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After Living in Tiny NYC Apartment, Australian Industrial Designer Invents Folding Stairs (and Furniture)

By Rain Noe - February 12, 2019

in Furniture Design

As a furniture design student living in New York City, Zev Bianchi found the space constraints rather different than what he was used to in his native Australia. This "living in high priced and confined conditions," Bianchi writes, "was where I developed my passion, partly out of necessity, to design furniture and products to help create the best living environment in the least space."

After returning to Australia and gaining a degree in Industrial Design, Bianchi set up shop as BCompact Design. The firm now manufactures and sells his folding staircase designs:

via Gfycat

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He's also designed a leather and bamboo chair that folds flat and can be hung on a wall:

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The video below shows both of these in action. (Note that whomever transcribed Bianchi's words misunderstood "kerf cutting" as "curve cutting.")

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While either of these two designs might be enough to hang one's hat on, Bianchi has bigger aims, and is running a full-fledged ID consultancy that does lighting, products, furniture and interiors. Check out more of his stuff here.

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Andrew Robinson

6 months ago

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BCompact's foldable staircase proved to be the perfect addition to our ADU in Southern California. Their blend of sustainability and precision craftsmanship aligned seamlessly with our eco-conscious lifestyle. Not only did they optimize our limited space, but their sleek design added a touch of modern elegance to our living space. If you're looking for a sustainable solution that combines functionality with style, I highly recommend looking into Bcompact.

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Zev Bianchi

5 years ago

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Thanks Rain, really nice write up, cheers, Zev

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Peter Wachter

5 years ago

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Gives me goosebumps. So much more than struggling to eliminate details on enclosures for portable electronics. Well done. This elevates the breadth of our profession. Flat pack shipping too. Must give those IKEA folks a bit of a lift, as it were.

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