Ann Arbor, MI (2023)

In 2023, In Parallel Architects + Builders collaborated with the fashion and lifestyle brand One DNA to produce a collection of multipurpose furniture pieces for the One DNA boutique in Ann Arbor, MI. Designed to enable continuous reconfiguration of a modest retail space, the project leverages the versatility of the box pedestal at two different scales to support not only the functions of display and transaction, but to make possible any number of improvised uses.

The materials and finishes of the furniture complement the minimal, but materially-conscious space, while remaining conscientious of a budget that accommodates reproducibility and scalability. The plywood body features a warm, expressive wood grain while painted white top panels offer a frame that highlights objects of display. 

The smaller of the two furniture objects, a slightly-squat cube, acts like a spatial unit, implying a “voxel-like” grid within the rectangular bounds of the site. Produced as a set of six, the collection of these pieces can be arrayed as a field condition of low platforms, consolidated into banks or daises, distributed as seating, or stacked into terraced displays. 

The larger objects, a pair of four-sided podia, accommodate the body as standing-height counters. Their scale builds off of the unit of the smaller object at a 1:2:2 ratio, integrating into systems of configuration as larger anchors, while retaining a consideration of the human-scale.

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This project was completed in collaboration with:

Kasey Vliet - Principal in Charge, Project Manager
Joel Masinde - Carpentry / Fabrication
Cody England - Carpentry / Fabrication

One DNA - Design Collaboration

Construction Team: In Parallel Architects + Builders, LLC

Jane Messinger Photography - Finished Photography