The aim of this pre-project was to establish a collaboration between furniture designers from Odd Thorsen AS and researchers from NORSUS, to create the foundation for research on how to make Norway’s most sustainable sofa. This project has highlighted the significant challenges and opportunities in designing a more sustainable and circular sofa and broadened our perspectives in our respective fields. By evaluating market trends, material impacts, and local sourcing possibilities, we have gained valuable insights into different strategies for reducing the environmental footprint of a new sofa concept.
The project looked at how Odd Thorsen AS could be a contributor to industrial symbiosis in the greater Oslo area, by identifying relevant stakeholders in a possible circular value chain. The project further highlighted the need for a closed loop system for reused materials within the furniture industry.
Established design processes were challenged in this pre-project, as it became apparent that the material supply and availability may determine what and how we design, in contrast to the traditional way of designing first and choosing a suitable material after. Further, the project points to flexibility as an important keyword for sustainable sofas, in material use, the actual design and in the minds of both the designer and the consumer.
Through the sharing of insight and experience Odd Thorsen AS and NORSUS have identified crucial knowledge gaps and defined the need for further work on the matter. The collaboration in this pre-project has not only resulted in developing a more concrete plan for a future, larger scale project, but also fostering a cross-sector research study that is innovative in itself.