Vestre is one of Europe’s leading producers of furniture – their mission is to connect people through the innovative and interactive design of meeting places whilst putting environmental and social considerations at the heart of what they do.
Even if you’re not familiar with the Norwegian company by name, chances are you will have seen or sat on the distinct Vestre furniture dotted around iconic public spaces like Times Square in New York or Kings Cross Station in London.
Their products, which come with a lifetime guarantee, are comprised of everything from recycled aluminium, steel and wood and continue to earn Vestre numerous awards and accolades. This includes the Red Dot Design Awards and, most recently in 2021, the DOGA Award for Design and Architecture for their Munch furniture series in the Munch Museum in Oslo.
Introducing The Plus
To service increased demand, Vestre embarked on their latest project with architecture firm BIG, to build a truly sustainable factory. This construction now mirrors the company’s ethos of stewardship and demonstrates how industry can be a force for good.
CEO of Vestre, Stefan Tjust, shared that “With The Plus, Vestre wants to show how the industry can be part of the solution by creating new jobs and economic growth whilst simultaneously caring for the environment.”
Set in Magnor, a two-hour drive from the capital Oslo, The Plus represents the single largest investment in the Norwegian furniture industry for several decades, standing at NOK 300 million – equivalent to approximately £25 million.
Led by David Zahle, Partner and Lead Architect and Viktoria Millentrup, Architect MAA/Design Lead at BIG – The Plus has been formed to be democratic by design, embracing openness, allowing workers and visitors to have an all-encompassing view of what is happening at any given moment.
“The Plus is the people’s factory,” said Tjust. “Unlike conventional buildings, this is a project that proudly showcases the architecture and manufacturing processes. There won’t be any fences or boundaries,” he adds.
Built over 18 months during the pandemic – the timber exterior is as impressive as the inside of the factory. Split into four wings, each section is dedicated to different areas of production, whether that is the colour and wood factories, the assembly department, or the warehouse.
What strikes me is the full life cycle element that The Plus has. Surrounded by the forest inches mere inches away, the wood factory on-site is manufacturing furniture from sustainably sourced wood – it feels natural and far removed from complex global value chain networks that usually characterise mass-produced furniture. What’s more – the experimentation with new techniques, like bending huge solid wood panels to achieve a curved roof reinforces the innovative approach both Vestre and BIG have taken with this project.
The Plus’s environmental credentials
The factory is set to be the first of its type in the Nordic region to achieve the highest, globally recognised BREEAM classification – outstanding. BREEAM works to validate and certify systems for a sustainable built environment and demands that buildings are sustainable from inception and not merely an afterthought.
To achieve “outstanding” is impressive given that it is estimated less than 1% of all new non-domestic buildings will be able to gain this accolade.
Alongside environmental credentials, recipients of an outstanding classification mean buildings must be holistic in their sustainability approach and incorporate social indicators as well as energy, water, chemical and material management. For instance, it assesses buildings on their public transport networks too, to understand how workers could travel to and from the factory with the least environmental impact.
During our visit, one of the project leaders noted that the value of a building should consider not just solving problems for its own regional or national context but must lead by example on how the built environment can address global challenges too. This message of responsibility and accountability resonated with me, as often producers in the Global North turn a blind eye to how their factories and supply chains impact communities in the Global South.
