Humans are creatures of habit, so they say. We each have our own special ways of finding comfort and peace of mind. More often than not, that sense of comfort is exhibited most obviously in the spaces where we live. We know our homes better than anyone else because we design them ourselves and simply know what we like. Each of us feels the need to design and organize our spaces, and considering our differences in design preferences and modes of organization, we have that in common. Building a household room divider that lends itself to that common need, designers Giulia Pesce and Ruggero Batista created Patchwork.
Patchwork is Giulia and Ruggero’s proposed creative design solution for depersonalized home spaces such as reception centers for unhoused individuals. Their home organization project offers a wide range of functionality in regards to privacy, space demarcation, personalization, and organization of personal belongings. In collaboration with design agency Hans Thyge & Co., Giulia and Ruggero’s Patchwork is meant for use in cohabitation spaces like hostels, school dormitories, or reception centers for unhoused populations.
Patchwork is comprised of different, interchangeable panels that fold and expand like a traditional room divider. Patchwork panels provide plenty of different uses for each individual and function as a typical divider, work station, headboard, or some combination from the above. Patchwork incorporates a built-in closet space where users can hang their clothes and, thanks to a concealed padlock accessory, can also stow away personal possessions for secure storage. Patchwork also comes with supplemental shelving units, individual mirrors, and handy hooks so that the additional panels can be outfitted according to each user’s unique needs.
In order to create an effective solution that offers privacy and the chance to personalize any space one might call home, Giulia and Ruggero committed to field research that took place in a wide array of co-living spaces. Following their visits to unhoused population centers and refugee camps, the designers say, “During field studies in reception centers for homeless people and refugees in Italy, we observed as the facilities used often do not provide the possibility to organize and hang clothes in a functional way.” Upon discovering this deficiency, Giulia and Ruggero created Patchwork, their micro-solution for our shared need to find privacy and individualization no matter where we might find ourselves living.
Designers: Giulia Pesce & Ruggero Batista
Through the use of modular panels, designers Giulia and Ruggero were able to create room dividers for co-living spaces that also function as storage units for personal belongings.
The nondescript padlock offers both security and peace of mind for users who hope to stow away their more prized personal possessions.
Different forms of hooks and shelving units can be added to each Patchwork unit so that users can design their spaces according to their unique needs.
“The different panels are interchangeable and they can be accessorized so as to create different personal units in the shared cohabitation space.”
