Known for manufacturing durable outdoor seating for public spaces in New York, London, and Paris, the Norwegian furniture brand Vestre has announced plans to build the world’s most eco-friendly furniture factory. The new development, called “The Plus” for its cross-like shape and designed by Bjarke Ingels Group, aims to be an exemplar of sustainable architecture—its energy requirement will be 90 percent lower and will generate 50 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than a conventional factory of the same size. The Plus, which will become the Nordic region’s first industrial building to achieve BREEAM Outstanding certification, will accomplish this in part by sourcing materials such as local timber and low-carbon concrete, as well as using an energy supply system that combines 1,200 solar panels and geothermal wells.

Building the factory is a crucial next step in Vestre’s ongoing mission to become the world’s most sustainable furniture manufacturer. “Man-made climate change is the greatest challenge of our time,” says Jan Christian Vestre, the company’s CEO. “I sincerely believe that everyone can save the planet, at least a little bit. Sustainability is a result of the choices we make every day.” The factory will sit at the halfway point between the brand’s Oslo headquarters and its Snøhetta-designed manufacturing plant in Torsby, Sweden. All-electric Tesla trucks will shuttle between the three locations when the factory is fully up-and-running. Construction is slated to begin in August, though an estimated completion date has not yet been announced.

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When the coronavirus pandemic forced New York’s Museum of Modern Art to close, Neri Oxman’s groundbreaking “Material Ecology” exhibition had only been open for four weeks. Now, the multidisciplinary designer and founder of MIT Media Lab’s Mediated Matter Group has launched a virtual experience in which visitors can get a closer look at her mesmerizing work. Like the physical exhibition, Oxman’s website dives into seven key projects from her illustrious career, including an exclusive video of Silk Pavilion II, in which 17,000 silkworms generate 3D cocoons from a single thread to create the geometry of a geodesic dome.

Every year, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) conducts a survey of the number of architects licensed in the United States. That number rose to 116,242 in 2019, representing a 1 percent increase from 2018 and a 10 percent increase from one decade ago. While this data may shift as Covid-19 impacts architectural practice, the survey speaks to the profession’s relative health prior to the outbreak. “There is reassurance in knowing the profession was in excellent health going into this challenging time,” says Michael Armstrong, CEO of NCARB. “We hope it emerges stronger and more dynamic than ever before.”

SP01 is an Australian design brand with a global outlook. Featuring a collection of meticulously detailed, hand-finished furniture and accessories, SP01 works with talented designers from around the world who share a passion for honest design, high-quality materials, and attention to detail. SP01 is made 100 percent in Italy by leading manufacturers.

Surface Says: SP01 combines Italian know-how with an Australian spirit to create refreshingly practical furniture.

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