NUA vol. 2 x VIVITA
VIVITA is a global not for profit organisation committed to creating a future where children and youth are confident in their own ideas, and are self-directed in their learning. VIVITA believes children and youth have good ideas and an innate curiosity that can be nurtured and developed in the right environment. By removing the limits of a structured curriculum and letting children and youth exercise their agency, VIVITA is crafting a space where the young are free to experiment and explore different ideas which will build a community of self-directed, creative learners who explore new skills without the fear of failure.
All photos in this project were taken by yours truly unless otherwise stated. Although there are quite a lot of photos documenting this project, I hope that you would enjoy going on this journey together with the Vivinauts!
The 'NUA' vol. 2 collaboration with VIVITA aimed to enable the Vivinauts to create their own accessories to make their new space more comfy and welcoming; for them to be able to nua in their very own ways at The Cocoon.
The initial 'NUA' collection was inspired by the "no backbone" behaviour that we Gen Zs are known for. The fluidity of the unconventional seating creates a form and function that is defined by its user, for the behaviour we Singaporeans affectionately know as nuaing — reflecting our informal way of living.
session highlights
To kick off the project, the Vivinauts observed how they nua-ed in the new space.
The Vivinauts then gathered these observations and put their heads together, taking to the floor to re-enact the poses they observed in order to better empathise with their friends — how can they create something to make resting in The Cocoon more comfortable?
Based on the insights they gathered, the Vivinauts embarked on making their first dirty prototypes and got their first taste of sewing using the sewing machine!
After getting the hang of the machine by making scaled prototypes, the Vivinauts jumped into making their first life-sized prototype! Based on their initial prototypes, we printed scaled up versions to create a life-sized template to allow the Vivinauts to work with the fabric more easily.
The Vivinauts filled their prototype with different types of recycled fillings and tried them in The Cocoon space, gathering feedback from their friends to improve their design!
After a few demanding sessions, the Vivinauts finally reached their first milestone of the project — completing their life-size prototypes!
After learning about moodboards and finding some inspiration, the Vivinauts gathered to pick out colours and materials that would suit both the existing environment and their tastes, and embarked on their final prototype!
Some of the fabric we used was graciously sponsored by @thefabricmarketplace. Do check them out on Instagram!
In this project, we wanted to focus on bringing the Vivinauts’ personalities into The Cocoon space to make it theirs — at the same time cultivating a sense of ownership and belonging.
Behold — the final collection! It was not an easy task for the Vivinauts, but it was definitely important to have fun along the way!
As the project comes to an end, I would like to thank the VIVITA team, volunteers and the Vivinauts for their hard work and patience throughout this project! Working with the Vivinauts has truly been an eye opening and precious experience for me; I’ve learnt a lot from them and it has been a truly humbling experience for me.
