FFF (Foam Follows Function)1

The F.F.F (Foam Follows Function) collection represents the origin of the studio’s long-term research into the "taming" of industrial materials. Initiated in 2015, the project began when the studio was invited by the Nieuwe Instituut (Rotterdam) to intervene in its foyer. The design team took this opportunity to deconstruct the materials of the textile and upholstery industry, focusing on the raw potential of expanded foam. By stripping away the layers of conventional furniture, the studio aimed to explore a more fluid and honest method of reaching function through pure morphology.

The conceptual trigger for F.F.F. was a radical "hack" of Dutch design history. The team took the classic Martin Visser chairs from a local cafeteria, removed their leather upholstery, and used the remaining skeletal metallic structures as a frame for experimentation. Into these frames, the studio embedded long blocks of industrial foam, originally sourced in standard Dutch dimensions (2x2x16 meters). This process was a provocative approach to the "idea" of a chair: the result was visually striking and suggestive, yet it intentionally challenged the traditional proportions and ergonomics of seating, prioritizing the raw dialogue between the colorful foam and the rigid steel.

Technically, the collection evolved from these initial prototypes into a more refined series of armchairs and benches. After their debut at the Nieuwe Instituut’s Temporary Fashion Museum and Dutch Design Week, the studio collaborated with PlusDesign Gallery (Milan) to extend the research into larger formats. A key technical focus during this period was the stabilization of the material; the design team investigated ways to prevent the chemical and color degradation typical of industrial foam when exposed to light and air. This meticulous attention to the "social life" and durability of a supposedly disposable material became a hallmark of the project.

As a foundational milestone, F.F.F. laid the groundwork for all subsequent "Compressed Foam" (C.F.) and "Bent Foam, Metal Frame" (B.F.M.F.) collections, including the studio's global commissions for ON Running. It remains a definitive example of the team’s ability to find "delicious and suggestive morphologies" within the surplus of the industrial world, proving that function can follow the inherent logic of a material when it is freed from the constraints of traditional craftsmanship.