Foster + Partners "pushes the boundaries of what plywood can do" with Isokon furniture

British studio Foster + Partners Industrial Design has collaborated with furniture brand Isokon on Join, a plywood collection launched during this year's London Design Festival.

The collection includes a series of tables, a lounge chair and a footstool and is made from plywood – a material that Isokon specialises in.

"The collaboration with Isokon has been a celebration of craft, production expertise, and shared values," said Foster + Partners head of industrial design Mike Holland.

"Working closely with the team, we were able to push the boundaries of what plywood can do – structurally, visually, and ergonomically," he continued.  "Join is a reflection of the precise and technical design and making process."

The lounge chair was inspired by folding techniques and made from veneered timber. The material was cut into a pattern that mimics a "trouser" shape, before being pressed to create the chair's ergonomic shape.

The "legs" of the trousers, seen upside down, form the back of the chair, leaving a central slit that creates a subtle design detail.

The lounge chair comes with legs made from either matching plywood or metal tube, and can be given an optional padded seat for added comfort.

Foster + Partners Industrial Design also created a Join footstool that matches the geometric shape of the chair and has the same options for the legs, as well as three round tables that come in three different diameters proportional to their heights.

At the centre, they have a hidden lift-up to hide the cables and plugs that can be housed within the single table leg.

The collection was designed to be used in commercial as well as residential spaces and comes in oak, birch, walnut and stained finishes.

While Foster + Partners is best known for its architectural design, its industrial design studio has previously created a "highly functional" bird feeder that was designed to reduce disease transmission and is set to launch wearable technology and consumer electronics.

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