During this year’s edition of Warsaw Home & Contract, the Architecture Snob magazine collaborated with VANK and the Mili Młodzi People studio to create a fair stand. We believe that products should be designed and made with the goal of reducing the consumption of raw materials. The joint project proves that also on the Polish design scene there are more and more furniture companies and designers thinking about the future of the planet.

For Architecture Snob ecology and sustainable development are among the most important issues in contemporary architecture. We also took care of minimizing our impact on the natural environment in the production of this stand.

We present the result of an experimental collaboration between sustainable VANK design manufacturer, Architecture Snob architecture magazine and Mili Młodzi Ludzie architecture studio. The pro-environmental attitude of all participants in the cooperation is convergent.

WHERE, WHERE? 

MOBILE ACOUSTIC BOX

VANK_WALL_3_GRAPHIC_LIGHT acoustic box with the cover of the first issue of Architecture Snob overlaid on rPET non-woven acoustic panels and backlit by LED. The smooth panels inside are also made of non-woven rPET fabric (consumer waste – PET bottles) covered with SONUS acoustic fabric. The Woodconstruction  made of a renewable raw materialthat absorbs CO2 growth in the long term.

After the Warsaw Home trade fair, the facility will be put to use in Warsaw’s Koszyki Hall bythe  Julian Cochran Foundationwhich organises classical music concerts there and supports young artists. 

VANK’s distinctive product, the acoustic box, fits into the thinking of sustainable architecture. The idea of convertible, easy to assemble and disassemble VANK objects increases the possibilities of using the work space after changing the location of the company. Thus, it minimizes construction waste after building upgrades and investments in new office spaces fit-out.

PANEL rPET

The rPET panel used in the Architecture Snob booth, the new design of which was created by MML Architekci, is made from polyester non-woven fabric, the so-called rPET, made from recycled PET bottles. The rPET material is created through a recycling process and is also recyclable. This way, VANK will not create demand for new, petroleum-based raw materials. In addition, the use of recycled rather than virgin plastics generates fewer climate-damaging emissions. Thepanels building the walls will be used in the new location by Architecture Snob. 

ARMCHAIRS AND RING SOFAS

The seats are filled with industrial post-production waste – shredded polyurethane foam (collected from the foam manufacturer that gathers waste from other upholstery furniture manufacturers and shreds it). This method reduces the amount of new foam used in the furniture industry.

In addition, at the end of the product life cycle , the seat components: fabric, filling and frame can be easily separated for segregation and recycling.  The collection from the booth will be used for other display purposes.

LEAVES

Greenery has become an obligatory decoration of fair stands, practically at every fair, where companies’ products are presented. And it’s not just about a few fresh flowers in a vase. Most of the stands are arranged like real jungles. Objects are often set among vines and leaves. In some places, there are even quite large trees. They create a pleasant microclimate at exhibition stands. Greenery is an entourage for lamps and furniture, it is used as a scenography. The intricately designed surroundings with vegetation are associated with relax which every visitor craves for. Besides, green stands may suggest that the manufacturer acts with respect for the environment, that they are close to ecological ideals. Such a message can be perceived almost subconsciously when you look at the furniture and lamps drawn against the background of lush vegetation. On the other hand, basically no one assures visitors that the form of the exhibition is more than a fashionable set design. It all indicates that vegetation has become the next design trend, and for now, that’s mostly where it stops.  That is why we decided to deliberately give up on green accessories and cover the bituminous carpet, which is the decoration of most of the exhibition stands, with leaves which we collected for a few days in the park. Visitors to our stand are invited to relax among the scent and rustle of leaves which are appropriate to the current season.  After the fair, the leaves will be composted. 

BINDERS

Binders are used and were purchased on OLX.pl. After the fair, they will be transferred to a friendly accounting office.

GLASSES RACK

The rack is used and was purchased on OLX.pl. After the fair, it will serve in VANK’s Poznan office.

GLASSES

Glasses in plastic boxes were borrowed for the duration of the fair from the Warsaw catering rental company.