One Good Chair Finalists Named

August 8, 2010  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Green on August 9, 2010

Five finalists have been announced in the third annual One Good Chair competition, sponsored by World Market Center Las Vegas and the Sustainable Furnishings Council.

The chairs, which utilized materials including broomsticks and honeycomb, were celebrated and discussed during a ceremony at the biannual Las Vegas Market. "Minimum-Maximum" was this year's theme, and designers both professional and amateur were invited to create a chair that managed to preserve natural resources while also amplifying human delight. In other words, they were tasked to "celebrate abundance" while "doing more with less," two catch phrases often associated with green design, but rarely coupled together. The goals of the competition also included minimizing material, production, shipping and assembly while maximizing comfort, utility, durability and beauty.

Fifteen judges selected the finalists, which include:
* Helena Bueno, Brazil, Broom Chair: a simple yet whimsical chair  made from nine sticks of birch wood that fit easily into a bright plastic seat. All of the sticks can be removed and require no glue, nails, screws or metal components.

* Eric Tong, Great Britain, Zpine Lounge Chair: Honeycomb not only has a magnificent strength-to-weight ratio--it also looks beautiful in this flexible and easy-to-assemble Zpine Lounge Chair, and it's economical, sustainable and biodegradable. The piece converts between a chair and a chaise and collapses with ease.

* Tom Fereday, Australia, Allt Chair: This linear-framed chair is reminiscent of classic handcrafted Danish furniture, with a mesh and fastening system that is 100 percent contemporary. Made from recyclable birch plywood and stainless steel components, the chair uses non-permanent fasteners and can easily be disassembled, reducing its environmental footprint on a number of levels, from beginning to end.

* Klaus Peter Berkemeyer, Germany, ELXE: The backrest and seat are made of two molded wooden shelves, which merge with two wooden legs that also form the armrests. With two light front legs of stainless steel, ELXE can be dismantled into just four components for easy moving or storage.

* Juan Mercado, United States, RE_flex: Is it a desk chair, a rocking chair, a sleek chair fit for a bachelor pad? The answer is all of the above with RE_flex. The chair consists of two different parts that are repeated 19 times.

The competition drew more than 360 entries from around the world, and included hammocks, scoop chairs, cushioned benches and more.

Susan Inglis, executive director of the Sustainable Furnishings Council, described the program as a useful tool for the industry: It's an opportunity for designers to manufacture and market fabulous new designs," going on to thank World Market Center, a founding member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council, for its role in the One Good Chair program.

"I couldn€™t be more excited," said Robert Maricich, president and CEO of World Market Center Las Vegas. "What a blend of great design and creativity."

According to an applause meter at the finalist ceremony, Tom Fereday won the "People's Choice" designation.