BAY Collection, designed by Sò Studio, is the second object we have explored in product design as an interior design studio, in association with Exxon Mobil Corporation, one of the world’s largest publicly traded international oil and gas companies. 

Innovation:
Sò studio has the same research-based approach on interdisciplinary design, which originates from our immediate surroundings. We often apply materials that are not often used to different types and scales of projects. At the same time, through the research on materials, we continue to make new challenges towards material processing. By putting together different plastic leftovers and re-molding to produce the BAY Chair, we aim to make a brand-new, environment-friendly chair to realize certain kind of re-forming in a sustainable way. Meanwhile, we hope to continue to do what we love through product design, constantly challenge and redefine the use of recycle materials in design. 

Creativity:
While designing the BAY Collection, we have employed the sculpture language to form its figure, endowing the chair with “pinching-from-earth” visual effect. The soft lines of BAY, like the soil rooted in the earth, convey a sense of purity, and express our appreciation towards earth and environmental protection. The design also draws inspirations from sculpture works of Henry Moore, of which the embracing curve, shaped like a hug, inserting a warm feeling to the chair. Combined with PP (polypropylene) and PE (polyethylene) plastics, BAY encompass a -not-very-smooth touch with granular texture, which is also to show the unique texture of earth and sand on the surface of the chair. 

Functionality:
Initially, our idea is to make BAY chair also suitable for public activities and outdoor installations, enriching its functionality and publicity. The final treatment of the chair appears to mould from the earth, expressing our initiative of celebrating the earth. In terms of the material, we have chosen the recycle plastic to make our efforts in sustainability, bringing forth new ideas, new creations. 

Sustainability:
In consideration of sustainability, we aspire to present the material with “a second life” by re-integrating the plastics, easily found everywhere, into people’s daily life in a new way and form. Many goods get energy from the earth. We also hope to maximize the usage of recycled plastics through product design, at some point, giving back the courtesy to earth and call for an environment-friendly and healthy lifestyle through design.