SHARE - english version

SCANDINAVIAN BUSINESS SEATING COMPANY MAGAZINE. SUMMER 2015

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THE HOLISTIC APPROACHTO ERGONOMICS

28THE ENCHANTEDOFFICE

THE FUTURE IS URBAN IN THE HEART OFDÜSSELDORF

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highlights:

THEGREEN ROOM DESIGNED FOR THE FUTURE

TESTING,TESTING THE WHITE GOLD

EDITORIAL OFFICE

Scandinavian Business Seating ASFridtjof Nansens vei 12

P.o Box 5055 MajorstuenNO-0301 Oslo, Norway

Tel: +47 22 59 59 [email protected]

PUBLISHED BY STYRKPUBLISH

SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Niels HøeghFOTOS Svein Utigard

Pål Laukli/TinagentAndreas Høegh

Kristian Pohl

SHARE is published twice a year on behalf ofScandinavian Business Seating by Styrk Publish. All

material is strictly copyright and all rights arereserved. No part of this publication may be re-

produced in whole or in part without written permis-sion of the copyright holder. Opinions expressed in

SHARE are not necessarily those of ScandinavianBusiness Seating.

EDITOR Eirik Kristensen

SCANDINAVIAN BUSINESS SEATINGCOMPANY MAGAZINE. SUMMER 2015


GRØNT PUNKT

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EDITOR’S NOTE

RECENTLY, I HELD A PRESENTATION FOR OURDEALER NETWORK IN NORWAY. I HAD PREPAREDMYSELF WELL, AND I WENT ALONG TALKINGABOUT DESIGN AND ERGONOMICS, QUALITYAND ENVIRONMENT. OUR CORNERSTONES.

veryone was nodding,and i got the feeling thetopics went down well.

When the presentation came toa close, i got my applause andintroduced the next speaker.søren holmgren. he is Danish,a two time Olymic Championand twice awarded as salesmanof the Year for iBM – and, he isblind. he started with a laugh andasked the dealers in the au-dience to try and sell him agood looking chair. they alllooked down. søren laughedagain and told them not tobother. ‘You can’t, unless youtell me the design story andwhich benefits i can expect toget out of the chair’.

THE LOOKS OF a chair was notthat important for him, but theergonomic benefits was. Veryimportant. in every room. Every

day. Always. in fact, as he says,there should be no reason to sitpoorly. Regardless of whichroom you chose to work in. hewould not accept that a chair

should be less ergonomic orless comfortable, just becausesomeone told him to step out-side the cell office and join ameeting in a room called ‘mee-ting room’. For him all roomsare black, and they are just

rooms. he was right. Of course he isright. i learned something thatday.

I THINK STORIES like this areworth while sharing. sharing isan excellent way of buildingknowledge and to learn moreabout each other. sharing isgood. sharing makes us betterhumans and better equippedto sell what we know. Quitesimply because we understandmore of what we sell.

I HOPE this magazine will helpus all in building extendedknowledge about our industry,and to see more about what’sgoing on – and i really hope youwill give us your honestfeedback. i also hope that youwill give us a few pointers ongood stories that’s worthsharing. Big or small. if you

think it’s interesting, then restassured somebody else willthink the same.

I TRULY HOPE this magazineenables you to get inspired toread more, but also to get in-spired to share your own storiesand ideas. scandinavian Business seatingcommunicates on many plat-forms, and this magazine is achannel for communicationwhich aims to go a bit more indepth, and to share thesestories with you. We will pick afew stories, a few dealers thathas done something great, afew topics that we all can learnsomething from - and thenwrite about them. that’s where ibelieve shARE magazine willhave it’s mission. Please take some time to sitback and relax, and enjoyshARE.

E‘SHARING IS

AN EXCELLENT WAYOF BUILDING

KNOWLEDGE AND TO LEARN MORE

ABOUT EACH OTHER.SHARING IS GOOD.’

BY EiRiK KRistENsEN


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In April we were invited by the Norwegian fashion institute to join the NordicCouncil of Ministers mee-ting in Copenhagen. The focus was on the future forsustainable fashion and textile.The event combined the Nordicregion’s long tradition for sus-tainability with the aesthetics ofScandinavian design andincluded the launch of a newAction Plan for Sustainable Fas-hion and Textile for the Nordicregion enacted by the NordicMinisters for the Environment. We participated in a press eventcalled Nordic Bazaar, anexhibition and market place for cutting edge Nordicenvironmental sustainability solutions in the fashion and textileindustry, where we highlighted the Norwegian Wool project andour sustainability work.During the day, press and people from the meeting visited thebooths. Even the Swedish Minister of Environment came by andhad a talk with Pernille Jensen Stoltze.

SMALL TALK

uPDAtEs FROM Rh

At RH, the marketingdepartment is working onproducing new material, and onupdating the web. Among otherthings, there will be new photosof how to adjust RH Extend andother models, and finalization ofthe RH Factsheet.

EPRO AWARDIn March2015, HÅGCapiscoentered thecompetitionfor the Best Recycled PlasticProduct Award, organized byEPRO, the European Associationof Plastics Recycling andRecovery Organisations. Out of22 participants, HÅG Capiscowas selected as a finalist with twoother products:- The railway plastic ties from theGerman PAV GmbH & Co KG(www.pav-recyclate.de), madefrom 65-85% recycled HDPEand glass-fibre 15-35%

‘Our focus on the environmentis extremely profitable, andthus comprises an importantpart of our strategy. We makethe most environmentallyfriendly chairs in the world,’says Lars I. Røiri, ManagingDirector of ScandinavianBusiness Seating.SB Seating received the ‘BestRecycled Product 2015’ awardfrom the European Associationof Plastics Recycling &Recovery Organisations(EPRO).‘There are few companies in theworld who work so whole-heartedly with the environmentand recycling as we do atScandinavian Business Seating.The manufacturer follows aCradle to Cradle philosophy inwhich source-sorting andrecycling is arranged for all theparts in each chair,’ says Manag-ing Director Jaana Røine ofGreen Dot, which is one of the19 partner organisations be-longing to EPROWhile all the plastic in the HÅGCapisco is recycled, the sameapplies for 90 percent of thealuminium parts. The officechair contains no substancesthat are harmful to theenvironment, and no parts areglued together. The latterfeature means that at the endof its lifetime, the chair can bedismantled and recycled in thecourse of a few minutes, andwithout special tools.‘The climate footprint of thechairs in the HÅG line is 50percent less than those of ourcompetitors. We make themthis way because theenvironment is a goal in its ownright with us. Regard for theenvironment is foremost everytime we develop a new product.It is easy to make a chair that issimply aesthetically appealing,

or comfortable, orenvironmentally friendly. Butour chairs must meet all threeof these criteria,’ says ChristianLodgaard, VP of Developmentat Scandinavian BusinessSeating.Environmental requirementsposed by customers Jaana Røine of Green Dot be-lieves that the Norwegianbusiness community canachieve much by following theexample of ScandinavianBusiness Seating.‘Customers are becoming moreconscientious and havecontinually increasingexpectations of theenvironmental profiles of theproducts they purchase.Scandinavian Business Seatingshows us how commitments torecycling and recovery neednot only look good in the annualreport, but actually are capableof creating fantasticcommercial opportunities bothin Norway and abroad,’ saysRøine.

NEW shOWROOMiN Nässjö

This Spring we have done aMakeover of our Showroom inNässjö. The layout presents ourproducts based on the design weused at Stockholm Furniture Fair,where we focused on our Col-laboration conceptOur products are presented in‘real’ environments and ourBrands in combination with eachother. Welcome to our newShowroom!

NORDiC COuNCil OF MiNistERs

NORWEgiAN FuRNituREPiONEER WiNs iNtERNAtiONAlENViRONMENtAl PRizEThe wholly green Norwegian office chair, HÅGCapisco, has been proclaimed Europe's bestrecycled plastic product in 2015. The chair can bedismantled and recycled with a few simple steps.


