Hexalink is designed for Garima Park, the TCS Gandhinagar Campus. The company approached NID with a design requirement: encourage informal interaction in small groups during leisure.
The space allotted was a huge central atrium. It double times as an area for gathering as well an informal open area. The required furniture has to be inviting and informal in nature but shouldn't be a hindrance during public gathering or functions.
A tessellation visually appealing from overhanging balconies was the starting point of Hexalink. The design evolved as athropometry, ergonomics, socio-focal patterns etc were explored.
Simultaneously, Minimalance (www.minimalance.com)- a metal fabrication company based in Ahmadabad expressed interest in the classroom project. The company wanted to explore possibility of manufacturing furniture with recently acquired Italian CNC pipe bending machine, metal sheet laser cutting machine and metal sheet bending machine. Students visited the factory and studied the manufacturing capabilities and limitations.
Hexalink is a set of five. One three-legged stool and four two-legged stools. A locking mechanism links them together. The set has to stay together to be functional (hence avoids the menace of scattered furniture on atrium floor). Multiple sets can be joined together to create varying 'X', 'S', '3' etc patterns. When put together the furniture will be big enough to be visible and interesting even to the users on fifth floor balcony.
When the atrium has to be used for functions or gathering, Hexalink can be stacked in a visually appealing way.
Hexalink was among five designs selected for prototyping. The design further developed during prototyping to suit the CNC machines and efficient use of material.
