DURABLE FURNITURE IS ALWAYS ECOLOGICAL

Ecological compatibility in furniture design is such a strong trend that even a poor product will be forgiven if it is even slightly environmentally friendly. Making furniture that lasts is the only way to be genuinely ecological, however.

 

The “Kaava” chair, created by designer Mikko Laakkonen, was showcased at Isku’s exhibition stand at Habitare, Finland’s biggest interior design event. The chair is manufactured from innovative, formable UPM Grada plywood.

 

Isku is the largest furniture manufacturer in Finland, and still believes in domestic production. Isku intends to compete with design, as in price contests the company will lose to products coming from Asia. The company uses freelance designers.

 

Long lifecycle important

Eco-friendliness has become a trend in which the ostensible “greenness” of a product is too often sufficient. A long lifecycle and product repairability are more important than the material from which the product is manufactured. School furniture is a key product for Isku. This type of furniture needs to last for a minimum of 25 years, which should be possible in furniture for the home and office too.

 

It is a phenomenon of the times that the boundary between public and household furniture is beginning to blur.

 

Many of today’s furniture classics, for example a large proportion of Alvar Aalto’s furniture and Arne Jacobsen’s “Ant” chair among others, were originally designed for public spaces. From there they gradually moved to homes. The Kaava chair too has been designed for conferences. At the fair it was exhibited in various colours and equipped with different solutions for the base enabling consumers to easily find a suitable version for their dining room tables.

 

Text: Tuovi Similä
Photos: Patrik Lindström

 

 

This article is based on interviews with designer Mikko Laakkonen and Antti Olin, Design Director at the Isku Group.