Up-Cycling a Mercedes Benz Seat
The Mercedes Benz Couch was a project to explore the possibilities of up-cycling car parts. So I found a rear seat from a late 70’s Mercedes Benz that had to be saved and turned into a functional product. So I decided it would be best suited to become a couch. I researched different car couch designs, sketched out designs, and built a prototype.
Through building the prototype I found some design flaws in the ergonomics and size of the couch which made it difficult to move it through doorways. Then I found a rear seat from a Land Rover. I built a couch frame that was very narrow and could easily fit through doorways. The couch could also fold down.
Then I proceeded to redesign the original Mercedes Benz Couch frame to resolve these issues. After the new design was finished, I acquired a rear seat from 86 535i BMW and I repeated the couch design.
My Design Process
- Define the Problem: Cars in junkyards have useful interior parts going to waste.
- Further Define: Up-Cycle a Rear Seat into a Couch
- Research: Car Couch Designs
- Define Design: Ergonomic Dimensions
- Ideate: Generate Concept Sketches
- Prototype: Faults Discovered = to wide to fit through door ways easily and users feet couldn’t touch the floor while sitting.
- Determine Final Concept & Detailed Design
- Implement: Build Detailed Design
- Test Design: Proved to be ergonomic and easily moved through out a home
- Iterate: Repeat & Refine the Design
See Full Project Here: https://www.behance.net/gallery/55679005/Mercedes-Benz-Couch