French industrial designer Johannes Faure-Brac knows furniture; he grew up in his father’s woodworking shop in the French Alps, building traditional furniture. But after gaining two degrees in ID and working in the furniture industry, he found its practices wasteful. “It had become inefficient to produce, store, transport [furniture],” he writes. “A cumbersome, expensive, energy-intensive system.
“Ever more volume, containers, logistics costs, and wasted energy. To compensate, the industry has cut back on materials and sacrificed quality, comfort, and design. Ultimately, users pay the price for this logic, which impoverishes the object, its use, and the experience [of it].”
Faure-Brac spent six years researching and developing an alternative type of furniture. “The goal was not to lighten the furniture at all costs, but to rethink its structure,” he explains. “The solution came from an aeronautical technology developed by the American military, then adopted by the French military for naval applications.
“[I designed furniture that could be] inflated rather than assembled, using technical materials: High pressure, low weight, little material, maximum resistance.”
Faure-Brac’s company, Airmaan, uses an undisclosed durable and easy-to-clean inflatable material with a reinforced structure. Full-size chairs and sofas are light enough to carry one-handed, yet sturdy enough to support an adult’s weight. And the furniture is designed to be used outdoors, at any time of year.
“Compact, lightweight, exceptionally durable and designed for year-round use, Airmaan gives you all the options, and your living room becomes the whole world.”
Airmaan’s M Sofa was successfully Kickstarted earlier this year, to the tune of $316,748. It’s currently in pre-production, and Faure-Brac expects to start shipping next month. They’re also taking pre-orders for a companion N Club Chair piece. They retail for $355 and $296, respectively; additional padding for the pieces is available for $118 and $78, respectively.
Though their crowdfunding campaign is no longer live, the pitch video gives you a good look at the furniture, and what it can withstand:
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