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All research show that regular movement duringthe day, also while sitting is the key to a good work-ing situation and to avoid pain. The study clearlyshows that very few have knowledge of how youcan avoid physical problems in sedentary officejobs. Furthermore every other person pausesrarely or only a few times a day, despite the factthat people on average spend more than 6 hours aday sitting still at their desk. And although many,especially in the Nordic countries, have access toheight-adjustable table, there are few who use theopportunity to occasionally stand up and work.The study also shows that 3 out of 4 of those withsedentary office job experience that the discom-fort in shoulders; back and neck disappear whenthey go on holiday.

Other interesting findings from the study:• As many as one out of four office employees no longer have their own workplace in the office.• People with sedentary office jobs are exercising less frequently than average.

• Every 5th workplace rarely have common coffee breaks• 40% of Europeans are eating lunch at their desk several days a week

Scandinavian Business Seating has in consultationwith ergonomists and physical therapistsdeveloped five simple tips on how to improvehealth and reduce work related pain for those withsedentary jobs:1. Read the instructions for your chair and learn how to adjust it2. Unlock the tilting function 3. Make sure your chair helps you to sit upright4. Do not sit still!5. Get up and move at least once every hour

The survey, conducted in December 2014, five Eu-ropean markets, Sweden, Denmark, Norway,Germany and France, was made through an onlinepanel with a total of 1500 respondents. The targetaudience is men and women between the age of20 and 60 with sedentary office job.

uPDAtEs FROM RBM

RBM will have a brand newcatalogue after the summer,containing an inspirationalsection, and a section coveringall products in our portfolio. Product sheets will be made asa 4 page production for eachproduct. In adition, fact sheetswith in-depth information willalso be made. Further, a brandnew brochure for tables will beready during the summer. Thiswill show new colours on topsand legs, and tables in col-laboration with chairs in varioussettings.

NEW sChOOl CAMPAigN

During the fall and comingyears, we will put a lot of effortin to marketing our selvestowards the school sector. Thisis a huge market, and we feelthat we have much to gain fromputting work in to this area.Education is a prioritized sectorfrom the governments on manyof the European markets. Forexample, in Norway, thegovernment will spend aorund€1 billion over the coming fouryears in building schools. We have produced newmarketing material aimed at theeducation sector. It will be ahelp for all of us in our contactwith schools, universities etc.

SMALL TALK

56% OF thE PEOPlE WithsEDENtARY jOBs suFFER FROMNECK AND BACK PAiNsA study on the habits of people with sedentary office job, conducted byScandinavian Business Seating, shows that as many as 56% of those whohave sedentary jobs have problems with pain, particularly in the back, neckand shoulders.


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‘A high-quality,ergonomic office chair,reliable deliveries fromthe very first day, long-term supplier supportand maintenance, and asupplier who quickly res-ponds to our wishes,were all decisive factorswhen we opted forScandinavian BusinessSeating (SB Seating) as abusiness partner for oneof our recent prestigiousprojects in London.

s a business, we wantrepeat business fromour clients, so we must

ensure that we have businesspartners who help us achievethat aim,’ says Emily West,designer at M Moser As-sociates in london.

THE PRESTIGIOUS project sheis referring to is the delivery ofoffice chairs to an insurancecompany which has just movedinto the iconic new leadenhallBuilding (the Cheesegrater)office building in centrallondon.the collaboration with MMoser, a company specialisingin architecture and interiordesign for workplaces, is agood example of the successof the reorganisation of sBseating’s sales and marketing,which is now producingtangible results. M Moser, withits 720 staff and 15 offices inAsia and the usA, has its head

office in hong Kong, the starting point for the pres-tigious project for the insurancecompany was the company’sstrong emphasis on the factthat their 100 employees re-present a unique environmentwhere most of them sit formany hours in front of betweentwo and six PC screens each.

– MY CLIENT’S employeeswork very long days, so wewanted to ensure they were in-vesting in a high-qualityergonomic chair. the client’semployees soon voted the

hÅg h09 as the clear winner,but with the aid of aphysiotherapist and hsE re-presentatives, we also tested alarge number of office chairsfrom other suppliers. thechoice was made solely on thebasis of comfort, ergonomicsand quality, and sB seating waschosen as our supplier,’ saysWest, who stresses that theclient is very pleased with theoffice chairs that they chose.

– I WOULD therefore have nohesitation in involving sBseating in future projects. We

have found the company quickto respond to our wishes andrequirements. they are alsogood at identifying the rightproduct in relation to the pricelevel we are working with,which demonstrates that thecompany has established avariety of brands and productsfor different market segments.they also help us as regardseffective pricing, product infor-mation, product samples andtraining for both ourselves andour clients, all of which hasproven to be incrediblyvaluable,’ says West.

PREstigiOusPROjECtiN lONDON

A

f ‘A high-QuAlitY,ERgONOMiC OFFiCE ChAiR,REliABlE DEliVERiEs FROMthE VERY FiRst DAY, lONg-tERM suPPliER suPPORtAND MAiNtENANCE, AND AsuPPliER WhO QuiCKlYREsPONDs tO OuR WishEs,WERE All DECisiVEFACtORs WhEN WE OPtEDFOR sCANDiNAViANBusiNEss sEAtiNg (sBsEAtiNg) As A BusiNEssPARtNER FOR ONE OF OuRRECENt PREstigiOusPROjECts iN lONDON.‘


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CLERKENWELLDESIGN WEEK

SCANDINAVIAN BUSINESS SEATING SEE

500 PEOPLE THROUGH ITS DOORS AT CLERKENWELL DESIGN WEEK 2015CLERKENWELL IS HOME TO MORE CREATIVE BUSINESSESAND ARCHITECTS PER SQUARE MILE THAN ANYWHEREELSE ON THE PLANET, MAKING IT TRULY ONE OF THEMOST IMPORTANT DESIGN HUBS IN THE WORLD. READ MORE>>


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Celebrating its 6th year in May 2015 (19-21) the award-winning Clerkenwell DesignWeek has firmly established itself as theuK’s leading independent design festivaland annually attracts the internationaldesign community to this small area oflondon for three days of exciting events.Along with 86 other showroomsscandinavian Business seating became apartner of the festival hosting 12 differenttalks, seminars and events during the fes-tival, these events brought 490 peoplethough the showrooms doors. the eventtopics ranged from interior design toergonomics and wellbeing. scandinavianBusiness seating (sB seating) also laun-ched the Norwegian Wool Fabric range tothe uK audience.

the dynamic installation Agora on thegreen, attracted the attention from theinternational press already previous to theopening. Being the charity partner of this year’sClerkenwell Design Week, architectureNgO Article 25 had partnered with RBM, abrand of sB seating, to create Agora onthe green. the installation, designed byRuss and henshaw, set out to revitalize andreanimate the under-used public square ofClerkenwell green, which is the heart of theneighborhood. –We wanted to transform the forgottenspace into a modern-day agora and invitethe public to gather and interact with thespace, the installation and each other, uKMarketing and showroom Manager, stacey

turner says. Agora on the green is a representation ofhow innovative design can reinvigoratepublic spaces and bring communitiescloser together. – Our approach is shared with RBM, wework in areas that need to be revitalised,not to just offer a temporary solution butsomething that will last once we’re gone.With further support like this from thedesign industry, Article 25 can increase itscapacity to reach those communities inmost need. We are proud to be the charitypartner of Clerkenwell Design Week,Robin Cross, Managing Director of Article 25, says.

THE CONCEPT IS inspired by both thework of Article 25, which brings life toplaces and communities in need, andRBM’s philosophy to ‘vitalise space andrelations.’– the philosophy of the RBM brand is anengaging concept which forms a strongstandpoint for the design of our furniture.

f tO CElEBRAtE this RiCh AND DiVERsE COMMuNitY, ClERKENWEllDEsigN WEEK hAs CREAtED A shOWCAsE OF lEADiNg uK ANDiNtERNAtiONAl BRANDs AND COMPANiEs PREsENtED iN A sERiEs OF shOWROOM EVENts, POP-uP ExhiBitiONs AND sPECiAl iNstAllAtiONs thAt tAKE PlACE ACROss thE AREA.


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the verb ‘vitalise’ is defined as ‘to givelife…or to animate’. Of course this linksin fantastically with the work of Article25 and we are very pleased to bepartnering with them to revitalise theonce buzzing Clerkenwell green forClerkenwell Design Week, says jorgenjosefsson, Managing Director, sBseating.

