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Nao Iyama

Chelsea College of Arts

Product & Furniture Design BA (Hons)

Third-year student of BA product and furniture design at UAL Chelsea College of Arts. A video of me fixing the clamps on the wall is on my Instagram, please check it.

Website

Shelving Clamps

Category: Furniture

Competitions: Home Competition [Now Closed]

Shelving Clamps are wooden clamps that hold a foam to put objects on like a shelf. They can clamp down other materials such as a wooden board, metal and glass sheet. However, the uncertainty of using foam as a shelf top is the main concept of the product. The uncommon way of material selection makes people think of utility and materiality. It can be assembled by only hand because the clamps don't have glue or any metallic parts. Two screws and a saddle clip are required to fix a single clamp to the wall. All materials are wood offcuts from the wood workshop such as Beech, Oak, Pine, and Sapele wood. Different combinations of many kinds of wood have a certain educational purpose which allows users to feel the textures and see the colours of a variety of wood. One of the reasons why foam was chosen as the shelf top was that it can act as cushioning to deliver the product safely without extra cost for bubble wrap or something else. The rectangular foam and the packaging rolls around the parts of the clamps to protect them from damage during delivery. This packaging design is completely opposite of the idea of flat packaging, but it has different positive effects. Users don’t need to use the foam for the shelf top. It can be replaced with anything by their creativity as well as clamps can possibly be used for other purposes.

Working with our partners at Arts Thread to develop lifelong learning and career opportunities for students of fashion and design. Our partnership provides the opportunity to compete on a world stage, participate in industry led workshops, set up an outstanding portfolio and gain access to the resources that will kickstart careers in fashion and design.