London, United Kingdom – September 13, 2022 – Pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, innovative design studio Duffy London exclusively unveils its newest sculptural furniture piece, the DUNE coffee table, 3D printed using black quartz sand.
Following on from Duffy’s hand-sculpted and CNC’d marble table designs for Civilization and Monument Valley, this is the design studio’s first foray into large-scale 3D printed sand furniture, created in partnership with the German manufacturer SANDHELDEN. Like many Duffy London designs, the finished piece is as much statement as it is functional furniture, captivating the essence of the desert with its incredible fluidity and movement.
A PERFECT MEDIUM FOR SCULPTURAL FURNITURE
Inspired by the wave-like patterns of sweeping sand dunes, the table is brought to life in a rough, yet premium feel black or natural sand finish, paired with a thick glass tabletop to give a sense of grandeur to the finished piece. For designer and founder Christopher Duffy ‘the very touch and feel, not to mention the surprising weightiness of this medium is similar in some of its qualities to marble.’
With many of the free-flowing twists and distortions of the table base proving difficult to achieve in other manufacturing processes, founder Christopher Duffy and the design team required a premium material and process that could match the artistic, concept-driven designs.
“We are passionate about discovering and working with new mediums, so are thrilled to reveal our new DUNE Table. Working with Sandhelden, we’ve been able to understand the beauty and versatility of 3D printing with sand.
Our designs can be twisted on their heads, scaled up and formed as larger furniture pieces and sculptural forms. It looks alluring, it captivates, and it feels both weighty and tactile to the touch. We are already starting to explore future concepts and special editions, so this is only the beginning…”, Christopher Duffy, Founder, Duffy London.
BLOWING APART THE DESIGN BRIEF
Using a 3D printed sand approach enables total flexibility and allows for a consistent, free-flowing design to emerge, all while also using a premium quality material that couldn’t be more in line with the table’s original inspiration. ‘Having the ability to achieve the finest details, down to the millimetre, and watching a permanent form emerge from a great mound made up of millions of sand particles was so inspiring to me.’
With so many design concepts often compromised due to the lack of material or inadequate manufacturing process available to create them, 3D printing in sand opens a new realm of possibility for Chris and the team
“I love all aspects of innovation in design and manufacturing, and this is no different. By 3D printing in actual quartz sand, we are getting as close as we can be to mirroring the concept for the DUNE Table. It’s really exciting to us as a studio as it completely blows apart the conventional design brief.” – Christopher Duffy, Founder, Duffy London
The level of precision – down to the millimetre – even allows duffy london to incorporate features into the design such as the inlay for etched stainless steel authenticity plates and smaller inlays for the placement of rubber dots supporting the table-top.
“It’s just the beginning, We intend to offer special editions of some of our existing catalogue in this finish as we like it so much – imagine an Abyss made of sand!”, Christopher Duffy, Founder, Duffy London
MINIMAL CARBON FOOTPRINT
Sandhelden’s 3D printing technique includes binder jetting which uses locally sourced quartz sand from Bavaria. As its grain shape is edgier, it allows the binder to pass smoothly through every layer of sand.
40% more economical than other 3D printing processes, excess unbounded material is reused and binders are also made from locally sourced renewable materials including corn husks, rice hulls, sugar cane and biomaterials, with a sustainable manufacturing model too.
“In our general production, we use quartz sand as a natural resource. Additionally, we have a very strong focus on regionality. Our production facility, main partners, and suppliers are all also located in Bavaria (Germany). We even source our quartz sand from regional sources to minimize the carbon footprint.”, Laurens Faure, CEO at SANDHELDEN.
VERY MUCH THE BEGINNING
Duffy London offers a rectangular and circular variation of the coffee table for sale but will also create bespoke designs for clients as ‘this is a concept that really works and which we can twist over and over again.’
Notes to Editors
https://duffylondon.com/collections/furniture/tables/dune
https://duffylondon.com/collections/solo-collection/
https://duffylondon.com/contact/
Editions: limited to 25 editions
Dimensions: Rectangular (L) 150cm (W) 75cm (H) 40cm
Round (Ø) 110cm (H) 40cm
Finishes: Base section in 3D printed black quartz sand. Natural sand colour on request. Toughened glass
Price: £15,800 + delivery
About Duffy London
Duffy London is an acclaimed Design Studio situated in Victoria Dock, East London whose works are ideas-based, combining art and function, and playing with the concepts of gravity, geography and illusion.
The studio was founded in 2002 and is led by designer Chris Duffy, producing exciting and original pieces of furniture such as the Abyss, Swing and Megalith table ranges. Duffy London works with UK artisans and craftspeople in the UK and uses sustainable wood and other eco-friendly materials and mediums.
Duffy London pieces have featured extensively in exhibitions worldwide including at representations at Art Basel / Design Miami and PAD London. In 2019 one of Chris’s most well-received pieces, The Abyss table, was added to the permanent National collection at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs at The Louvre in Paris.
Media Contact
Company Name: Duffy London
Contact Person: Adam Lawrence – Manager of Operations
Email: Send Email
Phone: 07837 180 847
Address:Workshop 2, The Silver Building, 60 Dock Rd
City: London, E16 1YZ
Country: United Kingdom
Website: www.duffylondon.com
