.

What sets Dava apart from other designs is its use of sustainable and biodegradable materials, WPC from Jeluplast and wool felt, both of which are 100% organic and fully compostable. The WPC ensures sufficient stiffness and stability and is also relatively light, ensuring easy handling. The material can be applied by injection moulding, enabling cost-efficient production in large quantities. A dove-tail joint, which fixes the two walls to the tabletop, underlines the simplicity in production and handling, meaning that no screws or external fasteners are required.

The design specifications of Dava are Width 1285mm x Depth 766mm x Height 1480mm. A simple plug-in system allows quick and easy storage of the objects. Furthermore, the walls can be removed and used on already existing tables, against visual and acoustic disturbances. The walls can be slid into each other for storage to save space.

The project started in September 2018 at the New Design University St. Poelten and was revised in September 2019. The design phase began in the sketchbook, with the task of finding and defining a design problem of the university building and solving it appropriately. Through extensive research, the problem was defined, which deals with the lack of space to be able to work in seclusion and undisturbed by outer influences. This was followed by the idea generation and design phase, which required both 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional working models.

The design of Dava faced several challenges, including the selection of the best material. Sustainability, feasibility, serial production, and affordability played a role in this decision. Despite these challenges, Dava was developed for open space offices, schools, and universities where quiet and concentrated work phases are important. The modules reduce acoustic and visual disturbances, and due to its triangular shape, the furniture is space efficient and allows a variety of arrangement options.

Dava's innovative design and functionality have not gone unnoticed. The design was awarded Silver in A' Furniture Design Award in 2020, a prestigious accolade rewarded to top-of-the-line, creative, and professionally remarkable designs that illustrate outstanding expertise and innovation. These designs, admired for their strong technical characteristics and splendid artistic skill, showcase a remarkable level of excellence and introduce positive feelings, amazement, and wonder.