Elisava + USM Design for Future Needs

For over fifty years, USM Modular Furniture has offered timeless, high-quality modular furniture designs suitable for both home and office environments. One of the company’s signature lines, USM Haller, stands out for its adaptability, retrocompatibility and aesthetic, achieved with just a few basic elements. Recognised as a design classic, it is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, confirming its artistic character.

As part of their Final Degree Projects, five students from Elisava’s Design and Industrial Design Engineering Degrees reimagined new applications for this renowned system in a free and creative way. Over the past year, they engaged in extensive research into the brand’s history and the possibilities of its steel modular design. Collaborating closely with the USM Modular Furniture team and Elisava tutors Luis Eslava (Elisava), and Germán Ortiz (USM Modular Furniture), they developed innovative furniture solutions to address contemporary domestic and workplace needs.

Their reinterpretations expand the functionalities of the system, introducing workstations, seats and lighting accessories to enhance comfortability. The projects range from versatile workstations that balance concentration and dynamism with adjustable dividers; to seatings that offer moments of relaxation in office spaces; and solutions that enhance USM Haller lighting by transforming it into a warm, ambient light.

The result is a collection of projects that celebrate the iconic design of USM Modular Furniture by embracing its adaptability to address future challenges in home and office environments. Through lighting, seating and workstation solutions, the body of work explores the concept of comfort as it reflects the innovative vision of a new generation of designers.