Words by Rita Lobo
There is joy in simplicity. For over 50 years Swiss modular furniture maker USM has worked hard at achieving it in its products and conveying it through ingenious design – as Fritz Haller, one of USM’s seminal designers, was fond of saying: “Simplicity is not just a word.”
A USM worker carefully slides the drawers into place
Indeed, there is something almost mythical about a modular system so simple that it can be configured as anything from a shelving unit, to a desk, to a closet, to an entire pavilion. But, as the designer implies, simplicity is the payoff in a process that involves creativity, ingenuity and attention to detail.
The cornerstone of USM design is a humble ball joint. The chrome-plated steel bearing has six holes into which steel rods can be screwed. Colourful coated steel or glass plates are then fitted into the frame, and that’s it. At its most basic it can be a shelving unit, at its most sophisticated it is limitless. Over the years accessories like sliding doors, drawers, light fittings and electrical sockets have been added to the menu, but the ball joint, metal rods and colourful panels – and the infinite combination of these three movable parts – are the key components in USM’s flagship Haller system.
The rolling hills outside Bern, Switzerland, are almost an incongruous location for such a hi-tech operation, but USM’s Münsingen HQ is the beating heart of the company, and a reflection of its philosophy. Most of the pieces are manufactured or finished on site, in an efficient, low-waste process. A lot of the company’s R&D goes into making its products better, to increase product life cycles, or to make the facilities more efficient. It’s partly a drive for productivity, but as a design company USM is not in the business of launching new products with every change of the leaves; innovation should always serve a purpose or respond to market demands. “What we’re interested in is longevity,” says managing director Thomas Dienes. “We’re not interested in short-term solutions. We’re looking at the long-term, and by long term it’s minimum 10, 20 or 30 years. All of the pieces are reconfigurable.”