Headquarters in Stockholm.
When Kanozi Arkitekter created Vasakronan's new headquarters in Sergelhuset, history and reuse were two of the leading words. Sergelhuset's rich history has been highlighted in the interior design concept with a focus on re-cycling of existing interiors, as well as up-cycling in the form of several climate-smart purchases from sustainable production.
Sergelhuset has been recognized by the Sweden Green Building Awards as 'pioneering in a number of sustainability initiatives'. Sergelhuset itself is a recycled concrete structure that is completely self-sufficient in energy, and is now home to Vasakronan's new headquarters, which was ready to move in at the end of 2020.
The carpets, located both at the head office and in the adjacent co-working space Arena Sergel, weave in the history of the place and its namesake, Johan Tobias Sergel, who was a Swedish sculptor and draughtsman in the 18th/19th century. Sergel's drawings were deconstructed, taken apart and put together in different constellations to create a new expression for a dozen carpets that suited Vasakronan. To avoid waste during production, the pattern was laid out in a certain way to get as much carpet as possible per printed meter, so the project is minimally affected, both in terms of cost and environment.
Plastic from the oceans turns into stylish design
The colorful and shapely marble-like tables at Vasakronan's headquarters are made from recycled plastic. Like the 'Black Dapple' plastic table, which is made from a hundred different types of cutting boards and plastic packaging. The result is a look reminiscent of red cabbage or marble.
Hanna Bolin is one of the interior designers who has worked on Vasakronan's new head office and says that it was important to consider which materials should be used.
- It was an important parameter to consider. We decided to focus on up- and re-cycling, where both loose and fixed furnishings are largely reused. Choosing reuse obviously means a price difference in purchasing, but one should keep in mind that a cost needs to be added when the furniture is reupholstered or needs to be refreshed in different ways. It also takes a lot of time to monitor the reuse market, which is a cost in itself.
- In some projects, the main benefit of reuse and recycling is the environmental issue itself. You gain by reducing the climate impact and making use of the resources you have and that have already been produced, and that is a very important aspect. For us it is also an important parameter to choose high quality for continued long life and use, says Hanna Bolin.
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