Interview about Aeriform Armchair, winner of the A' Furniture Design Award 2025
The Aeriform Armchair redefines comfort with its innovative approach to ergonomics and design. Conceived in virtual reality and informed by anthropometric studies, this chair offers versatile seating options, from relaxed lounging and sideways leisure to upright support. Its seamless design features effortless rotation and a springy base for a soothing rock. Crafted with a fiberglass shell, plush upholstery, and high-quality fabric or leather, Aeriform blends sophisticated presence with practical functionality, making it a standout addition to modern interiors.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsI had experimented with virtual reality design before, but never on something that would eventually become a fully realized physical product. So in many ways, this was new ground for me. I wanted to tie the virtual and physical worlds together in a way that felt natural, so I built an adjustable jig in real life that I could sit in and measure from. I then traced that jig in VR to use as a reference to keep the scale, ergonomics, and seating posture consistent with what a person would experience. With every iteration, I would sit in the jig, position the model exactly where it was and look around in VR, imagining how the chair would feel around me.At first, I tried sketching some bold concepts on paper and recreating them in VR, but they didn’t quite translate. The lines I liked on paper didn’t feel right in 3D space. So I flipped the process. Instead of translating sketches, I started sketching freehand directly in VR. The organic quality of modeling in virtual space felt just right. Shapes felt more sculptural and alive. One of the early sketches came from simply manipulating a flat plane between my hands, bending it like a ribbon suspended in air. That moment led to the core visual language of the armchair.From there, I refined the Sub-D surfaces until I had a volume that not only looked bold but also supported the human body well. I still used planar views on paper to cross-check and refine details, but most of the shaping happened in VR. Toward the end of the process, I paid a lot of attention to surfacing details using zebra mapping and reflection tests to refine the curves to a level that felt natural and perfected. It was a process of constant iteration, but VR gave me the creative freedom to sculpt the form in a way that traditional tools never could.
I admire the aesthetics of Pierre Paulin’s Ribbon Chair, and with the Aeriform Armchair, I wanted to pay homage to that classic while creating something distinctly my own. One of my main goals was to design a chair that’s not just sculptural but truly comfortable. Something you could sit in for hours, whether you're reading, relaxing, or scrolling on your phone.In my observations and design lectures, I learned that seating is inherently dynamic. We shift positions constantly, so I knew I wanted to create something that supports movement. My early sketches tried to blend the posture of upright seating with the laid back ergonomics of a lounge chair. That didn’t quite work as I envisioned, but it led me to realize how often I sit sideways in chairs. So I made that a central feature.This is where the influence of bird wings came in. I imagined large sweeping forms that would gently envelop the sitter, creating a sense of both security and privacy, while offering support for the back and head when sitting sideways. My initial drawings leaned more literally into wings and even had feather motifs, but as the design evolved, I stripped those elements back and embraced a purer, smoother form. The aerodynamic qualities remained as a subtle nod now visible in the cross sections - hence the name Aeriform.
Yes, traditional anthropometric studies mostly treat sitting as a two dimensional problem by measuring backrest angles, seat depth, and so on. But that approach feels inherently flawed. Humans are built to move. Even the most “ergonomic” position becomes uncomfortable when you’re forced to hold it for too long. Static sitting leads to fatigue, stiffness and poor circulation. It doesn’t reflect how we actually use furniture.During my research, I came across only one book that acknowledged this and tried to go beyond the static model. It introduced the idea of sitting as a dynamic, time based experience, so more like four dimensions: X, Y, Z, and time. It also provided valuable information about cushioning and how materials affect long term comfort. But when it came to supporting varied seating positions, it still fell short.That’s why I built my testing jig. It was a simple frame of two standing panels with a grid of holes, steel pipes and adjustable seat and backrest panels which attach to the pipes. This allowed me to test a wide range of angles and heights in real life. I mapped out the primary upright position as well as more relaxed, sideways poses for secondary position. I tested it on myself and others, took measurements, averaged to be able to fit more people, and then translated those measurements into virtual reality. Essentially, I created a kind of ergonomic skeleton inside VR that I could sculpt around. And it worked beautifully.
I enjoy working with composites, and one of the reasons why is the unique way they allow you to place strength exactly where it’s needed while skipping it where it isn’t. It’s a principle like an I-beam. The top and bottom flanges handle most of the stress, while the middle web just keeps them connected. You get incredible bending resistance without wasting material.Composites work the same way. They’re layered systems, where the outer surfaces handle the main forces, while the lightweight core holds everything together. This gives you excellent structural integrity with far less weight than solid materials.That’s why I chose to build the Aeriform Armchair around an XPS foam core. It acted as both a shaping tool and a structural element, essentially acting like a lost formwork that bonded the fiberglass laminate during the layup process. The fiberglass shell gives the piece its strength, while the core supports the complex curves and helps keep everything rigid and aligned. This process is similar to how boats or surfboards are made, where you need both performance and elegance in form.The 3D printed parts came into play for quick prototyping. They helped me test the visuals on a small scale before landing on the final form which I crudely cut out of Styrofoam in 1:1 scale later. And also 3D printing saved me a lot of time on the final prototype. The leg is designed to be made out of cast metal. But with time constraints I had welded a simple base which I elegantly covered with a 3d printed shell in the same dimensions as the production version.
