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To those passionate about origami, the Japanese art of paper folding, the practice is about much more than killing time with a dollar during long flights.
That passion is what’s behind Ori, a robotic furniture company in the business of perfecting and re-arranging small living spaces, and a spin-out from MIT Media Lab in Boston.
The Saez-Fromm Team at Corcoran in New York has recently listed the third apartment in the city to leverage one of the company’s automated, shape-shifting armoires, which can be voice controlled via Amazon’s Echo or Google Home.
At 645 square feet and listed at $1,368,000, apartment 4a at 222 West 14th Street is a one-bedroom, one-bath condo centered around the Ori. On the surface, it resembles a modernist piece of multi-function dorm furniture.
However, under the unassuming collection of cabinets, media center space and storage nooks, the Ori reveals a queen-size bed at the touch of a button or request of a connected smart home appliance.
One side of it functions as a dresser and wardrobe, under which the bed rests, and the other side serves as the work space.
Via voice or central button panel on the Ori, owners can command it to launch bed mode, lounge mode to slide out of the way, or wardrobe mode to light cabinets and storage spaces. Combinations of settings can be set to launch using the Ori app for iOS or Android.
Founder and CEO of Ori, Inc, Hasier Larrea, said his company is trying to solve the problem of a growing population overlapping with less available urban living space.
“Society must find ways of making urban living environments more flexible, adaptable and functional,” Larrea said to Inman in an email. “The response from both tenants and commercial real estate developers has been incredibly positive.”
The Ori is fastened to and slides along a track bolted to its closest wall. Prices start around $10,000.
While the apartment isn’t quite as small as the LE2 unit Corcoran’s Jerrie Butler has recently listed, it’s no doubt a testament to how sleek, home-focused technology products are making small spaces feel big.
The rest of the unit, located in The Sequoia, is elegantly equipped, showcasing oak flooring from wall-to-wall, a gas fireplace with stone surround, stainless steel Bosch appliances, abundant lighting and a bathroom with granite, custom cabinets and a rainfall shower.
According to Corcoran, to date, Ori systems have been installed primarily in larger, luxury studio developments in the city, such as The Eugene near Hudson Yards.
After launching its first commercial units in May, Larrea told Inman that builders have placed orders for Ori systems in more than 20 projects in Boston, New York City, Washington, DC, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle.
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