Nordea’s ‘Less Waste Office’ is a benchmark in workplace sustainable design.
Nordea's ‘Less Waste Office’ in the city of Gdynia is the result of several year’s research and planning by Polish architects Workplace Solutions, designers looking to challenge the architecture industry to find more sustainable solutions to workplace design.
Standard office spaces have a 5-10 year life cycle, with most furnishings and equipment becoming waste during this time frame, needing replacement. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, this process sees 8.5 million tonnes of office assets filling up landfill sites annually, in the US alone.
Their solution to this was to source recycled and recyclable materials and equipment as much as possible, in almost every area of the project, a method that took nearly two years of hard work. In Nordea, the architects found a natural partner to work with on this project, a company equally committed to environmental action, willing to accept the risks of this unique challenge.
80% of the workplace is composed of recycled and ecological materials. Almost all the electrical and ventilation was refurbished and reinstalled. The team sourced furniture, lamps and decorative elements from second-hand merchants and refurbished. Recycled bricks, eco paints, biodegradable foils, and natural cork insulation boards also feature throughout.
For the other 20%, where new products were the only option, every effort was made to find recycled and recyclable solutions. Flokk brand Profim provided a range of conference and cafeteria seating with the Profim Noor. Made using recycled metals and fully recyclable plastics, these chairs not only offer comfort and support but also are long-lasting and fully recyclable, with minimal chance of ending up in a landfill.
In the near future, they will also be made using even more recycled materials. These were complemented by tabletops made of recycled plastic packaging and carpets made without harmful bituminous primers.
"By creating the Less Waste Office, we wanted to share good practices and educate employees, future clients and the whole design industry. We would like to motivate designers to create new projects that use even more ecological solutions and certified materials... For us, as designers, it’s not a choice but a requirement that will help create a better, sustainable future." DOMINIKA ZIELIŃSKA, WORKPLACE SOLUTIONS
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Flokk is a market leader for high-quality seating solutions in Europe. We believe in creating furniture that meets the essential needs of people while also considering the impact on future generations
In Flokk we believe that human ingenuity, technological innovation and human centred values can lead to a positive future for humankind. A future with a healthy climate, sustainable use of resources, meaningful work and a high level of individual freedom and well-being. Attributes often associated to our origins in Nordic Culture, yet resoundingly humanistic, universal and inclusive.
Flokk is a design driven company creating products that earn their right to exist through serving fundamental human needs. Addressing emotional as well as physical factors all the while keeping the interests of future generations in mind. Products that have a clear and positive narrative, all the way through to the last detail of its manifestation.
We have the privilege and the responsibility to work towards this positive future directly through our activities. But also indirectly, through sharing transparently about our practice and progress, to inspire the great work of others. As we do acquisitions, we invite new family members to take part in the same philosophy and journey. When customers choose our furniture, they get lasting, meaningful objects, produced with the lowest possible environmental footprint. They contribute to an onwards journey of steady improvement at scale.
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