Stephens Philips (ARUP) was sure that he wanted to design an easy to use, compact and versatile seating and he couldn’t do better.  The result is HANDY Stool, manufactured by Sellex, a multifunctional stool that fits perfectly in every type of facility and has different applications, because it can be used as seating or as auxiliary table. It can be used in offices as auxiliary work chair for short time periods, but also it can be placed in rest areas, a hotel hall or even in its own rooms. And we could list over and over.

The HANDY designer, Stephen Philips, and his team of engineers of ARUP used modelling tools to optimise the structure, form and materials of the stool in order to get HANDY to be a “friendly product” to equip all type of environments. This part of the process allowed Stephen Philips to perfect some of the details as the size of the glides, the form of the edge of the Pad and the geometry of the seat in general, so as to be easy to lift and stack. “I wanted to create a refined, sculptural shape, with a lightweight and dynamic feel and to use a single material for the structure” - claims the designer.

This material was polypropylene and it was not chosen by chance. Polypropylene adds the functional values that were searched and provides the product with durability. By them side, the glides, that are wider on purpose to spread the load and to protect the floor, they are made of thermo-plastic elastomer, a material very similar to polypropylene. These two components are joined in a way that, at the end of the product life cycle, can be separated, recycled and/or re-used. It is under consideration a version that re-uses recycled polypropylene.

Customize your HANDY Stool

Although HANDY Stool is manufactured in polypropylene, Sellex offers a wide range of finishes so as to customize the stool as we wish, looking for the design that best fits the environment of the space to be equipped.

There is an option of adding the Wooden Pad (oak, walnut or beech) or the stuffed and upholstered Pad, having the possibility of choosing among any of the upholstery colours offered in the range.

Without the upholstery Pad, the stool can be used as auxiliary table, other evidence of the multifunctionality of HANDY.

Stackable, lightweight and practical

The main advantage of HANDY Stool is that it is stackable on ground up to 20 units. This feature makes it even more practical. “Because it is a stackable stool, it works well for flexible multi-purpose spaces. For instance, a coffee shop where conferences are organized”, points out Stephen. The same happens in work spaces. If you need to meet with a workmate, you could sit comfortably in the stool and afterwards keep it stacked saving space.

Its easy use and its lightweight are other highlighted features. HANDY Stool weight is only 3,3 kg which allows moving it from one side to another. Regarding its dimensions, as the designer says, it is designed with the same height as a standard chair.

As a novelty, HANDY Stool offers a space underneath the seat that can be used to tuck any bulk (bag, rucksack and so on) and, in this way, keep our belongings controlled.   

The perfect team

For the ARUP designer, working with Sellex has been an “inspiring opportunity” and a “real challenge”. “I have admired for a long time their refined products, as the renowned AERO Bench, one of the most beautiful and technically advanced seats”, says.

By its side, Sellex point out the “professionality and closeness” of Stephen Philips. The product development process is usually long and it involves challenges. From the first moment a “great connexion between both teams” was created. This connexion was key for Sellex and it helped “an easy relationship” during all the process. The good reception of HANDY is the result of this “tight collaboration, implication and mutual admiration”

 

About Sellex

Sellex, founded in San Sebastián (Spain) in 1977, is dedicated to honest design furniture for public spaces. It collaborates with internationally renowned designers to develop versatile, functional and durable solutions. With more than 3,000 installations, it is present in over 40 countries, integrating eco-design into its processes. Its Beyond Design philosophy understands design as a timeless, technical and sustainable response to contemporary needs.

About Stephen Philips

Stephen Philips leads the product design team at Arup in London, an international engineering and design firm founded in 1946. With more than 25 years of experience in human-centred design, he joined Arup in 2008. He has developed projects for London’s transport network, efficient lighting systems and sustainable solutions. His work has been recognised with awards such as Red Dot, iF and the German Design Council. He is the author of The Industrial Resolution.

About ARUP

ARUP is a multidisciplinary design and engineering company, which was founded in 1946 and has a big international prestige. The ARUP team has collaborated with some of the most innovative architects of the world in projects such as the Sydney Opera House, the Pompidou Centre in Paris and the Beijing National Stadium. There are near one hundred offices of ARUP distributed in more than thirty countries in America, Oceania, Eastern Asia, Middle East and Africa.