corda II
rowing & cable machine
Spring 2024— Trend Studio
Rowing is one of the most effective full-body exercises and one of the most ignored. This project reimagines the rowing machine for where people often work out in tight time frames: at home.
Problem
Rowing machines are built for gyms, not homes. As urban living spaces shrink and at-home workouts become a daily ritual, the category hasn't kept up. Bulky, intimidating, and visually out of place.
Insight
People want equipment that earns its footprint. A device that serves more than one purpose doesn't just save space, it justifies the investment and removes the mental friction of committing to a large machine.
Intent
Inspired by the minimal aesthetic of pilates equipment, a light, reflective color helps the machine blend into the home rather than dominate it. When stored, the footplate and seat slide on top of each other, leaving a clean facade. A side interface handles power, cable weight, and mode switching, while the companion app owns progress tracking and the on-device screen stays intentionally sparse so that the focus stays on the movement.
Solution
A 2-in-1 machine that pairs the full-body cardio of rowing with the targeted training of a cable system, designed to belong in a living room as much as a gym. Every touchpoint, from the side controls to the app to the on-screen display, is considered to keep the experience approachable and the space feeling like a home.