The Lazy Susan and the springy base both support the idea that seating should be dynamic. Rocking gently side to side or leaning back and forth feels naturally comforting, it also keeps your body engaged and the blood flowing, which helps reduce fatigue during long periods of sitting.The rotation also serves a practical function. When there’s an ottoman in front of the chair, you can simply swivel to the side and step out easily. Once you’re up, the chair automatically returns to its original position, always keeping the space visually tidy and centered.
I see this award as a meaningful confirmation of my skills and a recognition of my vision. I always strive to approach design from a different angle and find paths that haven’t been taken, exploring forms and ideas that feel fresh. It’s an involved, time consuming process, but I thrive on that kind of challenge. This recognition motivates me to keep pushing those boundaries, not just for the sake of novelty, but to keep evolving as a designer. Moving forward, I’ll continue to focus on creating bold, original work that stands out and hopefully sets a new standard in how we think about comfort, form, and emotion in furniture.
There were a few key pivot moments that really shaped the final design. The first was transitioning from pen and paper to VR. I had high hopes for one particular paper sketch, but once I tried translating it into 3D space, it just didn’t work. That’s when I realized I needed to let go of the original plans and start freehanding directly in VR.Initially, I was aiming for something more monumental, grounded, almost brutalist, with a hint of streamlining. Many of my early forms were heavy and anchored. But in the middle of that exploration, I had drawn a wide floating ribbon. It was light, expressive, and dynamic. It won over my heart and ultimately became the foundation of the final design.Last big moment was when I scaled the form. The surfacing was nearly finalized when I decided to double-check how large it really was. Turns out, it was hilariously wide, basically a two-seater sofa. I built a 1:1 Styrofoam model, saw how excessive it looked, and began trimming it down slice by slice until it felt right. I updated the VR model accordingly and from there on, it was smooth sailing.
Statement pieces are meant to stand out. They’re bold, often opulent, and unapologetically central to a space. And that’s exactly what I set out to create. I wanted the Aeriform to feel like a monument, something iconic. But for me, beauty alone isn’t enough. I believe true design greatness happens when form and function elevate each other.To get there, I dug deep into ergonomic studies, anthropometric research, and even explored comfort as a broader concept, beyond just angles and measurements. I wanted to understand how people actually use furniture over time, not just in a static pose. Then came prototyping, testing, and iterating. Without this process, this would’ve just been a nice sculpture. But thanks to all that groundwork, I believe I ended up with a statement piece that not only looks powerful, but feels amazing to sit in too.
I approached the sculpting of the final form with a clear manufacturing concept in mind. Initially, I imagined a bent steel tube frame with netting and cushioning. But as I got closer to the production phase, I realized that shaping complex bends, even with a CNC pipe bending machine, would be far too complicated and restrictive. So I pivoted.The design’s aerodynamic qualities naturally pointed me toward composites, materials often used in aerospace and automotive applications. Processes like injection molding or rigid polyurethane casting were on the table, but I wanted something more hands on. Something I could control. Fiberglass became the perfect solution. It was straightforward: assemble CNC cut XPS foam sections, laminate them with a few layers of fiberglass fabric, and infuse it with resin. Surprisingly, the process went very smoothly.The bigger challenge came with upholstery. I wanted a natural fiber, something durable, breathable, and ideally with a bit of stretch. I visited countless shops and came up empty handed until I finally stumbled on a suitable wool fabric. Leather would’ve been a dream, but it was out of my scope for the prototype. Still, I think the final result worked out beautifully, and I’m leaving the door open for other materials in the production version.
I think we need to stop treating “ergonomic” as a buzzword slapped onto uncomfortable furniture. The industry loves to market rigid lumbar supports and “correct posture” as a universal fix, but let’s be real, what’s the point of a perfect posture if you lose circulation in your legs or your cheeks go numb after 20 minutes?One of the ideas I explored with the Aeriform Armchair is the dynamic nature of sitting. Humans move. We shift, recline, slouch, twist. Yet most chairs are designed for one static position. I think the future of seating should fully embrace this movement. Not just with adjustable levers, but by rethinking the very way we sculpt form around the human body. Maybe in the future we won’t even “sit” at all. Who knows? Magnetic suspension might be the next frontier.I also hope more designers explore virtual reality as a serious design tool, not just for flashy concept videos or clickbait. VR gave me a totally new way to shape and feel out the design. Sculpting from within, instead of drafting from above. But just using the tech isn’t enough. We need to pair it with real prototyping, testing, iteration. That’s how we move the field forward.Lastly, I think there’s a cultural shift waiting to happen. Furniture can be expressive. Emotional. Italians get this. But much of the world has fallen into soulless mass production. Cheap, disposable, and environmentally irresponsible. I believe truly great furniture should last for generations, both in quality and presence. Aeriform is my small step toward that future.
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