AGORA ON THE GREEN takes its in-spiration from Clerkenwell green’s his-tory of hosting public assemblies suchas trade union rallies and remem-brance services and is named agoraafter the Ancient greek word for‘gathering place’.

– the narrative of transformation isrealised in the installation’s design as acontinuous folding surface andengages and unifies the road-lockedsite. A seemingly endless table top isformed, punctuated with a kaleidos-cope of colourful RBM Noor chairs. >>


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PICTURES: PhOtOs OF sCANDiNAViAN BusiNEss sEAtiNg COME tOgEthER.

<< the geometry of thestructure’s constant surfacetwists, turns and elevatesvertically to create gateways,arches, large public ‘diningrooms’ and smaller moreintimate meeting spaces.Visitors can engage with thesprawling piece, as there willbe areas to sit, stand, and walkunder and over. this providesthe opportunity for communalgatherings and a variety ofinteractive social spaces, Crosssays.

DIRECTLY LINKED to the Agoraon the green, the sB seatingshowroom in Central street isfeaturing an interactive virtualbuild, seeing the constructingof a seismic-resistant buildingin Nepal. here the visitors willbe able to donate to the virtualbuild and watch it develop

brick by brick. Visitors will alsobe provided with Article 25and RBM colour themedstickers which they can stick onAgora on the green and leavetheir own creative touch to theinstallation.– Article 25 has recently laun-ched the Nepal ReconstructionAppeal: Building schools –Changing lives in wake of thecatastrophic disaster which hasdevastated the country. All theproceeds from the virtual buildand the art auction at theDesign for life party will bedonated to Article 25’s NepalAppeal which will go towardsfunding a long term programof resilient reconstruction inNepal, says josefsson.On the first day of theClerkenwell Design Week,Norwegian Wool was on the agenda. >>


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<< ‘FINDING THE WAY back toNorwegian wool’ was the topicas scandinavian Businessseating launched the brandnew Norwegian wool fabricrange. the story of the NorwegianWool project is about returningto local resources and bringingthe advantages and potentialof Norwegian wool back to life.And it’s a story of collaborationbetween all stages ofproduction. For many years Nordic textilemanufacturers have mostlybeen using wool from Newzealand in their textiles. Now,for the first time in 40 years, sBseating, gudbrandsdalensuldvarefabrik and sandnesgarn can jointly present acollection of Norwegian woolupholstery fabrics.

AT THE LAUNCH in England atClerkenwell Design Week,Pernille stoltze fromscandinavian Business seating,questioned why Norwegian

wool is currently an unusedpotential as a resource as wellas its possibilities andchallenges. she also high-lighted the knowledge behindthe manufacturing steps andthe importance of maintainingand strengthening thecompetence within the valuechain before it is lost. the chairs hÅg soFi, hÅgCapisco and RBM Noor werethe first to be launched withNorwegian Wool. - We discovered that almost allthe Norwegian wool scouringplants (washing facility for wool)were shut down. it meant thatNorwegian wool was sent toEngland to be scoured there,says stoltze. 85 percent of thewool never came back. thetime has come to bring thewool back to Norway!

DR MICHELLE MELLIS, seniorlecturer in sport and ExercisePhysiology and Dr zoe Ruther-ford, senior lecturer in PhysicalActivity and health, talked about

their study ‘Why workplacedesigners should beconsidering sit-stand’. theircurrent research is focused onactive working environments,with an interest in behaviourchange and improvements inemployee health profiles. in Fe-bruary 2015, they adapted theiroffice environment to adopt amore active way of workingincluding a holmris sit-standdesk and a hÅg Capisco chair.scandinavian Business seatingand svensk Form hosted adesign night powered by Pe-cha Kucha. Around 70 peoplecame along to be inspired bysome of today’s most in-fluential, and up and comingdesigners as they discussedtheir latest projects in Pecha Ku-cha 20x20 format. An eveningof thinking and drinking!

EVERY DAY at 3.30 pmonwards, the iconic hÅg Capis-co’s 30th birthday was cele-brated. All visitors at theClerkenwell Design Week were

invited to visit sB seatingsshowroom and raise a glass tohÅg Capisco. All funds raisedin the showroom will gotowards Article 25’s emergencyappeal to help those affectedby the earthquake in Nepal.With 15 showroom eventsranging from a leeds Beckettuni sit-stand case study release,emerging tech demos, to Pecha Kucha there was a lotgoing on in sB seatingsshowroom on Central street.On the last night scandinavianBusiness seating invited all ofClerkenwells guests to theDesign For life: the Party.– the final evening of the fes-tival we invited to a party tocelebrate the Agora on thegreen project with our charitypartner Article 25 andRuss+henshaw. More than 260leading architects and desig-ners attended the party thatevening. the party featured afundraising auction hosted bydesign guru, steve Edge, saysstacey turner.


DIRECTLY LINKED TOTHE AGORA ON THEGREEN. VisitORs WAsABlE tO DONAtE tO thE ViRtuAl BuilD ANDWAtCh it DEVElOPBRiCK BY BRiCK.


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reviously this year, lind-bak, Norway's biggestsupplier of office

equipment, was approached byKid interior in Drammen,Norway. the nationwide textilechain needed new chairs attheir headquarter. Afterconsulting with the experts atlindbak, Kid interior ended up

with 57 hÅg09 9220 withpolished 5-star footbase.– it really was a conclusionmade on the basis of severalinputs, says Bjørnar Davidsen,project manager at lindbak.Davidsen and jørn Dahl fromhÅg, guided the staff througha range of choices and helpedwith settings and instructions.

– All employees were allowed totest the chair before decidingwhat they preferred. the returnrate towards the hÅg chair, wassurprisingly high. some of theemployees even had positiveexperience with this particularchair from previous work places,Davidson says. the hÅg chair was also thechoice of the interior architect.

DESPITE BEING the mostexpensive chair, Kid interiorchose it for all employees. - it was the most expensive al-

ternative, but Kid interior knowhow important sitting comfor-tably throughout the day is. itreally is an investment in thefuture, says Davidson.

THE FEEDBACK from Kidinterior has been exclusivelypositive. – they’re super happy!the customer was comfortableknowing that we had the rightcompetence, and confident thatthe advice they got from us wasgood – also in hindsight. thatgives us a good feeling,Davidson says.

f KiD iNtERiOR ChOsE 57 hÅg ChAiRs FORthEiR hEADQuARtER. thE PRiORitY WAs COM-FORtABlE sittiNg, AlthOugh it WAs NOt thE ONlY REAsON FOR thEiR ChOiCE.

thEChAiROF ChOiCE

TOPDEALER

P

SUPERTEAM: (FROM lEFt) BjøRNAR DAViDsEN, MARit EiKEN AND sNORRE lANgsEth BAggED thE DEAl. KiD iNtERiOR is A NAtiONWiDE tExtilEChAiN With MORE thAN 125 WhOllY OWNED stOREs, A tOtAl tuRNOVER OF ABOut 1 BilliON NOK AND APPROxiMAtElY 900 EMPlOYEEs.


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n a life cycle assessment,the life cycle of a product isusually divided into

procurement, manufacture,use, and disposal. As the wholeproduct’s life cycle should beregarded in an integrated pers-pective, representatives fromadvance development, design,production, marketing, pur-chasing, and projectmanagement should worktogether on the Ecodesign of afurther developed or newproduct. together, they havethe best chance to predict theholistic effects of changes ofthe product and theirenvironmental impact. soundsexpensive? According toholdway it’s the opposite.– it’s a myth that you can’t beeco friendly and make money.Being good, is good business.these things are reallyinterlinked, the more efficientyou are, the less carbon printyou’ll leave behind, and themore money you’re going tosave. For every green projectthat we do, we do a cost/be-nefit overview. sometimesthere is a bit of a cost, but alsoa greater option to sell moreproducts, as the market’s

acceptability of what you dois increased. there is thatbalance, holdway says.Rob holdway is one of Britain’sleading eco-design consultantsand has written widely on sus-tainable design and has bothappeared and hosted severaltv-shows on the subject. he isco-founder and Director ofenvironmental managementconsultants giraffe. throughgiraffe he has worked with over400 companies on eco-design,in the Eu, China, hong Kongand us, identifying potentialsavings of over £75million.Clients span from Virgin groupto PC World, to j. sainsbury Plcand l’Oreal. giraffe has beendescribed as ‘one of the uK’stop green businesses’ and‘Britain’s leading eco-designconsultancy.

