Designer Insights: The Future of Offices
Vol.5 The cutting edge of sustainable furniture and interior products
It is now common and expected that companies have some approach or stated goal when it comes to sustainability. In this article, we look back on 2024 and present the latest examples in furniture and interior products that work together to create complete spaces. These examples give an informative look into new materials and technologies, and they might also provide hints for how to get hold of the change in user perceptions.
Report by Yasushi Yamazaki／Journalist (JDN director)
A sustainable furniture brand using Japan’s traditional material, the igusa
Look into Nature is a furniture brand from ADAL, a manufacturer with a strong showing in public furniture. Its development was launched in 2019 when the wish of an igusa (rush grass) producer to see igusa use carry on “not only in traditional crafts, but also in manufacturing” resonated with the company. Igusa is the material used in tatami flooring and thus very familiar to Japanese people.
However, domestic manufacturing using igusa is in a crisis, with the scale of production now less than 10% of what it was 30 years ago. There are a multitude of causes for this: with fewer Japanese-style rooms than before, tatami use has declined, while easy-to-maintain artificial igusa and imports of igusa produced overseas have become more common. Look into Nature is an experiment in sustainability, linking igusa production to the demand found in the public furniture space.
The designs are based on the varied and beautiful vistas of Japan. The line includes chairs, sofas, tables, and partitions. In 2024, the company’s famous SAKYU chaise longue won the iF DESIGN AWARD, one of the world’s three major design awards.
SAKYU was designed by the German designer Michael Geldmacher. It draws inspiration from sand dunes and calls to mind mountain ranges formed by the passage of countless millennia. Users can choose from two types of legs: slender and stylish steel legs or wooden legs that give a warm impression. As for the igusa, between different weaving techniques and colours, there are 15 types available. When considering colour variations for the legs and the choice of fabric for the headrest, the number of possible combinations feels endless.
