goats on furniture getbock bench by fredrik karlsson

‘getbock bench’ by fredrik karlssonimage © designboom

ten students of the wood oriented furniture design course at HDK steneby in sweden were asked to come up with ways in which to help and support local businesses through design. collaborating together with unlikely partners – dalsspira goat milk dairy factory and supplier näsbön nöt & get – they have collectively conceived ‘goats on furniture‘, a grouping of unique objects which they presentedat the 2013 stockholm furniture fair within the greenhouse program – a venue for young designers to exhibit their work to manufacturers and industry professionals.

as part of the development of their work, the students spoke with farmers who explained the behaviours of the animals, which ultimately informed their creative decisions. fredrik karlsson’s ‘getbock bench’ has been made through the interaction of the goats in which he has madeuse of the fact that they enjoy eating bark. he designed a bench system whose main components are two steel pipe constructions which act as braces in which to place a series of logs that form the sitting platform. ‘getbock’ is then left within the goats’ habitat on the farm, where they are able to feast on the bark of the birch wood employed in the furniture piece, feeding while also contributing to the overall aesthetics of karlsson’s work.

up close of the metal component image © designboom

the bench is left within the goats’ habitat on the farm where they are able to feast on the bark, contributing to the furniture’s overall aestheticimage © designboom

‘the making of’ the getbock bench by fredrik karlssonvideo courtesy of fredrik karlsson