Here’s a breakdown of how Vestre and BIG collaborated to design The Plus to be a high performing environmental space:
On energy
- The building is constructed with low-carbon concrete and recycled reinforced steel
- During the construction process emission-free machinery was used
- Vestre claim that the building’s energy consumption is 60% lower than equivalent-sized conventional factories and releases 55% less greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than similar buildings
- They state that if manufacturing equipment is also included, energy consumption is reduced by 90%
- The Plus is fitted with nearly 900 solar panels, set to generate 250,000 kWh of renewable energy per year
- Alongside these panels, to carefully manage energy and heating, The Plus has been built with geothermal wells and heat pumps, as well as an ice water plant for cooling and heat and cold storage tanks
On water
- The Plus plans to recycle over 90% of the water used in production and halve the use of chemical substances
- The colour factory showcases how they are putting this into practice. The least toxic paints have been selected and the new machinery means no solvents are taken up into the air. Unlike conventional factories, no toxic sludge is produced which would pollute waterways and this in turn, means there are lower levels of water contamination
On transport
- The company plans to have 100% emission-free transport operating between its factories in Torsby and Magnor. Electric lorries are part of this strategy and Vestre is now seeking alternatives to Tesla Semi’s it had ordered due to extended delivery times
On biodiversity
- Having hired their own ecologist and worked with the local council, Vestre made sure to only cut down a limited number of trees to complete The Plus
- The factory’s roof is covered with natural vegetation, to match the flora and fauna of the surrounding woodlands
The Plus embraces Industry 4.0
The Plus is equipped with technology and machinery that helps accelerate the project’s ambitions on efficiency and to reduce energy consumption and waste. They have embraced industry 4.0 and digitisation throughout the furniture supply chain.
In the colour factory, painting robots use artificial intelligence and object recognition to apply paint. These colour changes which previously took 15 minutes are now completed within 30 seconds.
Similarly, in the Wood Factory, intelligent 3D scanners can optimise the wood processing function to reduce waste. It’s little details too that bring into focus how well considered the project has been. For example, even the robots have been named after Norway’s first two female engineers – Margot Holtan and Randi Holwech.
To encourage the wider industry to follow suit, Vestre have made everything they do at The Plus open-source. This could not be more timely given the evolution of legislation from the European Union as part of its Green New Deal and Circular Economy Action Plan which underlines the need for sustainably designed products.
On this – CEO Tjust stated that “Many of the innovations and new solutions we have come up with, we share with others who don’t want to risk being the first mover. Someone must take the first step and we are happy to share what we have done with the rest of the world.”
The people’s factory
With The Plus – Vestre has considered how their manufacturing operations can create social value too, incorporating a triple bottom line approach.
Set to open its doors to the public on June 3rd – The Plus boasts an impressive visitor centre which will cater for students, businesses and tourists. The democratic design of the factory means that visitors can experience the surroundings of the forest, whilst learning about the factory, its energy generation/storage and its production processes too.
Set over 300 acres, Vestre has plans to build a forest camp, equipped with art installations, exhibitions relating to local heroes like famed Norwegian poet Hans Børli and a bridge to link the park to Magnor town. Few conventional factories could claim they work to connect the local community and preserve culture in such ways.
Vestre has also embarked on partnerships with neighbouring companies like Norsk Hydro and Magnor Glass on design and production. It’s clear how their presence could have a positive multiplier effect on the local community.
Sustainable beyond design
Vestre prove that sustainability and profit are not a zero-sum game. In the last year, it has tripled its revenue and achieved 31% growth and the company donates 10% of all of its profits to initiatives that support the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Plus is a physical embodiment of the company’s genuine 360 commitments to the environment and wider social impact. Vestre’s words translate into actions, they have been a member of Ethical Trade Norway since 2008, are working to align their operations to the Science-Based Targets initiative, as well as reporting on their performance in line with GRI Standards.
Alongside a focus on scope 3 emissions, they share honest progress updates on indicators such as carbon intensity, energy produced in-house, and share of post-consumer scraps used. This can all be found in the company’s sustainability report.
Stefan Tjust asserted that “Every year we will strive to do better, in all aspects of the business. Every year we will share our journey towards reaching our ambitious goals, because we believe that transparency will drive the world forward. For us, sustainability is part of our DNA, it is part of who we are and everything we do.”
I was invited to visit The Plus from May 18 – May 20. Written with special thanks to the Vestre team and Grand Relations for making my first trip to Norway so memorable. It’s often easy to lose hope in the midst of apocalyptic climate news and greenwashed press releases – the company and the team’s energy are inspiring and offer a glimpse into what is possible for sustainable businesses across sectors and continents.
If you enjoyed this article, take a look at more inspirational architecture featured in Green School, Bali.
Read about sustainable cities and the built environment here.
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