UNStudio and Ahrend teamed up to design Remode – a highly sustainable, ergonomic and adaptable task chair to be used virtually anywhere.
From the very beginning of the design process for Remode, UNStudio and Ahrend have been committed to sustainability, resulting in a task chair constructed from highly durable and sustainably sourced materials that is also incredibly lightweight and engineered for easy disassembly. This innovative design ensures that individual components can be repaired, replaced, and recycled, extending the lifespan of both the chair and its materials.
“Ahrend asked us to design the most environmentally friendly task chair possible,” says Ben van Berkel, founder and principal architect of UNStudio. “It goes without saying that they wanted it to be aesthetically pleasing, but even more than that, it had to excel in terms of sustainability and ergonomics.”
The structural parts of Remode are made from the Envalior material Akulon® RePurposed. This innovative material provides outstanding mechanical performance and strength. By using this sustainable material Remode contains 78% recycled plastics, of which 62% is recycled ocean plastics.
“We felt it was important to develop a product that is not only produced sustainably, but is truly designed for circularity over multiple user life cycles," explains Rolf Verspuij, Ahrend’s CEO.
UNStudio teams up with Ahrend to create most sustainable task chair yet
The design for Remode also takes inspiration from sneakers; “Sneaker design is fascinating to me because it has to combine ergonomics, comfort, material innovation and aesthetics,” says van Berkel.
This inspiration is reflected in the design details, such as the accent colour control button, the smooth contouring, the colour choices, the netweave seating that reveals the mechanics of the chair, and in the ergonomics. As such, Remode meets the ergonomic standards to protect the body from repetitive strains, encourages good posture and reduces excessive stress on the spine.
“Remode is principally a task chair, but it’s so versatile and comfortable that it can be used for practically anything you need to do for any length of time while sitting,” explains van Berkel.
With ways and places we work in today becoming increasingly diverse, Remode - which is currently available in the colours pink, black and grey - is not just a chair for the office environment, but was designed to enrich any interior, be that a traditional office setting, a ‘third space', or at home.
Explore the full project here.