Bijan Shafei Chairs, Bijan Shafei

Project Name: Heyran chair & Showan armchair \ Company: Architect -B- Design
Lead Architects: Bijan Shafei, Nahid Beryani
Design Team: Arsine Keshishians, Maryam Badiei
Photographer: Mehrdad Daftari
Website: www.7avadesign.com 
Instagram: @Architect_B_design

in the ancient civilizations of Iran, the chair has always had a special place and meaning. Probably the most telling image is the sculptural scene in the Museum of Ancient Iran, in which the king Darius leans on a royal chair and rests his feet on a wooden stool. In this engraving, the full details of the chair and the stool can be seen and studied. The production of chairs and furniture in the era of change and in the contemporary era based on visual documents dates back to about 150 years ago based on visual documents. Armenian carpenters in Jolfa made chairs, tables and sofas from walnut and sycamore wood.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the presence of an architect for designing a building led some architects, including Paul Abkar, to pay special attention to the subject of interior architecture and furniture design, and to design some chairs in their works. In addition to making wooden doors and windows, artistically-inclined carpenters were responsible for making all kinds of furniture for a new life style that was recently introduced. Later, manufacturers and craftsmen made furniture based on the patterns of classic and modern chairs that were imported into the country, but in the process of their production, they paid less attention to the subject of “chair design” and even in educational and academic environments this was not studied.
Bijan Shafei is an architect who is not content with mere creativity in the field of architecture. Two decades ago, in a creative process, he pursued his innovations in interior architecture and furniture design. 8 years ago, using the properties of bamboo with its endless possibilities, Shafei paid special attention to sensory, psychological, ergonomic, aesthetic factors and sustainable architecture. It was in the designers’ salon of “Maison&Object Paris” that he turned his thoughts and dreams into new experiences and marked a new beginning in furniture design in Iran by designing his own chairs.
The architectural office of Bijan Shafei and Nahid Beryani, which has 27 years of activity in the field of architecture and interior architecture, has designed and produced various types of furniture and interior spaces for the requirements of office projects. During past eight years they have done extensive research in the field of furniture on “engineered bamboo” and has made bamboo the main material for the design and production of furniture to adapt to the environment and the greenness of the product. in East Asian contries Bamboo has been used in the traditional way in the field of furniture in East Asian countries, but “engineered bamboo” due to its resistence and flexibility has played a special role in the production of various wood products. It is hoped that the window that these designers have opened in this field will be supported and evaluated by cultural, artistic and educational institutions.