Green Design Girl

Synapse Side Chair by Teknion at IIDEX/NeoCon 2008.

I recently touched upon the Canadian green loving folks at Teknion when I wrote about my meeting with their team and the Green Solutions crew at IIDEX/NeoCon.

If you’re an Interior Designer and/or Architect actively working the field, you’re undoubtedly familiar with Teknion’s solid reputation as one of the leading international designers, manufacturers and marketers of office systems and related furniture products. However, are you aware of how fiercely green these folks are? And that they’ve been upping their sustainable status for a long time [way before “green” became a buzz word]? 

Well, I was actually in the dark about how committed they are to their eco-conscious philosophy, so I was thrilled to hear all about it first hand during my meeting with their amazing PR team [a finely tuned marketing machine if I ever saw one; and hey, I worked in Public Relations for years, so I know good PR!]. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Teknion’s Loraine Buyar, Cynthia Kirkland Odell and Christine Krokker — all of them super friendly and passionate about green design and sustainable solutions. It was quite inspiring to hear about Teknion’s green efforts and to be introduced to their amazing Synapse creation, which made its Canadian debut at this Toronto edition of IIDEX/NeoCon. I was also extremely pleased to hear that Teknion is the first furniture manufacturer to partner with Green Solutions. 

Of course, I also won’t soon forget the experience of sitting in their mind-blowing, award-winning booth for our meeting, or attending one of their annual legendary trade only bashes later that evening [they’re green AND they know who to throw a fabulous party, thus scoring them even bigger points with me!]. Sadly, my camera’s flash wasn’t enough to illuminate the festivities, but trust me, it was unforgettable. Complete with a live band and Teknion’s very own President, David Feldberg, belting out some great tunes on stage [and deservedly so, as the company is celebrating its 25 year anniversary!]. People danced their design loving booties off ‘till the wee hours and I was thrilled to be a part of it. 

Teknion’s eco-friendly Synapse side chair made quite the splash at the trade show, not only with its sleek and modern look, but also with its strong sustainable story. Industrial Designer Carl Gustav Magnusson explains: “My design inspiration was a conflux of the 1960s work of the Danish architect Borge Mogensen and today’s advanced metal-to-wood connection techniques, [resulting in] a modern wooden side chair that combines traditional wood joinery and unique construction to meet today’s increasingly demanding seating sustainability requirements.” 

Synapse’s minimal frame is made with sustainably sourced solid Solid Beech or Maple, but what skyrockets its eco-status in my books, is the responsible thought put into its design aimed at low-impact transport and quick installation. Since it can be shipped flat in a carton, the chair requires only one-third the space, thus maximizing shipping and installation efficiencies and ensuring that it assembles on site in less than five minutes. For a detailed diagram of Synapse in its dismantled state, check out the vivid images in their brochure here.

Synapse also minimizes its use of materials by being comprised of only five parts, all of which are replaceable or interchangeable, thus allowing quick replacements in the field, or the option of having independent pieces recycled. From an aesthetic point of view, it also gives one the opportunity to combine different finishes on the same chair if desired. To top it all off, the chair’s non-anodized aluminum seat frame can easily be removed for reuse or recycling. 

Smart, flexible and super green. What’s not to love? I’m already looking forward to what they’ll wow us with next year.