2024
LOOP CHAIR
Loop Chair is a conceptual, lightweight seat for the next generation of short-haul flights with a ground-breaking new circular design philosophy.
Seats have an “end of life” (EOL) problem – they’re complicated, composite products, chemically bonded together. They’re very difficult to separate and recycle and the majority of parts are either incinerated or dumped in landfill.
In aviation, entire cabins are often ripped out every 5-10 years, every seat being replaced. This is a time consuming and costly process, and often results in an airline flying half the fleet with the latest, cutting edge seating, and the other half with some battered yesterday models.
Loop Chair addresses both of these problems with an ingenious, patent-pending design.
Modularity
At the heart of Loop Chair is a patent-pending modularity system – every passenger-facing element, from the seat cushions to the IFE, is attached to a simple structural frame by mechanical fastenings.
The frame is designed to stay with the aircraft for successive retrofits and every other part can be upgraded as and when needed. During aircraft downtime such as a C-check, the seats could be removed, upgraded and re-installed quickly and easily.
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The seat can therefore be changed to follow the latest sustainable technology, customer trends or technological advances without being ripped out and replaced. This dramatically reduces aircraft downtime, allows airlines to stay ahead of trends and helps reduce waste.
Circularity
The design concept opens up true circularity - every individual part can be removed, separated, and then be repaired, recycled or even reused, no more large bonded assemblies or unknown materials.
New operating models such as this will be vital to the industry’s net-zero commitments and challenge the conventional, unsustainable, rip-out and replace business model.
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Airlines could quickly and easily create different seat classes from the same frame, and during aircraft down time could even switch YC to PYC as demand changes over time.
Sustainable Materials
The beauty of Loop Chair is that it’s a system not a product, and so it’s not tied to any one material or technology. As technology evolves, so can the seat. So if a new lightweight cushion is developed, or a higher definition screen, or a special lightweight table - they can be easily swapped in.
The initial version of product, as we’ve visualised, has a small table, a simple 3D knitted literature pocket and 100% recycled wool dress covers, with a frame made from recycled aluminium. All deigned to keep the environmental footprint to a minimum.
Every material is visible and tactile, emotionally connecting the passenger to the seat through this honesty.
Forward thinking
With this modularity comes a radical idea - what if only the structural frame of the seat is owned by the airline, and the rest of the parts are leased from the manufacturer?
A take back scheme then means that all materials are returned to the original creator and can remain in their high-value state, being refurbished, re-leased or recycled.
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Keeping aviation's specialised and high value materials in circulation is key to the circular economy working in this sector.
Challenging the accepted aesthetic
Loop Chair’s striking aesthetic nods to iconic furniture designs of the past, with simple, separate parts and mono-materials.
The minimalist design means every element is either structural or functional, with no unnecessary clutter, creating a slimline and refined design. The number of moving parts is kept to an absolute minimum, meaning less weight and fewer maintenance issues.
Summary
Loop Chair showcases Studio ID's approach by rethinking the systems that underpin current cabins and designing with circularity at the forefront of every decision, creating a new, beautifully simple design for passenger seating.