A Simple Machine: furniture designed to bring movement and momentum
A Simple Machine by Dutch design studio Heijltjes+Akkaya was born from the duo’s experience in trying to improve our way of working
A Simple Machine redefines what it means to stay active at work. There’s nothing complicated about keeping fit and healthy while working — change posture, keep moving, take regular breaks. Simple, right? Yet most of us still don’t. We, too, know the back-aching reality of spending long hours glued to a chair. Staying active is essential, but it requires intention.
Traditional office seating is designed to keep you seated. No ergonomic chair can undo poor posture or the strain of prolonged stillness. Standing desks help by encouraging movement between sitting and standing, yet many contradict their own purpose — relying on slow, motorized adjustments triggered by the press of a button, rather than truly promoting an active mindset.
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Failing to find fitting solutions in current work furniture, Heijltjes+Akkaya was curious what would effectively stimulate people to have a more active workday.
A Simple Machine is furniture that invites active working. The motion of the user is mimicked in the moving parts and transformation of the objects; functional and transparent furniture pieces that reflect activity in appearance and interaction.
With A Simple Machine, the company combines ergonomics and engineering to promote physical activity in the workplace or at home. Its pulleys, weights and levers, powered by human energy, enable a new working rhythm. Counterweight Table and Gas Spring Table are almost inside-out constructions from folded steel and industrial parts, designed to last multiple lifetimes.
For Counterweight Table, a cylindrical counterweight balances the mass of the tabletop and its frame, resulting in a floating surface that can be fixed at any desired height. A custom magazine holding extra weights offers the option of altering the counterweight and balancing a heavier load on the table.
Gas Spring Table uses a lever and gas spring to press a wheel along the underside of the aluminum tabletop – creating a weightless work surface. Moving the tabletop is done by effortlessly pushing it up or down.
The Hour Stool is a complementary object to use as a seat for the Counterweight or Gas Spring Table, or for any other table or working surface. Archetypical in shape, even somewhat spartan in appearance, the Stool is designed for an active posture and regular switching between sitting and standing. Changing height is done by simply turning the seat.
