Shelter: A Desk Design Revolution by Joao Teixeira

Winner of the Prestigious Platinum A' Furniture Design Award in 2021

Teixeira's inspiration for the Shelter desk stemmed from the desire to create a design that improved user productivity by enhancing organization layouts. The design incorporates useful features such as clean cable management and easy storage access, making it a standout in the market.

The Shelter desk's unique properties lie in its rounded corner drawers, which not only provide a stylish look but also differentiate it from other desks. All elements of the desk align seamlessly with each other, resulting in a singular, cohesive design. The desk is made using traditional techniques, with a focus on precision achieved through common machinery like CNC.

Constructed primarily from natural wood, the desk uses only two metallic hinges and a brass finish at the back as hardware. The rounded drawers are made using seams between joints, making the product more feasible and affordable. The desk measures 1480 mm x 800 mm x 760 mm, making it a suitable addition to most home office environments.

The Shelter desk's design is as simple as its looks. Cables can be passed through the back access to the front drawers seamlessly and in a hidden way, outperforming most common desks in the market. The design approach clearly indicates where and how to open each storage, making the interaction between product and user self-explanatory.

The Shelter desk project began in March 2020 in Porto and was completed a year later. Motivated by the lockdown, the design was oriented towards enhancing mental health during the pandemic, providing serenity, hence the name Shelter. The most challenging aspect of the design was fine-tuning manufacturing details to find a balance between feasibility, aesthetics, and function.

Teixeira's Shelter desk design is a shining example of how design can adapt to changing societal needs. The design, which was awarded the Platinum A' Furniture Design Award in 2021, recognizes world-class, exceptional, and highly innovative designs that contribute to societal wellbeing. The Shelter desk is not just a piece of furniture; it is a testament to the power of design in enhancing productivity and mental health in a changing world.