Origami-Inspired Furniture Makes Small Spaces Roomy

As a former New York City resident and incidental claustrophobic, I understand the drawbacks of urban living.

And so does Ori, Inc., maker of robotic furniture that folds, slides, and shifts to accommodate small spaces.

The Massachusetts-based firm boasts two intelligent, responsive systems—Ori Full and Ori Queen—on display in apartments across 10 North American cities.

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See what the adaptive appliances can do at Chicago’s MODE Logan Square Apartments; Bridge Park in Columbus, Ohio; New York City’s The Eugene building; and Bluesky Chinatown up in Vancouver.

Ori has also partnered with real-estate developers in Harrison, NJ; Miami; Seattle; Washington, D.C.; San Francisco; and its hometown of Boston to showcase its high-tech designs.

A full- or queen-sized bedroom can, for example, quickly transform your cramped co-op into a comfortable living room, spacious walk-in closet, or functional office, depending on your needs.

Using the Ori control interface on the side of the unit, the companion mobile app (for iOS and Android), or Amazon Alexa voice controls, users can alter the room’s aesthetic and function with the touch of a button.

A built-in controller makes it easy to reconfigure the room in seconds (via Ori, Inc.)

Have friends coming over to watch the game? Planning a romantic dinner for two? Want to stretch out during your daily yoga routine? Just tap to reconfigure.

In the event of a power cut, simply manually push or pull the system as needed.

With only two attachment points—a linear track taped to the floor, and an AC plug connection—the flat-packed systems are assembled on site and aim to leave a minimal footprint.

“Ori Technology animates the furniture, walls and other parts of the living space in ways that maximize space, comfort, and living,” CEO Hasier Larrea said in a statement.

A desk becomes a dining table becomes anything you want (via Ori, Inc.)

An initial production run of 1,200 systems is now open for pre-order, exclusively by large-scale development companies; the product is expected to begin shipping later this year.

Interested homeowners and renters, meanwhile, can join Ori’s VIP list to receive updates about future availability.

“This first family of systems is just one of many applications of Ori Technology,” Larrea said. “We will continue to explore more spatial challenges and create new families of Ori systems for a variety of interior settings.”

Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Aug. 17 to reflect a change to Ori’s San Francisco building location.

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