The AA Stool is the lovely result of a collaboration between Torafu Architects and the Ishinomaki Laboratory, a platform that brings together creators in one of the hardest-hit areas during last year's earthquake and tsunami, Ishinomaki in Miyagi Prefecture.

Based on the concept of sideways stacking, each stool is made up of 2x4 cedar wood modules that when fitted together form a "crossed-leg" structure, a little like an open stepladder. Each unit is sold as two stools that when standing side by side look like two A's in profile — hence the name.

The beauty is not only in their simplicity but also in their function — when multiple stools are stacked side by side you end up with what amounts to a solid bench.