– Our work is about costreduction, market acceptability,complying with legislation anda creative opportunity using theenvironment, holdway says.

SCANDINAVIAN Businessseating has had the environmenton the agenda for over 25 ye-ars. During the first few years,the focus was mostly on energyefficiency and reduced use ofnon-renewable materials. inrecent years there has alsobeen much focus on chemicalsthat are hazardous to healthand the environment, and thecompany has gradually acquiredsubstantial knowledge aboutenvironmentally-friendlysolutions, materials andprocesses. the result is seen inthe present resource-efficientproducts (with a low carbon fo-otprint), containing as fewchemicals as possible, andwhich are also prepared forsimple disassembly and recycling.– the present resource-efficientproducts contain as fewchemicals as possible, have alow carbon footprint, and arealso prepared for simple disas-sembly and recycling, says Vice

President Environment Atlethiis-Messel in scandinavianBusiness seating,

FROM A LIFE cycle perspective,over 95 per cent of theenvironmental impact ofproducts occurs before thecomponents arrive at factoriesfor final assembly. this meansthat the design and const-ruction phase, as well as thechoice of supplier, are critical to a product’s environmentalperformance. Detailed data onhow the choice of material andconstruction affects theenvironmental performancehas been collated in a tool thatscandinavian Business seatingcalls their ’Eco-design tool’ .– this has become an importantaid in the development of neweco-friendly products. theenvironmental performance ofestablished products can alsobe improved. this can be done,for example, by changingmaterials, suppliers or byincreasing the percentage ofrecycled materials. several years ago, the environmentalperformance of several of ourproducts was improved byabout 30 per cent simply by

DEsigNEDFOR thEFutuRE

f ECODEsigN is AN APPROACh tO DEsigNiNgPRODuCt With sPECiAl CONsiDERAtiON FOR thEENViRONMENtAl iMPACts OF thE PRODuCt DuRiNgits WhOlE liFECYClE. ACCORDiNg tO CO-FOuNDERAND DiRECtOR OF ENViRONMENtAl MANAgEMENtCONsultANts giRAFFE, ROB hOlDWAY, ECODEsigNis AlsO gOOD FOR BusiNEss.

I

‘FOR EVERY GREEN PROJECT

THAT WE DO, WE DOA COST/BENEFITOVERVIEW.’


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moving production ofaluminum star bases fromChina to scandinavia, says thiis-Messel.At scandinavian Businessseating the experience issummarised in five focus areas:low weight, few components,high-quality materials, longservice life, and productsdesigned for disassembly andrecycling.scandinavian Business seatingis not the only company that’ssaved the environment andmoney through eco-friendlychoices. At Meridian Audio, anEnglish manufacturer of high-performance, high-fidelityaudio, providing sound systemsfor the likes of jaguar and landRover; costs were cut by 25 per

cent and carbon foot print by70 per cent, after they decidedto introduce ecodesign-solutions with the aid oggiraffe.

CHANGING HABBITS is anothergiraffe initiative. it’s aninnovative, action based pro-gramme that encourages aculture of pro-environmentalbehaviours. the habbits arehumanoid forms with bodyparts distorted relative to theenvironmental impact ofcommon activities. Each bodypart is assigned to one impact:Feet - transport; hands - homeEnergy; Mouth - Water; Bum -Waste; Belly - Food and head -

Electrical goods and the bodyparts are grown where an in-dividual’s impact is higher.the Changing habbits pro-gramme is designed to helpreduce both your own andyour business’ carbon emis-sions whilst saving money.Changing habbits has beenadopted by staff at e.g. thegreater london Authority andCanon Europe. – Over a twelve month periodemployees will be expected toengage to reduce theirhabbits. Participants will beable to recalculate theirhabbits to see the effect oftheir changes, says holdway.At At scandinavian Business

seating, Rob holdway andgiraffes philosophy findsresonance. - When it comes totask chairs, no manufacturertakes the environmental effectsof its materials and processesmore seriously thanscandinavian Business seating.As a company and amanufacturer of high-endoffice seating, we are actingnow. globally, perhaps thedifference we are making todayis modest. But our mission - asour products, name andphilosophy grow increasinglyfamiliar in the market - will helpseed other initiatives and in-spire others to change their behavior, thiis-Messel says.

‘OVER A TWELVE MONTH PERIOD

EMPLOYEES WILL BEEXPECTED TO ENGAGETO REDUCE THEIR

HABITS.’

TALKING ABOUT ECO: ROB hOlDWAY is ONE OF BRitAiN’s lEADiNg ECO-DEsigN CONsultANts.


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ur goal is to deliverperfect products, sayssenior Vice President

Products & Brand Concepts atscandinavian Business seating,Christian lodgaard.For this reason, we conductthorough tests throughout ourdevelopment processes. Wetest for all norm requirementsthat are laid out in theregulations, like stability andstrength, and that the chairswithstand a certain amount ofuses. Our commitment is toensure your complete satis-faction. Our level of technicalexpertise, combined with ourhonesty and sense of re-sponsibility, mean that you cansit comfortably every time youchoose one of our chairs. Ascandinavian Business seatingchair is built to withstand stressand to last. Most of the tests areconducted while developingproducts, but we also dorandom sample tests as well as re-certification during therunning production, sayslodgaard.the company offers 10-yearguarantees on most of theirchairs. – Moreover, most of our office

chairs are tested and approvedaccording to EN-1335. Becausewe prioritize quality and theenvironment in everything wedo, we are also certified inaccordance with isO 9001 andisO 14001, he says.

THE COMPANY is committedto being environmentally-friendly, but that also meansthey face a few otherchallenges. –When it comes to task chairs,

no manufacturer takes theenvironmental effects of itsmaterials and processes moreseriously than scandinavianBusiness seating. As acompany and a manufacturerof high-end office seating, weare acting now, and we use alot of recycled materials in ourproducts. Environmentally,that’s fantastic, but it alsomeans we have to test more touncover any variations in thequality that one can find in

recycled materials. to be surewe test all material batches, tobe sure there are noimperfections that could lowerthe quality in any areas, sayslodgaard.

WITH A 10-year guarantee,sometimes the test even needs to exceed the normrequirements. –We know from experiencethat in certain situations thechairs are used more roughlythan the norm suggests. As anexample, the edge of the seatis usually subject to more wearand tear than the rest of thechair, that means that we haveto test this part of the chairmore and with greater pressure, he says.– the Capisco chair is designedto be used in many differentways, and right now we’reconducting tests on theNorwegian wool fabrics to seehow they withstand jeansmaterial. to make sure thequality is good enough, weconduct our own tests inaddition to the Martindale tests,says Pernille jensen stoltze,textile Designer Products &Brand Concepts at sB seatings.

f iNsiDE thE OFFiCE WAlls OF sCANDiNAViAN BusiNEsssEAtiNg (sB sEAtiNg) iN RøROs YOu Will FiND thECOMPANY’s OWN tEst lABORAtORY, CERtiFiED BYNORWEgiAN ACCREDitAtiON tO PERFORM tEsts.

tEstiNg, tEstiNg

O

PiCtuREs FROM thE MARtiNDAlE tEst


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THE MARTINDALE test is ameasure of the durability of a fabric, and is also known as therub-test. the fabric being testedis pulled taut and loaded ontothe lower plates of theMartindale machine. small discsof worsted wool or wire meshare continually rubbed againstthe test specimens in a lissajousfigure – a wandering, oscillatingcircle. the fabric is continuallyinspected for wear and tear, and the test ends when twoyarns break or when there is anoticeable change inappearance.

- WE OFFER the sector’s longestguarantee, and a lot of thefurniture is used in demandingprofessional environments,some in environments with24/7-activity. to meet thisambition, we have to demandhigh quality in everything wedo, from materials anddurability to ergonomics anddesign. We constantly strive tooffer our customers work chairsand office chairs with a qualityabove their expectations, so thatthey get the most from theirchairs and feel good too, sayslodgaard.


