Haleiwa Chair by Melissa Mae Tan is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2020 Silver A' Design Award in Furniture Design Competition Category.
SilverFurniture· 2020
Haleiwa Chair
Client: Beyond Function
Silver A' Design Award Winner in Furniture Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #99707The Design
About Haleiwa Chair
The Haleiwa weaves sustainable rattan into sweeping curves and casts a distinct silhouette. The natural materials pay homage to the artisanal tradition in the Philippines, remade for present times. Paired, or used as a statement piece, the versatility of the design makes this chair adapt to different styles. Creating a balance between form and function, grace and strength, architecture and design, the Haleiwa is as comfortable as it is beautiful.
The Recognition
About the Silver A' Design Award
Haleiwa Chair is a Silver A' Design Award winner, an extraordinarily prestigious recognition granted to top-of-the-line, gorgeous, and impressive designs. Silver winners are tremendously brilliant and exceedingly creative works that illustrate the outstanding expertise, talent, and acuity of their designers. Haleiwa Chair is expected to be a wonderful, showpiece work that is remarkably professional and profoundly innovative. This Silver A' Design Award-winning design is a highly notable, admired invention that benefits and advances the boundaries of art, science, design, and technology. Haleiwa Chair is a vastly envied creation that evokes desires, introduces positive feelings, and sparks amazement and wonderment.
Where to Get It
Sustainable Philippine Furniture Collection
We craft contemporary furniture that honors Philippine artisanal traditions using sustainable rattan and local materials. Our pieces balance modern design with heritage craftsmanship, creating affordable statement furniture for conscious living spaces. Award-winning design meets everyday functionality.
Explore CollectionInterviews
Design Interview
What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
Keeping things simple and honest makes for a better design than one that has too much things going on.
What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
I wanted to show the Philippine market that local designers and materials have great potential.
How long did it take you to design this particular concept?
from concept to actual product took about 4-5 months.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- Legacy meets contemporary. Grace meets strength. Sweeping curves seamlessly merge with striking lines. Rattan, a pliant material commonly used in indigenous Philippine furniture, gets a modern upgrade when paired with a solid metal frame. This chair's form and weave pay tribute to the rich history of the material and the artisans that have crafted pieces from it, while breaking away from tradition just enough to create a statement.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 640mm width x 850mm depth x 830mm height
- Tags
- haleiwa, chair, rattan, woven, handmade, indigenous
- Production Technology
- Rattan is a sustainable material commonly used for weaving due to its durability. A cantilever design would not have been practical, and thus metal framing was used to add stability. As a nod to the handwoven rattan, the metal was manually bent to shape.
- Design Challenge
- Stability was a key concern. The width of the legs that connect the base to the seat posed a challenge. The design of a triangular base was the solution that balanced the structural and aesthetic. Internal support placement also posed a challenge since the design shows all of its skeletal composition. The supports had to be created and then strategically located in order to maximize stability, while being as inconspicuous as possible.
- Research
- The research focus for the Haleiwa was on the balance and stability based on its unconventional form. The optimum placements of supports and dimensions of elements were studied and tested throughout the prototyping period.
- Inspiration
- This piece was inspired by the concept of balance. The balance between strength and fluidity, modern and traditional, complexity and simplicity.
- Project Duration
- The chair was conceptualized in August 2019 and prototype finished October 2019. Designed and manufactured in Manila, Philippines
- Operation Flow
- The chair is wide enough for the user to sit comfortably in any position. Cushions are also provided for additional ease and comfort without distracting from the visual impact.
- Team Members
- Melissa Mae Tan
- Image Credits
- All images: Photographer Berwin Coroza, 2020
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