Choose your language and your location
Upcycling project: New furniture models for internal procurement catalogue
The canton of Zurich embarked on an upcycling project aimed at implementing a circular economy in relation to its furniture – an undertaking that resulted in “ReCollection ZH” with 14 furniture models.
Increasing digitalisation has had a huge impact on the demand for furniture, with large amounts of storage furniture and tables now no longer needed. The interior design teams at the Building Department of the Canton of Zurich and the University of Zurich developed an innovative solution. They initiated a pioneering project to create their own furniture collection based on elements of the furniture held in storage, such as tabletops and steel tubes, and including it in the canton’s procurement catalogue.
They paid particular attention to the availability of soft seating options, as the production of new furniture in this segment is particularly resource-intensive. The aim was to produce furniture that was not only sustainable but also competitively priced. “We want the ReCollection ZH to highlight what is possible. In the design process we took our inspiration from the simplicity of Bauhaus,” explains Alan Lippmann, head of interior design at the canton’s real estate office.
For the creation of the ReCollection ZH, used office furniture held in storage was used as a valuable material resource,
in a project that resulted in the creation of one- and two-seaters, high-backed armchairs, tables and lamps.
The ReCollection ZH furniture models form an integral part of the canton’s internal procurement catalogue and are treated the same as new furniture items – thanks to its sustainable origins and concept, the collection speaks for itself.
Location
Canton Zurich, Switzerland
Projekt
Canton Zurich, Building Department, Real Estate Office and University of Zurich, Directorate of Real Estate and Operations
Design
Björn Ischi, Designform, Lyss
Work carried out
Analysis of existing furniture, furnishing concept with 14 models of furniture, disassembly and dismantling of old furniture, creation of defined furniture models, use of wood scraps from the Girsberger joinery.
Images
Daniel Kuhn / Girsberger