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f THAT’S WHAT IT’S BEEN CALLED, THENORWEGIAN WOOL, THAT’S PUT WARMTHINTO NORWEGIAN BODIES THROUGHOUTHISTORY. BUT THEN, SOMETHING HAPPENED.SUDDENLY THE MANUFACTURERS CEASEDTO USE NORWEGIAN WOOL

thEWhitEgOlD


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or many years Nordic textile manufacturershave been using mostly wool from Newzealand in their textiles, says textile

Designer Products & Brand Concepts Pernillestoltze at scandinavian Business seating.however, through a trial project, stoltze foundthat not only was Norwegian wool an untappedresource, it had certain advantages compared tothe wool from New zealand.

THE STORY of the Norwegian Wool project isabout returning to local resources and bringingthe advantages and potential of Norwegian woolback to life. Now, for the first time in 40 years, scandinavianBusiness seating, gudbrandsdalens uldvarefab-rik and sandnes garn can jointly present acollection of Norwegian wool upholstery fabrics. it was the report ‘Valuing Norwegian wool’ byingun g. Klepp from the Norwegian National in-stitute for Consumer Research (siFO) that

sparked Pernille stoltzes’ interest. - the reportshowed Norwegian wool was an unexploitedresource with huge potential. We use a lot ofwool in our upholstery fabrics, and i began toask myself why all the wool we used came fromNew zealand.– As we started investigating more, we discovered that almost all the Norwegian woolscouring plants (washing facility for wool) wereshut down. it meant that Norwegian wool wassent to England to be scoured there. the Britslove Norwegian wool, which is probably one ofthe reasons most of the wool never came back toNorway, says stoltze.

TO BE EXACT, 85 percent of the wooldisappeared, and what came back was mostlyused in yarn for hand knitting and in theproduction of fabrics for the National costume,the Bunad.– We felt the time was right to start using >>

FACTS

IT TAKES AROUND 53STROKES TO CUT THE FLEECEOFF A SHEEP IN ONE PIECE.SHEEP ARE SHORN WITH ATOOL THAT LOOKS LIKE HAIRCLIPPERS.

WOOL WAX OR LANOLINKEEPS SHEEP DRY WHEN ITRAINS. WHEN WOOL IS MADEINTO YARN THE WAX ISCOLLECTED, PACKAGED ANDSOLD AS MOISTURISINGCREAM.

F


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<<Norwegian wool again. there is atrend in society for using locally made,short-travelled products, and we sawthat a few other companies around usbegan to look into Norwegian wool, andwe saw a new interest in the market touse Norwegian wool again.

SHE CONTACTEDgudbrandsdalensuldvarefabrik (gu) and together theyagreed to launch a research project tosee if it could be done at all. guinvolved sandnes garn because theywere the only ones with a wool scouringfacility in Norway.–We began testing to determine whichstructures and what kind of quality wewanted. We also sent some fabric to ourfurniture upholsterers in Røros, and werevery curious as to what the feedbackwould be. Often wool is mixed withpolyamide, but we wanted a fabric

NOT ONLY FOR CHAIRS: PERNillE stOltzE Puts NORWEgiAN WOOl tO A DiFFERENt usE.


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made with 100% pure wool. the resultsfrom both the technical tests and thefeedback from Røros were even betterthan we had dared dream of, stoltzesays.

THE NORWEGIANwool scored high inall tests. sheep farms in Norway aremostly small-scale and spread all overthe country in diverse agricultural land-scapes. in a changing and harsh climate,the sheep roam freely in Norwegian hillsand mountains during the grazingseason. they drink the purest water andeat the most nutritious food nature canoffer. the wool proved to beexceptionally durable, resilient andlustrous. the fiber has high elasticity,which is further enhanced in the fabric,and allows it to stretch tightly around thefurniture.–We were really happy the Norwegian

wool tested so well! We decided to goahead with the project and RagnhildNordhagen, textile designer at gu, andi started thinking about creating acollection. i've become very humble in this project because i've visited theentire value chain. i've been in Roga-land and talked with the sheep farmer,and seen how well the sheep weretreated. good quality is about animalwelfare, it’s about the sheep having agood life, that they are taken care of,get enough air and the correct food.therefore it is so important that thewhole chain work closely together, toget that high quality final product. Wevisited the wool stations where thesheep is sheared and the wool is sortedin different categories. it was importantfor us to see and follow the wholeprocess to understand how everystep rely on each other. >>

NORWEGIAN CHAMPION: BøRgE høYlAND FROM hEllElAND iN NORWAY gAiNED iN OCtOBER 2014 thE titlE NORWEgiAN ChAMPiON iN WOOlshEARiNg AND -hANDliNg FOR thE FOuRth tiME. iN thE COMPEtitiON hE usED lEss thAN ONE MiNutE shEARiNg AND hANDliNg PER shEEP.


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Norway has a strongtradition in sheep farmingand wool manufacturing –a tradition that dates backto long before the Vikingera. the first sheep,known as the Old

Norwegian sheep, came to Norwayaround 6000 years ago. All thetraditional Norwegian short-tailed spæl- sheep stem from this breed. theyhave a two-layer coat consisting of aninner layer of short, fine wool fibres, andan outer layer of long coarse wool.the long–tailed breeds also stem fromthe Old Norwegian sheep crossed withvarious breeds of mainly British sheep,imported between 1700 and early 1900.these are the Crossbred types and they

have more uniform wool of moderatelyfine fibres.the spæl-sheep breed account for 15%and the Crossbred for 85% of the totalamount of sheep in Norway. the totalannual amount of wool is about 4.5million kilograms.sheep farms in Norway are mostly small-scale and spread all over the country in diverse agricultural landscapes. in achanging and harsh climate, our sheeproam freely in Norwegian hills andmountains during the grazing season.they drink the purest water and eat themost nutritious food nature can offer.this creates healthy and strong animalswith wool of exceptional durability,resilience and brilliant lustre.

FACTS

<< THE CHAIRS hÅg soFi, hÅgCapisco and RBM Noor were the first tobe launched with Norwegian Wool atstockholm Furniture Fair in February2015. the Norwegian wool fabrics arenamed after the Norwegian valleys; sirdal,suldal, setesdal, the colours are inspiredby the Nordic nature and urban settings,and come in subdued hues with bursts ofstronger colours.

THE AMBITIONS are high. stoltze feelsNorwegian wool has the potential to become as famous as Merino wool. - i believe the possibilities are there. thereis no question that the wool itself is goodenough. this project has in many waysshown us the value of working closely withevery step in the value chain towards theend result. in order to achieve a highquality product, every step depends onthe other, she says.

THE UPHOLSTERYPROCESSAt scandinavian Businessseatings facilities in Røros thefabrics are cut in patternparts, sewn and upholstered.it’s a thorough procedurewith a lot of testing andadjustments to get the bestfinal result. the fabricis accurately fit to the shapeof the chair.in the first step the fabric ispositioned and the uphols-tery parts are cut on a specialcutting machine. skilledupholsterers make patternsthat perfectly fit the foam andthe shape of the chairs. theupholstery is thoroughlytested on chair parts to cus-tomised shapes. it is of greatimportance that the textile istight enough.the three images left showthe experienced upholstererjohn skar̊dalsmo fitting anewly made upholstery on a hÅg Capisco seat.

WOOL OF EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY


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thEENChANtEDOFFiCEf With gAMEs suCh As CANDY CRush sAgA, KiNg is thE lEADiNg iNtERACtiVEENtERtAiNMENt COMPANY FOR thE MOBilE WORlD, With PEOPlE All AROuND thEglOBE PlAYiNg ONE OR MORE OF thEiR gAMEs. NOW thE COMPANY’s stuDiO iNstOCKhOlM hAs gOt thE OFFiCE tO MAtCh thE WORlD thEY'RE CREAtiNg iN thEiRgAMEs. EARliER this YEAR, KiNg WAs ElECtED sWEDEN’s BEst PlACE tO WORK. READ MORE>>

KiNg, thE WORlD’s MOst suCCEssFul gAMEs COMPANY,hAs RElAuNChED its KiNgDOM.


