Enrique Tovar designs portable Nōmada desk for working outside of the office

Mexican architect Enrique Tovar has designed a desk for post-coronavirus work environments that folds up so it can be carried to different locations.

Nōmada was created earlier this year and has assumed a greater relevancy as people left their offices to work from home in response to the global pandemic.

Its name stems from the latin word nomadis referencing the flexible nature of the design and its ability to be easily transported.

"With a large part of the world population working from home or having to guarantee social distancing measures in their office, this piece of furniture offers an answer to the current situation," Tovar, who is founder of Etov Studio, said.

"Nōmada from Latin nomadis is a nomadic piece of furniture designed as a neologism adapted to the temporality and the spatiality of new labor trends, made for flexible living, collaborative spaces, shared economies, and digital nomads," he added.

Its recycled oak wood frame comprises two pairs of legs and crossbar board that join to form the base. A white laminated polymer slab attaches on top of the wood frame to create a flat work surface.

To transport the desk the legs and the boards fit into its bottom. A rounded handle placed in the front is used to lift and carry the compact volume.

All of the joints on the desk detach from one another so it can be disassembled and transported in just a few minutes.

The design is also modular and can be arranged alongside others of its kind in configurations that, according to the architect, meet the social distancing guidelines recommended by the CDC.

In lieu of paper, users can scribble notes directly on the laminate top which is designed to accommodate water-based markers that wash away with a single swipe. Several compartments for storing the user's objects and desk supplies are located on the right side of the table top.

Tovar hopes the design challenges the definition of a typical office and suggests that a desk no longer has to be located inside a building, but instead can be set up in any environment, including the outdoors.

"Nōmada arises in response to the global context, raises the possibility that the office of the future may be located inside a corporate building, or why not? in an open green field," the designer said.

Tovar is an architect for Mexico City's Esrawe Studio and recently founded his own practice Etov Studio, which he used to design and launch the desk.

A number of architects, designers and organisations have put forth plans and guidelines for the reopening offices following the pandemic, including four proposals by Woods Bagot that merge working from home and office and a toolkit created by the AIA.

Danish startup Stykka designed a desk for working from home that can be constructed using just three pieces of cardboard.

Photography is by Enrique Tovar.

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