INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER AND FOUNDER OF WONDER FACILITY
In a time when all it takes to be considered a smart product is an app or wi-Fi compatibility, a smart home collection that stays loyal to its analogue roots will naturally raise eyebrows.
The design world fell in love with Olivia lee’s the Athena Collection when it was showcased at the prestigious Salone del mobile furniture fair in April. The 10-piece furniture and decor collection presents itself as solutions to technology-related habits – the altar vanity is to be used with accessories like smartphone holders (as you diligently follow that youtube makeup tutorial), while the arena rug has tactile details that help virtual-reality gaming enthusiasts sense their way through virtual and physical spaces.
But the Athena Collection is not Olivia’s first feat. The 32-year-old Central Saint Martins graduate runs an eponymous interdisciplinary studio and also founded wonder Facility (pictured, opposite), a communal space for creatives to collaborate as well as have the privacy to work on their prototypes.
The 1,000sqf facility in UBI, Singapore, is a bright and airy space, fitted with utilitarian storage systems and designed to accommodate workshops and collaborative projects.
We chat with its introspective founder to find out more about her.
The Olivia lee studio prides itself on its research-informed designs. Which behavioural trends informed the Athena collection?
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