A Foldable Boat

Arno Mathies and Max Frommeld, two recent graduates from London’s Royal College of Art, take flexibility to the max. The product designers created the so-called Foldboat, a seamless, hard shell folding boat made of one single sheet of plastic. Able to carry two people, the neatly designed dark-gray rowing boat is especially designed for flat water environments like canals and lakes. According to Mathies and Frommeld, the Foldboat easily fits in the boot of a car:

“The novelty of its design are the durable live hinges of the plastic core material which permits the 2,50 m vessel to be packed and stored into a small parcel of 150 cm x 60 cm. The product targets an outdoor activity market for water lovers, campers, and potential boat owners restricted by storage space. As a secondary market this product has applications for NGO’s responding to natural disasters.”

The designers explain that the idea for the boat came up during a paper-folding workshop that focused on generating 3D forms out of 2D drawings. The Foldboat is currently available for £ 800. The ‘Dock Edition’ of the boat was presented at the London Design Festival 2011, which is taking place between 17 and 24 September. Click here for more information and photos of the Foldboat.

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