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Metropolis Editors, Natural Habitat, sustainability, sustainable architecture

METROPOLIS Introduces Natural Habitat, a Sustainable Homes Video Series

The series debuts with a tour of a tranquil upstate New York retreat designed with Passive House principles.

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January 10, 2024

5 Task Chairs That Embrace a New Workplace Paradigm

Manufacturers lighten the load of task chair production for contract furniture seating.

By: Joseph P. Sgambati III

Form follows function as shifts in material selection, fewer components, and novel engineering yield lightweight task chairs that are kinder to the environment while benefiting users. “ Today’s workforce is more active and mobile. As workspaces are remade several times a day, harder-to-move furniture won’t do,” says Canada-based manufacturer Teknion. “Lightweight options that support individual and collaborative workstyles are preferable while optimizing packaging and lowering shipping container volumes decreases our carbon footprint.” Other innovators like Vitra offer customizations that can make models up to 100 percent recyclable without compromise, “transforming something often cold and technical into a design element,” adds Thor Ochs of Vitra North America.

ABOVE IMAGE:

ACX CHAIR

Nuanced production methods conspire with unique aesthetic expression for Vitra’s tenth chair developed in collaboration with Antonio Citterio. Available in three backrest models, the ACX can be specified in compositions up to 100 percent recyclable. A significant refinement of mechanisms and simple assembly allow for a 60 percent reduction in material use and shipping volume.

VITRA

vitra.com

image of a stack of herman miller chairs

FULD NESTING CHAIR

Tubular. Atypical. Tone-on-tone. Herman Miller has tapped industrial designer Stefan Diez for the brand’s first nesting chair. The unique Y-shaped architecture reduces material consumption while its textile, knitted to the chair’s exact dimensions, eliminates textile waste. And its slim profile begets stackability that saves the end user space and stress in seating storage.

HERMAN MILLER

hermanmiller.com

image of a task chair against a grey background

THE TONE CHAIR

Satisfying ergonomic requirements for the 90th percentile of the population is Teknion’s newest chair that empathizes with a variety of end users—and the planet. Tone is available to be shipped knocked down, significantly reducing its carbon footprint, and incorporates eco-friendly material finishes that enhance tactility while reducing production waste.

TEKNION

teknion.com

image of a gray task chair against a gray background

THE ATTUNE COLLECTION

Designed in collaboration with Studio Black Box’s Aaron Duke, Attune achieves BIFMA LEVEL 3 certification while making use of an advanced polymer that allows for adaptation to a variety of bodies as it resists impact and flex fatigue. Specifications include two frame finishes, five seat and back accents, and two arm options.

ALLSEATING

allseating.com

image of a gray task chair against a gray background

CARBONNEUTRAL CHAIRS

Steelcase is accelerating the office furniture industry’s movement toward carbon neutrality. The brand has expanded its CarbonNeutral-certified chairs to include seven seating lines: Series 1, Gesture, Leap, Karman, Think, Amia, and Series 2. These collections allow end users to progress toward sustainability goals andLEED certification commitments.

STEELCASE

steelcase.com

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