In the very profitable world of human adolescent development, most focus is put on more cerebral pursuits. Aside from braces or the occasional nose job, not much attention is given to their physical development (no Michael Jackson jokes please). The “Perch” desk and chair design came to be after the result of a two year research MA in Industrial Design with the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, Ireland by Simon Dennehy. In essence, this elevated desk/chair combo emphasizes good learning habits by promoting good posture. In reality, the angled desktop is a perfect shield for concealing anything from playing Gameboy, reading about evolution or thumb wrestling competitions.
Designer: Simon Dennehy
The desk profile incorporates an elbow rest, where students can perch themselves during task work. This decreases load on their mid-sections. The profile, from co-extruded hollow-section polycarbonate, incorporates a soft rubberised working surface (in orange). This provides a warm tactile surface that can resist abuse, prevent books from slipping, and can be easily cleaned. A storage trough, at the rear of the desk, includes a book ledge for when students are copying from text books.
The seat and backrest benefit from ventilated slots throughout. This reduces weight, increases user comfort and creates a visually stimulating aesthetic for the students of today.
The chair’s simple yet effective height mechanism prevents accidental release and requires the student to stand to adjust the height. The chair’s legs protrude from back, while incorporating a footrest. This allows the student complete freedom of leg movement. The front wings at either side of the seat are completely flexible. This patented design prevents build up of pressure under the student’s legs, while the resistive feedback encourage the students to continually move their legs playfully, increasing blood flow and muscle use.
(Above: click for larger image)
An accessories tray hooks onto the desk edge and is replaceable with a Lego base, or arts and crafts palette. This “hot-swap” system is developable, and makes task change-over much faster, and tidier.
