- Client
- Roche
- Location
- Worldwide
- Category
- Furniture, Offices
Health company Roche has been recognised as one of the most sustainable healthcare businesses in the 2018 Dow Jones Sustainability Index. In light of their mission statement to create more sustainable, comfortable and innovative ways of working, we were asked to found the Roche WorkLab, in which we proposed a circular and open source furniture system capable of transforming their new and existing office spaces, worldwide.
A CIRCULAR DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
WITH AN OPEN SOURCE APPROACH
As part of their global office strategy “Roche Spaces”, the brand asked us to create a WorkLab, in order to transform their offices worldwide, and connect local design teams to new ways of working. Their brief turned into a personalised design system for the company, based on circular design thinking. As an office, we want to prepare our spaces for a sustainable future. To do so, we need to redesign processes, working towards a zero waste reality, and entering in symbiosis with our environment and resources.
At its core, a circular economy means that products no longer have a life cycle with a beginning, middle, and end. They therefore contribute less waste and can actually add value to their ecosystem*. Like in the natural cycle, the output of one process always feeds the input of another. In design, we learned that a waste-free and circulatory system cannot work without transparency and an open source approach. The WorkLab therefore proposes a design system that is available digitally, providing the standards, knowledge and tools for local fablabs and makers.
A MODULAR FURNITURE SYSTEM
TRANSFORMING NEW AND EXISTING OFFICES
The WorkLab uses a furniture system that transforms both the new and existing Roche office spaces into flexible and dynamic work environments. Agency is given to the people working in the offices, by providing them with a series of flexible modules that can be moved and adapted according to needs and preferences. The furniture catalogue is based on six forms, which can be turned into a series eighteen furniture pieces.
INTRODUCING SMART MATERIAL CHOICES
Renewable and recycled materials are prerequisites for a circular society. Choosing materials is about making responsible decisions*. Technology and creativity are enabling new ways of upcycling waste and turning it into new and strong materials. Research done around the world has shown the potential of end of life products and materials, like textile (wool, cotton), plastics, wood and cardboard. The WorkLab uses a material led process, adjusting the form and design to the building qualities of these recycled materials, of which the Roche office furniture is made.
*Lena Pripp-Kovac, Head of Sustainability at the Inter IKEA Group
DESIGN FOR DISASSEMBLY ENABLING
A SECOND LIFE FOR FURNITURE
“Design for disassembly” is a holistic design approach wherein furniture and materials can to be taken apart at the end of their life, as to place them back into the recycling stream. The Roche furniture catalogue allows for non-destructive, quick and efficient component separation, using dry joints which enables furniture to be transformed into another piece from the catalogue, or to be brought back into the manufacturing process, where they can be reused, reassembled and recycled into new products.
The Roche furniture can also be stacked easily, which makes it easy to ship and relocate the pieces to wherever they are needed around the world. This approach also enables us to bring the office furniture outside of the traditional office environment, making it possible for the brand to create a pop up office during conferences, fairs and other events that may occur in the future.
