Arcal Series — Seating for Common Areas
Contemporary furniture design for waiting areas in aluminum and biomaterial
context
Arcal Series is a product design and furniture design project for common areas developed by ROJOmandarina in collaboration with Kabuki Contemporary Crafts. It is conceived as a furniture line for waiting spaces, designed for indoor and outdoor environments such as coworking spaces, clinics, or boutique hotels.
The project stems from a shared search: finding a concept that would represent both authors from their origins, Ronda (Málaga) and Jaén. From this territorial connection, the design develops through the relationship between form, material, and process, within the context of contemporary furniture design.
Client: Own project / Research
Year: 2025
Capabilities: product design, industrial design, research, craftsmanship, prototyping, 3D printing
Sector: furniture / craftsmanship / hospitality / contract
challenge
Before designing the object, the first challenge was to define a common concept. Following this process, the arch is identified as a shared element between both contexts, present in the Puente Nuevo in Ronda and in the Cathedral of Jaén.
The challenge consisted of translating that geometry, characteristic of Andalusian architecture, into a furniture system without resorting to a literal reproduction. At the same time, a biomaterial had to be incorporated into a functional piece, resolving its application in curved forms and its constructive viability.
solution
The arch is incorporated as a design logic, not as a decorative motif. It is used to structure the piece and define its proportion, generating a system of supports and voids that organizes the object.
The development of the biomaterial—based on recycled paper and lime—conditions the solution. To work with its curved forms, specific molds are designed using 3D printing in PLA, which allow control of the material and ensure its repeatability.
The structure is resolved in aluminum, which acts as a counterpoint. Its smooth and precise surface provides stability and lightness, and reinforces a contemporary reading of the whole. Its recyclable condition also introduces a dimension of continuity over time.
From the design perspective, both materials dialogue: the biomaterial, lime white, evokes Andalusian facades and defines contact, texture, and perception; while aluminum resolves the structure and provides precision, lightness, and clarity.
result
The result is a piece where the concept is integrated into the form without needing explanation. A seat whose design is intended for waiting and common spaces where geometry, material, and use work coherently.
A furniture design proposal that translates Andalusian architectural references to object scale through design decisions incorporating the sustainability of biomaterial and aluminum.
KEY FEATURES
Search for a common concept between Ronda and Jaén
Use of the arch as concept and design logic
Reference to Andalusian architecture: arches and whitewashed facades
Development and application of biomaterial (recycled paper and lime)
Molds manufactured using 3D printing in PLA
Lightweight, precise, and recyclable aluminum structure
Contrast between textured surface and smooth surface
Furniture design for waiting spaces
Suitable for indoor and outdoor use (contract sector)