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hat's not mostly due to creativeoffice design, but because the work-ing environment is the number one

priority. A game developer's daily lifeconsists mostly of sitting in front of the com-puter, and that's why King chose the Rhlogic chair from scandinavian Businessseating.

CAROUSEL DINING tables and trampolineseats are among the cartoonish fittings in thestockholm offices for King. Created byswedish design agency Adolfsson &Partners, the offices for interactive gamedeveloper King are split over two floors,within a large 1940s building located atsveavägen 44.

the spaces are divided into zones themedaround different landscapes, incorporatingcharacters and designs from King games.But despite this, it’s not a location made forplay, as one might think. –As we talked to the staff before the projectstarted, it became clear that they wanted aplace for work, not for play, says hans Adolfs-son from Adolfsson & Partners.Although the office is constructed with anopen office landscape, it is not a question ofemployees freely choosing a workspaceeach morning.–We think it's important that staff get thechance to customize their own location, saysAdolfsson.he points out that developers spend the

majority of their time in front of the com-puter and that they need to thrive in thatspace.

RH LOGIC CHAIR that was chosen for King’soffice, is part of a range of office chairs forthose who sit for extra long periods at work.this is why it is entirely designed on thebasis of 2PP™, scandinavian Businessseatings philosophy on the importance offlexibility in sitting, to keep you going duringlong working days – when you spend a lotof time in front of the computer for instance,like at King. – the aim of the project was to design acreative office landscape thatcommunicates King's soul, a place that -

TOFFICE POWER: thE ENERgY AND COlOuRs iN thE OFFiCE AiMs tO BRiNg Out CREAtiVitY thAt COulD FAthER A NEW CANDY CRush sAgA ANDgAMEs thAt Will ENthRAl MilliONs OF PEOPlE AROuND thE WORlD.


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with 'fun' and 'magic' as its watchwords -can be called a kingdom. We created acolourful and energy-filled office,incorporating both humour and intelligentsolutions, says Adolfsson.the energy in the office aims to bring outcreativity that could father a new CandyCrush saga and games that will enthralmillions of people around the world. inaddition, the new premises at sveavägen44 in stockholm were created, both to att-ract new talent and to ensure that the oldtalent want to stay.

EVIDENTLY, KING HAS been successful inthis. Earlier this year, King was namedsweden’s best workplace by an annual

survey conducted by universum. in thesurvey, employees rated their employeron the basis of internal identity, satis-faction and loyalty. Over 17,700 peopleparticipated in the survey.

‘THE EMPLOYERSwho have been rankedhighest in the survey, obtained highscores in flexibility and in creating aculture where employees receive acknow-ledgment for their individual achieve-ments’, universum revealed.- We are very proud to contribute to sucha creative and flexible workplace. After all,flexibility is one of the hallmarks of ourphilosophy, says jessica Borgar atscandinavian Business seating stockholm.

KING ISN’T THE only game creator tochoose the Rh logic chair. Avalanche stu-dios is an independent and privately heldvideo game developer also based in stock-holm. the company has created gamessuch as just Cause, Renegade Ops, thehunter and soon on the market, Mad Max.After more than 10 years developing AAAgames in the heart of stockholm, work hasbegun on a new office space. Avalanchestudios are moving in to more than 3000square meters of custom-designed spaceat the top of the new building. the 160developers based in stockholm will enjoygreatly increased studio space and state-of-the art amenities along with all-important high tech infrastructure. >>


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<< the new building is set to beawarded lEED Platinum certificationfor best in class energy efficiency andlow environ-mental impact.– this is a very exciting opportunity,commented Marco Checchi, partner atstudio stockholm. Avalanche studios'distinct outward attitude coupled witha warm and welcoming workingatmosphere makes them unique in thegames industry. We intend to manifestthat duality in a physical space. And the company has huge plans forthe next few years.

‘2015 IS SET to be the biggest yearsince the inception of Avalanche stu-

dios more than a decade ago. Nextyear, players will be able to roam thelethal open-world wasteland of MadMax. in addition, the hunter is on arecord breaking streak. More than amillion players have signed up for theworld’s most realistic wildlifeexperience since the steamintroduction earlier this year, bringingthe total number to over 4 million.Avalanche studios also has several surprises planned for next year’,Avalanche studio states. All createdwhile sitting on the Rh logic.

– i guess it’s logic! Borgar says.


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! !

!

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!

hÅg sOFi FOR thEWORlD'sBEstChEss PlAYERs

TOPDEALER

he choice of chairs this year also fellon hÅg again. in co-operation withitkon As, the hÅg soFi with its

inBalance technology was chosen. thechair is well-suited for chess players in thatthe matches they play can often last for 6 or7 hours. so this allowed them to sit withbalanced and continuous movement,enabling them to concentrate on theirgames.

the chairs were delivered with slidebackarmrests, headrests and in the Chess Royal1314 fabric, which was a very good fit forthe occasion.

NORWAY CHESS 2015 featured thestrongest field of players ever in its history.Eight of the players were ranked amongthe top 10 in the world. this says somethingabout the weight this event carried, which

had enormous press coverage. severalmillions of viewers followed along withdirect broadcasts and daily updates beingshown on prime time Norwegian television.that the world champion Magnus Carlsenwas comfortable in the chair was an extraplus. itkon had all the chairs signed by theplayers and commenced a special saleimmediately afterwards. Most of them werewhisked away in less than an hour.

FOR thE thiRD tiME, itKON, ONE OF sCANDiNAViAN sEAtiNg's DEAlERs iNNORWAY, hAs BEEN A sPONsOR FOR NORWAY ChEss. thE NEED tO sit WEllWhEN PlAYiNg ChEss is sElF-EViDENt, AND With A WORlD ChEssChAMPiON FROM NORWAY COMPEtiNg iN thE tOuRNAMENt, it BECAMEExtRA ExCitiNg.

PiCtuREs FROM NORWAY ChEss 2015.

T


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thEhOlistiCAPPROACh

tOERgONOMiCs


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f it is ONE thiNg tO KEEPERgONOMiCs iN MiNDWhEN sittiNg At YOuRDEsK. But hOW MuCh tiMEDO YOu REAllY sPEND AtYOuR DEsK DuRiNg AWORKiNg DAY? ACCORD-iNg tO lEAD ERgONOMistERlEND WEiNhOlDt AtsCANDiNAViAN BusiNEsssEAtiNg, it is tiME tOREjECt thE iDEA thAtWORKiNg hARD MEANssPENDiNg hOuRs iN AsittiNg POsitiON At YOuRWORKstAtiON. But stAND-iNg WORK AlONE is NOtthE sOlutiON – thEEMPhAsis shOulD BE ONMOVEMENt. READ MORE>>


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itting all day at work isbad. this much weknow. it is the modern

health equivalent of excessivedrinking or smoking, and it ismaking our bodies and ourhealth weaker over time. Oc-cupational sitting could shaveyears off your life, and theconsequences of the modernday work life are starting tomanifest themselves. But ischanging sitting desks with standingdesks the answer? According toWeinholdt, standing is not the solution –variety is. Movement is the key word. hecalls for leaders to take responsibility forworkplace health by making movementthe essential part of working smarter. it might take courage to be the first

manager in thecompany to suggesta "standing meeting"or a ”walking mee-ting” with his or heremployees. But tak-ing steps towardskeeping employeeson the move couldprove vital to theirhealth andproductivity.

– AN INCREASING amount of jobs haschanged into spending the majority oftime in front of screens. Computer-relatedtasks have led to a static behaviour overtime, causing a health hazard not seen byprior generations, Weinholdt says.“sitting” in itself, however, is not the

problem. “Not moving” is.– lack of regular movement is what makesus sick. And how do we solve this? Morestanding work is indeed positive, but if weonly switch from sitting to standing we arestuck with the same problem. standingtoo long will cause some of the samehealth hazards. the solution is sit, walk,stand – in combination. You could aim fortwo hours a day standing, and the es-sence is to change postures.

