Ivy Lee Jia Xin

Class of 2017

Final Year Project(s)


Transformable furniture at NTU ADM Portfolio

Buaian chair is a transformable furniture for users of all age groups. Designed to be a cradle, it allows the user to change the configuration into an armchair when the child grows. Generally, people tend to dismiss cradles when not needed anymore to prevent clutter. Buaian chair is designed to last and to remain in the family as an important piece of furniture and as a valuable memory.

This piece of furniture is made primarily out of bamboo, rattan and plywood. The concept behind the choice of materials is to create a furniture which carries tradition and modernity. Bamboo and rattan were traditionally a popular choice in the region for their durability while plywood is the favored option today for the industrial and the sustainable aspects of the material. These choices signify a shift towards being environmentally friendly.

Similarly, the name “Buaian” adopts the idea of traditional and modern-day elements. “Buaian” is a Malay word for cradle. With the increasing use of English in the population, the English language can be considered as an element of modernity while the conventional Malay language is a mother tongue that is only used natively, giving it a sense of tradition around it.

Selected Coursework(s)