Urban denizens with a passion for boating come across a series of dilemmas when wanting to invest in a sea vessel of their own – where to park it, how to tow it, and not to mention how to afford it in the first place. A creative collaboration between Max Frommeld and Arno Mathies, maarno has designed a folding boat, and a folding sledge, made from a standard sheet of plastic. Inspired by a paper-folding workshop in which a single sheet was used to create several shapes, the pair embarked on a journey of exploration on a larger scale, using plastic as the medium. Together they dreamed up the folding boat, eliminating the transportation, storage and assemblage issues that come with a fiberglass vessel.

The folding rowing boat is made of a single sheet of folded plastic, and can be assembled by a single person in less than five minutes. Alike to the sledge, it is suitable for up to two people, and is designed for urban water environments like lakes, ponds and canals. In a natural continuation on from the initial project, the sledge is the second project envisaged by Max and Arno that utilises their origami folding skills.