HE EXPLAINS how employees may be-nefit from simple changes, like alternatingbetween different sitting positions andletting your feet move as you sit, togetting off the chair to walk over to theprinter, which is purposefully placedreasonably far away from your desk.Furthermore, to skip the elevator and take

‘WE NEED TO CHANGE OUR FOCUS FROM EXERCISE TOEXERCISE ANDMOVEMENT’

S

- LACK OF REGULARMOVEMENT IS WHAT MAKES USSICK. AND HOW DO WE SOLVETHIS? MORE STANDING WORKIS INDEED POSITIVE, BUT IF WEONLY SWITCH FROM SITTING TOSTANDING WE ARE STUCK WITH THE SAME PROBLEM.


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the stairs and even conductmeetings standing. Accordingto Weinholdt, applying moremovement should be acommon goal – and healthyemployees should be thetrend. As many as 70 per centof us do not fulfil the healthrequirement of 30 minutes ofexercise per day.

– WE NEED to change ourfocus from exercise toexercise and movement. the passivelifestyle is all too common. We spend anaverage of nine hours a day, sitting. Weknow that the effect of exercise decreasesafter two hours of sitting still. i believe theeffect of keeping us on the movethroughout the day will be greater than an

hour of exercise afterwork, Weinholdt says.

– As a manager thereare ways toincorporate this idea:creating a smarterworkplace requires acooperation betweenemployees, interiordesigners and occup-ational health experts,and making sure that

everyone gets enough movement duringthe hours spent at the office. it's a matterof making use of the knowledge available.try placing high desks at some of themeeting rooms along with higher sittingsolutions to make shifting between sittingand standing invisible and natural.

incorporate the idea that, if one acquires aquiet room, a visual view of availability willincrease the use.

IN ESSENCE,movement should not be apragmatic solution – like a 20-minutestretch before lunch, but rather somethingthat should effortlessly happenthroughout the day. trends like activity-based working (ABW) supporting peopleto perform their jobs in a specific way, bylooking at their work environment from aphysical perspective, can have a positiveeffect. the key is to stay active while beingproductive.

Check out Erlends 9 advice for a betterday at the office on next page.

‘MOVEMENT SHOULD NOT BE A PRAGMATICSOLUTION, BUT RATHERSOMETHING THAT

SHOULD EFFORTLESSLYHAPPEN THROUGHOUT

THE DAY.‘

REGULAR EXERCISE: thE sOlutiON is sit, WAlK, stAND - iN COMBiNAtiON


9TIPSFROMERLEND

2We teach

children to sit stillon their chairs.

Fortunately theyrarely do, be-

cause sitting stillfor prolonged pe-

riods is nothealthy. 4

Physical inactivity (lack ofphysical activity) has been iden-tified as the fourth leading riskfactor for global mortality (6% of

deaths globally). The term‘physical activity’ should not be

mistaken with ‘exercise’.Exercise, is a subcategory of

physical activity that is planned,structured, repetitive, and

purposeful in the sense that theimprovement or maintenance ofone or more components of

physical fitness is the objective.

9A holistic approach to workplace

ergonomics will benefit everyone. Sittingsmart, combined with standing and walk-ing options will have a great impact on

health and productivity.

7Chairs thathelp promotemovement –without anyeffort fromthe person init - will helpreduce healthrisks.

6Without bodily movement the

muscles will stop demanding energy.The energy is stored in the body.

5You should demandmovement in the

workplace! Sitting initself is not the enemy -lack of movement is.

Become an active sitter!Chairs that will help

muscles work, and bloodcirculation are importantfactors to prevent healthproblems associated with

inactivity.

Don´t sit still! After only onehour of sitting,health risks willincrease. Thelevel of physicalfitness is not afactor.31

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ith its light, playfuldesigns and cleanlines, RBM is the

ideal choice for open environ-ments where people work,meet, learn and socialize, saysVice President Brand & ProductManagement RBM, svein Erikhusby in scandinavian Businessseating . the fact that theproducts have been popular forforty years underlines hisstatement.the RBM brand has solid rootsin the Danish design traditionand has always aimed to makesmart solutions that cover theneed for functional design. thishas made RBM able to offer awide range of tables and chairs,carefully designed to meet cus-tomers’ needs. the products arefunctional, easy to use and idealfor creating various combin-ations in any room in the office. RBM products deliver supportand comfort that aim to give theuser a feeling of wellbeing. thisenables the user to be anattentive and observantparticipant in a canteen andconference setting.

IN 2007, RBM and Rh weremerged with hÅg, andscandinavian Business seating

was formed. today, thecompany can offer seatingsolutions globally. in 2009, theproduction moved fromDenmark to sweden. - the factory is currently locatedin Nässjö in småland, at theheart of the swedish furnitureindustry. the Danish soul of theRBM brand, with a long historyof furniture design, is tailored tothe swedish and smålandtraditions in furnituremanufacturing. it’s the best ofboth worlds, says husby.

THE LATEST addition to theRBM family is the versatile andcolourful chair collection RBMNoor, created for canteens,conference rooms and meetingrooms. the chair was awardedthe renowned design award‘Red Dot; Best of the BestAward’ in the product designcategory.– the RBM Noor is the result of an innovative collaborationbetween our productdevelopment environment andthree scandinavian designagencies: Form us With love(FuWl) from sweden, stokkeAustad from Norway andgrønlund Design fromDenmark.

THE RBM NOOR has arounded and friendly form,which guarantees the usergood seating comfort. thecollection has a smart modularcollection platform with eightmodels, and consists of an in-spiring composition ofpolypropylene and 3Dplywood shell, textiles andframes. it meets the highenvironmental standards ofscandinavian Business seating,and is an environmentally-friendly and sustainable design.the RBM Noor has fast be-come the best-seller withinRBM’s product portfolio.

NATURE DID not design thehuman body to sit still for longhours every day at work

stations. We need movement,support and variation in orderto work well.

– OUR CHAIRS are designed tomake sure you won’t have to sitstill. they are designed withpeople and their needs infocus and inspire them to be attheir best throughout the work-ing day. having goodergonomics is one of ourdifferentiating factors and it isnot something we compromiseon. RBM products are comfor-table to sit in, give support anda sense of wellbeing and helpthe people who use them toremain attentive. RBM is allabout positive meetings andjoyful moments betweenpeople, says husby.

A tRuEsCANDiNAViAN

RBM NOOR 6060 PlAstiC shEll, sKY/gRAPhitE/VANillA slEDgE BAsE,AQuA/BlACK/WhitE. lOCAtiON: KONstMusEEt KAlMAR

f 40 YEARs AgO, iN 1975, RABAMi (RBM)COMPANY FiRst sAW thE light OF DAY. EVERsiNCE, RBM hAs gROWN tO BECOME ONE OFthE lEADiNg PROViDERs OF FuRNituRE thAttRulY VitAlizE OFFiCE sPACEs AND RElAtiONsBEtWEEN PEOPlE.

Jubilee

W


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thE lEADEROF thE PACKf WhEN hÅg’s CAPisCO ChAiR WAs FiRstlAuNChED 30 YEARs AgO, FEW WERE sOlD.thE PRODuCt WAs PERCiEVED As ODD ANDNOt FullY AssOCiAtED With WhAt A ChAiRshOulD lOOK liKE. A thOROugh RE-DEsigN iN 1998 BOOstEDsAlEs AND tuRNOVER DOuBlED FROM ONEYEAR tO thE OthER.

JubileeSBseating Blan nr 1.qxp_Layout 1 08.07.15 08.08 Side 34

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ince then, more than halfa million saddle-chairshave been sold and for

the hÅg brand it’s the best-sel-ling model. today, it’s hard tobelieve that such an innovativeand distinguished design suchas the hÅg Capisco is indeedturning 30. – i believe the secret behindthe success is primarily thechair’s shape, that still arousespeople’s curiosity and inspires,says VP for Product & BrandManagement for hÅg, AnetteKittelsaa in scandinavianBusiness seating.

THE MULTI-orientation seat,which allows you to sit facingthe side (or back!) in an equallycomfortable fashion as sittingforward, effectively enables youto have a broader reach of yourworkspace. What’s more, it hasalso been one of the fo-rerunners in terms ofenvironmentally-friendlydesign.– i think the design makespeople want to try it out, and

see for themselves whether it’scomfortable or not to sit on. Myexperience is that most are sur-prised to learn how differentand better this chair is,compared to an ordinary officechair, says Kittelsaa. the hÅg Capisco chair res-ponds to man’s underlyingwish to move freely, and at thesame time the need forsupport. it inspires variation: sitsideways, stand-sit, sit back-wards, sit low, sit high, sit active.

