January 16, 2012, Updated September 11, 2012

Bezalel Academy of Arts student Arthur Brutter is up for one of the design world’s most prestigious prizes for his earthquake-protection school desk. The desk is among the nominees in the furniture category at the 2012 Brit Insurance Designs of the Year award, organized by the Design Museum London.

Photo by Oded Antman

Brutter designed the desk under the guidance of Ido Bruno as a final project for the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design’s industrial design program.

The British competition is the Design Museum’s annual “exploration of the most innovative, interesting and forward-looking work in design of all kinds, from around the world.” A winner for each category will be selected and one overall winner is awarded Design of the Year.

Brutter’s metal and wood desk is designed to absorb some of the force of an earthquake. The desk is also designed to fracture in specific places and break away from the people using it as protective head cover.

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