What is sustainable furniture? Introducing the office chairs that are comfortable, high-quality and good for the environment

Today’s office environments are becoming more and more people-focused. Wellness amenities such as gyms and quiet spaces are being introduced, more natural lighting is being integrated, collaborative spaces and spacious breakout areas are being added to floorplans, and for good reason – employees are more focused, happy and productive in a space where they feel comfortable. 

With additions such as these, it’s important to not forget one of the furniture pieces used daily: the office chair.

Sitting has become second nature to us, but without the right chair to support us, there can be serious consequences to our health. 

For premium furniture manufacturer Wilkhahn, office furniture needs to be functional, ergonomic and made-to-last, without compromising on style and sustainability.

Read more: A company creating human-centric spaces with ergonomic office furniture

“Our focus on flexible furniture that lasts has made us a trusted name in the industry for over 100 years. With our Australian production facility, we're able to service and refurbish our products locally, keeping them out of landfills and in use longer. We're committed to culture and environmental responsibility, ensuring our products are both beautiful and sustainable,” says Wilkhahn’s Triny Arya-Pinatyh. 

“For more than 25 years, our factory in Australia has nurtured local manufacturing and servicing capabilities, providing direct access to the manufacturer. This ensures confidence and security in our products, which are designed in Germany and proudly made in Australia.”

Wilkhahn’s Sola Conference Chair, AT office chair and ON Office Chair with Trimension are all certified Australian-made – designed for people-focused workplaces with sustainability in mind. 

A combination of crisp design and innovative comfort, the Australian-made Sola is defined by its linear seat and aluminium frame – its slender seat shell swivel-mounted at the front and connected with a V-shaped support by two pressure springs at the rear to provide sprung support that can be adjusted to suit personal levels of comfort and body weight.

The chair also rocks backwards and forwards comfortably without any extra mechanical parts, keeping the mind and body alert in boardrooms and meeting rooms. 

Certified Australian-made and designed with health and comfort in mind, the AT range benefits from Wilkhahn’s free-to-move concept powered by Trimention – a global benchmark in healthy three-dimensional sitting. 

“The self-centring suspension of the seat shell ensures bodies maintain their centre of gravity – whatever the posture adopted or movement made. And because the backrest bearer that can be tilted comes with an automatic weight adjustment, AT makes embracing a healthy range of motion while sitting child’s play for everyone.”

This chair is especially suitable for use with height-adjustable desks as it is available with ESP (elevated sitting position) with patented free-to-move kinematics.

Not only are Wilkhahn’s products good for people, but they’re also good for the environment. 

Since 1989, Wilkhahn has embraced the ethos of placing environmental considerations above immediate financial gains. 

“Guided by the timeless Bauhaus principles of ‘less is more’ and ‘reduce to the max’, Wilkhahn has steadfastly adhered to its commitment to crafting furniture solutions that embody quality and simplicity. This deliberate approach results in the creation of enduring, highly functional furniture that can be serviced, refurbished, and at the very end, be recycled,” says Arya-Pinatyh. 

For over a decade now, Wilkhahn Australia has dedicated itself to servicing, refurbishing and recycling its furniture, diverting tonnes of waste from landfills each year. 

“This proactive decision, made years ago, aims to assist corporate and residential owners in sustaining the use of their furniture within their spaces, advocating against unnecessary disposal of items that still have utility.”

Reflective of this, many Wilkhahn products such as the Sola chair, the AT range and the ON Office Chair with Trimension are modular with retrofittable adjustment options and a service-friendly design, offering the ability to replace covered seat upholstery panels and backrest upholstery, as well as expendable parts. The adjustment and movement functions are also marked and intuitive to use. Should the chairs show signs of wear and tear, they can be easily repaired and refurbished to extend their life again and again.

Read more: Sustainable working environments in tomorrow’s world

A conscious choice has also been made with the Sola made from high-quality mono-fraction material that can be recycled into a highly innovative new product, and the AT range featuring recycled content – following Wilkhahn’s product responsibility goal of providing designs where form, function and materials have a purpose and are long-lasting. 

“At the end of its useful life, 93 per cent of AT can be recycled. The materials marry extreme precision with robust stability.

“We believe in the power of good design, and for 100+ years, Wilkhahn has developed durable products that embody maximum utility, serviceability and timeless aesthetics. Whilkhahn product encapsulates over a century of design and manufacturing expertise and is built to last.”

Explore more Australian-made, sustainable and comfortable Wilkhahn products on ArchiPro.