Furnishings that become installations, expressions of the future, both constant and changing, of society. Clei’s transformable systems take pride of place at an interactive exhibition, featuring design works which elicit admiration due to their innovative personality, offering countless opportunities for change and manipulation. Making Room: Housing for a Changing America – The Open House is the exhibition event running at the National Building Museum, Washington, a project by the architect Pierluigi Colombo from Clei, in collaboration with Resource Furniture.
The event involves the company’s transformable solutions used to create a multi-functional apartment of approximately 90 sqm (in a scale of 1:1). The aim of The Open House project is to demonstrate just how flexible, intelligent design solutions can transform and ensure seamless compatibility with contemporary living. The project is able to keep up with rapid evolutions, not only in terms of living standards but also demographics, both in America and throughout the world, by changing conformation.
During the nine month-long exhibition (from November 18th 2017 until September 16th 2018), furnishings will be used to create three different and specific scenarios, according to three different types of inhabitants, guaranteeing an efficient layout, smart technology, enriched by mobile walls and transformable furnishings. The first of these concepts is Roomates: three young students sharing an apartment, followed by Extended Family (a single mother living with daughter and grandmother), and lastly, Retired Couple, who sometimes host their grandchildren and have transformed part of their apartment into a studio flat they can rent out.
“The exhibition dedicated to the same subject and the great interest of the public and the media provide further confirmation of the living philosophy evolution, which creates a connection between versatile furniture pieces, spaces, and the individual – explains Luca Colombo, Sales Manager of the company – Therefore, the flexibility of living spaces is a necessity that designers, builders, and investors must take into great consideration in order to answer to the renewed needs deriving from strong social and demographic changes. For a flexible and increasingly technological home, Clei becomes the undisputed main character.”