THE CHAIR is designed byNorwegian industrial designerPeter Opsvik, best known forhis innovative and ergonomicchairs, like the tripp trapp®chair found in most homes withsmall children. Opsvik hasworked from both ends of thespectrum of scandinavianDesign. At one end, rationaland ergonomic aspects are infocus – taking care of thehuman body’s requirements,while at the other end of thespectrum the most importantcriterion is expression. With the

rational, ergonomic products,Opsvik’s goal is to move thehuman body.– Opsvik has attempted to over-come stereotypical sittinghabits with his unconventionalseating solutions. in the 1970s,many experts on ergonomicsattempted to establish onecorrect sitting posture. PeterOpsvik and hÅg’s contributionhave been to create productsthat inspire variation betweenmany different postures whileusing the same chair, saysKittelsaa.

OPSVIK QUESTIONED thenotion of body support as anecessity for comfortablesitting, by asking if freedom canbe as important as support;freedom to move and find al-ternative sitting postures.Creating sitting solutions thatinspire movement andvariations of posture can beseen as a key factor in his workand in all hÅg chairs. Opsvikand hÅg use one concept toachieve dynamic sitting.

Common to them all is the factthat being in balance inspiresmovement as well as control. - What i’m suggesting, is thatthe chairs we “wear” neithershould be as flexible as ourclothes, nor as inflexible as ourbuildings. the chair could workas an intermediary between thedynamic body and the static ar-chitectural surroundings, PeterOpsvik has says.

TO CELEBRATE the 30thjubilee, scandinavian Businessseating in sweden started a co-operation with tärnsjö garveri.the result is a limited editionhÅg Capisco in an exclusivenatural tanned leather.– We wanted to find a supplierthat had the same aestheticsense that we had, and thesame interest in developingand producing a high-qualityproduct with a large degree ofenvironmental conscience. Wefound these qualities in tärnsjögarveri, says Kittelsaa. the birthday girl is ready toparty!

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THINKING DESIGN IN THE NEXT DECADE:

thE FutuREis uRBAN

THINKINGDESIGN


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ABOut gENslER

gensler is a global designfirm that partners withclients to create morelivable cities, smarterworkplaces and moreengaging leisure des-tinations. since 1965, they havehelped clients achievemeasurable business andorganizational goals,delivering projects as largeas a city and as small as atask light for an individualdesk.

SUSTAINABLE DESIGNgensler regards sustainabledesign as a guidingprinciple for all building andinterior projects. Asdesigner of the first large-scale u.s. office building touse underfloor air systems,gensler has been at the for-efront of the movement forresponsible design thatconsiders the impact ofdecisions made today onour lives tomorrow.Additional pioneeringgreen activities includedesigning the first lEED®-certified retail rollout proto-type (PNC Bank), the firstlEED-certified data center(Fannie Mae), and the firstlEED-certified car dealers-hip in the u.s. (Pat lobbtoyota of McKinney, texas).gensler has more than1,100 lEED AccreditedProfessionals. in 2005,gensler received theleadership Award for Or-ganizational Excellencefrom the u.s. green Build-ing Council for itscommitment to theadvancement of sustainabledesign.

f gENslER hAs FOREsEENthE tRENDs shAPiNgDEsigN iN thE NExt DECADE– AND thEY ARE All ABOutthE POsitiVEs OF AN uRBAN,CONNECtED PlANEt.

he workplace revolution3.0 will, according togensler´s design fo-

recast, be all about rethinkingthe nature of work itself associal media and businessnetworks mesh. the firstworkplace revolution is iden-tified as the change thathappened around 1990, whenthe visions of Frederick taylor´sinfamous scientificmanagement methodologies

and mass production methodson factories were challenged.the second revolution took thechallenge even further, leverag-ing mobility. Now, in the era ofsocial media, the 3.0 workplacerevolution deals with howtalent is supported, how teamsconnect—these issueschallenge current workpatterns and settings. trendslike co-working are related tothis, but next-generationsolutions will have to scale up,according to gensler. Officereal estate will be a more in-tegral part of mixed use aswork’s links to place convergewith complementary activities. With a new generation ofworkers breathing life into the

ongoing revolution, the newworkplace will be even moreurban and mobile.

THE EVOLVING nature of theworkplace adds weight to thediscussion on transit and greenthinking, as the debate aboutpreferred locations of theworkplace continues. genslerfinds that wellness andresilience figure in this shift, butthe bigger issue is the need tomix uses in order to attract thebest tenants and enhance theirperformance.

PAIRING WORKwith otheractivities adds urbanity andamenity, and makesdevelopment easier to finance.

GENSLER´S DESIGN FORECAST:

tOP tRENDs shAPiNg DEsigNTREND 1 CORPORATE CAMPUSES

Redefining the idea of ‘campus’location is a bigger issue today as companiesweigh their workplace needs against thepreferences of a workforce that’s in flux.

TREND 2 OFFICE BUILDING DEVELOPERS

A building type in transitionDevelopers are transforming the commercialoffice building model as they refocus on theirtenants’ need to recruit a younger, more creativeand collaborative workforce.

TREND 3 CONSUMER PRODUCTS

It’s about the brandConsumer products firms have always lived theirbrands. in the past, this meant focusing on theproducts, but now they’re shifting to the cus-tomer lifestyles that their products complement. ,

TREND 4 CONSULTING

Making change management workAlong with a climate of disruption, the globalnature of business makes cultural integrationeven harder. the new approach will use socialmedia to obtain end-user feedback. By in-tegrating the organization’s business goals,strategies and metrics, and its evolving brandand culture, the process can be tailored to ensurea successful, and transformative outcome.

TREND 5 ENERGY

Staying agile in a volatile worldthe energy industry understands volatility.Energy firms navigate the world’s markets,regulations, and tax regimes. they contend withmergers, acquisitions, and spinoffs. technologyevolves and so do they. in a volatile world, agilityis prized, so the future energy workplace will beflexible, adaptable, and fit to the purpose.

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IN THEHEARTOF

DÜSSELDORF´S URBAN PLANNING SUCCESS

f thE NEW YORK tiMEs AsKED”WhY hAVEN´t WE gOt thEsEBuilDiNgs hERE?” AND thEiNDEPENDENt hEADliNED thEQuEstiON ”WhY DiDN´t WEBuilD thAt hERE?”, REFERRiNgtO thE EsPECiAllY COlOuRFulCOlORiuM OFFiCE BuilDiNg.

DUSSELDORFON THE MOVE


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Both major newspapers havediscovered the area which is atthe very forefront of today´s ar-chitecture. in the heart of Düs-seldorf lies Media harbour – anew destination for architecturaltourism and the location ofscandinavian Business seatingsnew office building in germany.the Media harbour has alreadybecome an iconic landmark,

featuring in a special edition of”Monopoly Deutchland”, aboard game that includes themost popular german land-marks.

– THE MEDIAHARBOUR is anarea where art, communicationand creativity is located. thepartial transformation of Düs-seldorf’s old Rhine harbour into

a modern business and residen-tial district is an important urbanplanning project to position thecity as a center for the creativeindustries, including advertising,art and media, in Europe. thislocation is perfect forscandinavian Business seatingto meet our customers in aspecial area and show ourproducts in a nice location, says

country manager in germany,René sitter.

MORE THAN 800 businesseshave taken up residence in thefirst-class office location, enjoy-ing the backdrop of historicbuilding, innovative ar-chitectural design and the work-ing atmosphere at the water-front.

– THIS LOCATION IS PERFECT FOR SB SEATING TOMEET OUR CUSTOMERS IN A SPECIAL AREA ANDSHOW OUR PRODUCTS IN A NICE LOCATIONCOUNTRY MANAGER, GERMANY


CONGRATULATIONS TO SCANDINAVIAN BUSINESS SEATING IN GERMANY WITH THE BRAND NEW OFFICES IN DUSSEDORF MEDIA HARBOUR DISTRICT!



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