The Private Office

Building on the success of the initial 3D-printed sit-stand desk, Formative 3D partnered with Pump to extend this manufacturing approach across a custom private office furniture collection. The full private office collection included a hanging cabinet, wardrobe, and two unique lower cabinets.

Each new piece introduced its own engineering challenges from the sit-stand desk. The team developed solutions for attaching cabinet doors to 3D-printed frames while maintaining the adjustability needed for precise door alignment. Design features were also integrated to securely latch the doors, control opening and closing motion, and limit travel.

For the hanging cabinets and wardrobe, Pump developed mounting solutions capable of securely supporting large, heavy 3D-printed furniture while integrating cleanly with the large-format printed features and providing a robust connection to existing wall construction.

Pump also developed a tool-less drawer slide system that simplified installation and removal. This reduced assembly time while making the furniture easier to disassemble at the end of life for recycling or single-stream disposal. The removable slide system also enables the drawer slides to be reused in future furniture assemblies.

The team developed solutions and built several rounds of prototypes to refine the design. In collaboration with Formative 3D, we also developed manufacturing processes for post-processing the printed parts to prepare them for production. Lastly, we completed several rounds of testing and iterative design improvements, resulting in furniture designs that met the industry standards established by the Business + Institutional Furniture Manufacturer’s Association (BIFMA).