Seance: A Parametric Urban Furniture Redefining Modular Architecture

Seance is a groundbreaking design project by Sneha Yerunkar that redefines the relationship between design and construction through the power of computational architecture. Rooted in a parametric design approach, Seance demonstrates how modular furniture can radically manipulate the built environment of urban habitats while remaining affordable, adaptable, and scalable.

The Parametric Approach

The core idea behind Seance lies in parametric design, a computational method that allows architects and designers to establish algorithmic relations between forms, functions, and arrangements. Instead of being site-specific or limited in application, Seance is conceived as a flexible modular architecture system that responds to various urban contexts.

Through parametric modeling, the design achieves:

• Algorithmic flexibility across scales and arrangements.
• Structural adaptability to steps, platforms, and irregular surfaces.
• A balance between aesthetic elegance and functional utility.

Modular Urban Furniture for Dynamic Cities

Seance is not just furniture—it is modular urban architecture in motion. The project fragments its structure into modules that can be arranged in countless ways. This adaptability allows the furniture to respond to changes in topography, site levels, and activity patterns.

Key features of the modular system include:

• Multi-functionality: The modules cater to different activities such as seating, lounging, and informal interactions.
• Scalability: They can expand or shrink depending on the needs of the site.
• Non-site specificity: Unlike traditional urban furniture, Seance can be installed across diverse contexts, from steps and plazas to open courtyards and parks.
• Affordability: Modular fragmentation makes the design economical, encouraging large-scale urban implementation.

Design and Construction Innovation

By re-evaluating the relationship between design and construction, Seance integrates computational design logic with practical materiality. Wooden planks paired with structural frames allow each module to achieve strength, ergonomics, and durability.

The project exemplifies how parametric urban furniture can:

• Adapt to both vertical and horizontal urban surfaces.
• Create engaging social zones in leftover urban spaces.
• Encourage interaction by transforming transitional spaces like staircases into vibrant communal hubs.

Towards a Future of Adaptive Architecture

Seance represents a future-forward architectural strategy, where urban furniture is no longer static but adaptive, affordable, and designed for evolving human needs. Its parametric, modular design establishes a new narrative for how cities can embrace responsive architecture—one that seamlessly integrates design, function, and community well-being.

In essence, Seance blurs the boundaries between furniture and architecture, offering a parametric, modular, and affordable solution that transforms urban steps and platforms into thriving spaces of interaction.