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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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brown, beige, and black stools
Umo Table designed by Brandon Walker for Stylex

August 5, 2022

Umo, a Mono Material Accent Table, Puts Transparency First

Better known for popular styles than carbon reduction, furniture manufacturer Stylex has been nevertheless expanding its sustainable designs.

By: Kelly Beamon

A contract table made with joinery instead of hardware is Stylex’s latest offering by senior designer Brandon Walker. On the heels of his Dela seating collection (winner of a 2020 MetropolisLikes award for its water-based adhesives and CFC-free foam), Walker’s design for Umo uses fewer and nearby material sources to lessen its environmental impact. Here are the details. 

 01 EASE OF ASSEMBLY 

The simplified design is limited to one ingredient: wood. 

02 HARDWARE-FREE 

Because it’s constructed using joinery, the table is free of hardware components whose own manufacturing history might add embodied carbon. 

brown stool
COURTESY STYLEX

03 FORMALDEHYDE-FREE 

Instead of a composite wood such as particleboard and plywood, which are often made with formaldehyde-laden adhesives, the table’s parts are solid wood boards adhered with a water-based glue. 

04 BIFMA LEVEL 1 

Production meets the first tier of standards set by the LEVEL program of the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA). LEVEL’s certification system applies prerequisites to a product, such as its impact on the environment, health, and wellness, to designate only “environmentally preferable and socially responsible office furniture.” 

05 TOXIN-FREE FINISH 

Finishes are clear, water-based seals. 

06 DOMESTIC SOURCING 

The piece is available only in maple, oak, and walnut, all locally sourced hardwoods. 

07 GREENGUARD GOLD 

This certifies that the table exceeds indoor air quality standards for chemical emissions, achieving a level low enough for use around children. 

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