'Hare and Ke' is a concept of time and space defined by a Japanese folklorist in the 1930s to describe a traditional view of the world. ‘Hare’ is a word for special days and places used for celebratory events and ‘Ke’ refers to an ordinary everyday life. 

Events like trade shows, should come under 'Hare' and materials used for these events should also be equivalent to these 'Hare' occasions. However, these days trade shows and exhibitions happen every year, in the same locations, with very similar participants and they start to feel mundane and could almost fall into 'Ke'. 

The client is a manufacturer of construction materials which are normally hidden behind the surface, such as MDF, chipboard and hollow core planks, and are commonly used across building sites, these materials may be defined as 'Ke'. The manufacture also makes surface products, such as floor finishes, kitchen worktops and decorative surface panels available in thousands of choices, which are normally exhibited at 'Hare' occasions, like exhibitions and trade shows.

For this project we challenged the 'Hare' occasion with 'Ke' materials, not to be cynical, but to stimulate and create a contrast in the context and importantly to appreciate how materials defined as 'Ke' support our everyday life.  

We created a space representing a living environment; living room, dining, kitchen and study/bedroom, all made in materials normally behind the surface, MDF and chipboard, all left exposed. The other surface products such as floor finishes, kitchen worktop and decorative panels are concealed within a digital environment. 

The visitor will have an understanding of both environments when they wear virtual reality goggles and can enjoy choosing from thousands of surfaces and applying them to the virtual living environment which corresponds to the living environment made of the exposed materials.

Our stand is totally demountable and can be reassembled in just one and half days for a show.

The 72 individual pieces are light enough to be handled, transported and erected by two people using simple tools.

11,000 trade shows are held each year in Europe and the majority of them last for a duration of from just 3 days and up to one week with each exhibitor disposing of their exhibits after one occasion.

Considering the amount of wastage each year, it is our hope that our 'Ke' approach may be an alternative to the mundane 'Hare' situation of these trade show environments.

After London the stand will travel to Europe for other shows starting in Poland with 4Design Days in Katowice http://www.4dd.pl and then to Poznian at Arena Design http://www.arenadesign.pl and later to the Netherlands.