Better Factory is a program by the European Commission. Design studio Enrichers works with furniture manufacturer Antares Romania to develop strategies to make their portfolio more circular. How do you design an office chair without glue or staples? And how can the variety of materials be minimized?
Deconstructable and the inflated chair for circular economy
Govert Flint from design studio Enrichers is investigating for furniture manufacturer Antares how they can prepare their office furniture for a circular economy. Various strategies have been devised and tested.
NUDE is an office chair that exhibits every material that is used. By strapping the fabric to the seat with a cord, the foam is sandwiched to the seat. It replaces staples and glue to spare the components when it needs to be taken apart.
AIR is a chair that minimized material use in mass. When materials are recycled, it often required energy, for example to melt something into a raw amterial again. The less materials we use, the smaller its footprint on energy. Besides, an inflatable is easier to flat-package, reducing volume of transport. Last but not least, air is a beautiful material for keeping the body active while sitting.
SPRING is a chair made from a single material. It is extruded from two sheets. With a powerful hobby like kite surfing the sheets can be extruded into a chair volume.