Starting today, a new kind of outdoor room with associated furniture is being tested at the University of Gävle. The products are produced by a Gävle-based designer with the help of money from Vinnova and Akademiska Hus.
"The Whale" is a kind of pergola with interior design that has been developed by Lovisa Pettersson, a former industrial design student from the University of Gävle.
There is room for around 20 people inside The Whale and the idea is that people can meet here for meetings or lectures - outdoors. Inside the outdoor room there is also a new type of hybrid table - "The Ant" - which can be used both as a standing table and to lean against.
An innovative product that will get better with time
Until now, The Whale has not been tested as an educational environment. The designer Lovisa Pettersson would therefore like to have input from the university's lecturers and students to see how the room can be developed.
- I look forward to seeing students and teachers start using this. A test bed is incredibly important to see that what we have developed actually solves the problem and the need on site. We can think, ponder and come up with guesses, but it is only when it is tested and used that we actually find out what works well and what works less well, says Lovisa Pettersson.
The Whale will not have full accessibility status. There is no hearing loop and the path to the classroom is plain grass.