The office task chair has a 125-year pedigree, and the challenge today is to design the most environmentally smart chair with as few materials and resources as possible while meeting the demanding array of international standards.
Contemporary task chairs can be either simple or complex. With Kirn we have made it beautifully simple.
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The design of
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Kirn’s carbon footprint - it matters more than ever Kirn is primarily made from a durable & high-quality material that uses 100% recycled polymer feedstock. Compared to virgin plastics of the same type, it produces 97% less CO2 in its processing. Orangebox recognises that the world is nearing the point where natural resources are declining at an untenable rate with virgin materials needing the very highest levels of energy & water from their initial extraction to refining and industrial processing. The radical rethink that’s required to ensure our future prosperity starts with the stuff we use every day and Orangebox products have the aim of keeping the materials and energy used at the highest value for the longest time possible.
Kirn’s ‘light-touch’ architecture achieves a new manufacturing and performance finesse. Kirn’s personality is expressed most clearly in its strong visual and material lightness. This comes as the result of rethinking the traditional task chair mechanism & developing a fully weight balancing solution that’s integrated into the framework of the chair. As well as delivering a great sitting experience it allows a more open, light-touch architecture and the creation of Orangebox’s first fully mesh task chair.
For any furniture designer being able to design a new high volume task chair is both a privilege and a pleasure. Kirn was our third task chair with Orangebox following X10 and Ara. Of all office furniture design projects the task chair is perhaps the most rewarding because of the extended design and development period that generally runs for three years from initial research discussions to achieving final production. The design phase allows the developing and testing of a wide range of design and performance ideas.
As the design ideas are explored the engineering and performance architecture of the chair are simultaneously refined to a point where both align and the final design phase explores a narrower range of design ideas.
Kirn was designed to be intuitive to operate with super comfortable, three dimensional mesh technology support. With the intent that every user would find Kirn intuitive to operate and super comfortable to sit in, reflecting the move towards shared use seating, which is increasingly the norm in more collaborative workspaces. Kirn’s soft-touch open technical mesh has been developed to provide a refined subtle balance between comfort and support and provides enhanced heat dissipation and the soft touch fibres are engineered to provide continuous, hard wearing three-dimensional support for both petite and heavier users, and everyone in between.
Unlike most new task chairs Kirn does not assume everyone will be sitting at a 740mm high desk. As the use of sit-stand work surfaces within the workplace is becoming more widespread and as our knowledge of the health benefits of being more agile and adopting multiple sitting position is increasing, so the requirements of our task chair increases. Kirn is designed with an increased seat height range that meets this new demand and will allow you to sit and work with a work top range of 615 to 785.
The design of
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The architecture of Kirn was developed with product longevity and material efficiency in mind. Rigorous engineering design has resulted in a simpler product made from fewer parts and less material. This is directed by Orangebox’s belief that whilst the transition to a truly Circular Economy cannot happen overnight, starting the journey towards a more sustainable, resilient future is an important signal of intent and defines a direction of travel for the next decade. Orangebox’s aim is to work within our planetary boundaries, rather than ignoring them.
We recognise that, to a large extent, Orangebox’s success and growth relies on the long-term sustainability of materials, so building a future which more effectively balances economic and environmental outcomes is a key priority for our business. And, while we understand that the transition to a truly Circular Economy can’t happen overnight, we want to set out on the journey, taking steps that will both establish our direction of travel for the next decade and signal our intent to the industry.
At Orangebox, the design and testing of a new task chair is typically a four-year cycle, building on the most successful elements of the chair’s predecessors, as well as innovations in manufacturing and material science. Kirn follows in the steps of Joy, Ara, Do and Eva, meeting our aim of redefining what a great task chair should be, and at the same time exemplifying progressive, ‘light touch’, environmentally smart manufacturing.
Kirn is made from high quality materials to an inherently resilient design, and we’ve also made all of its major parts quick and simple to replace or upgrade, giving the chair a long, problem-free working life. When it does eventually come to the end of its first life, Kirn’s simple construction and low part count is designed to facilitate part separation, recycling or remanufacturing. Kirn’s material selection and design for disassembly will allow 99% of the chair to be recycled, and its large parts carry material identifier marks.
fig.1 Intelligent manufacturing
1kg of Kirn’s recycled plastic = 0.2 kg of CO2 emissions
Kirn is designed to use as few materials and resources as possible and with recycled materials wherever feasible.
fig.2 Kirn’s Material Footprint
46 47 48 49
metal 5.80kg foam 0.01kg fabric 1.10kg plastic 23.72kg Orangebox op’s value 18.34kg
.95 .96 .97 .98 .99
1 kg of virgin plastic = 6 kg’s of CO2 emissions
kg
Carbon Footprint
Great design is about the journey fig.3 The continuous quest to tread more lightly
G64
Joy Ara
Do
Eva
Kirn
21Kg 20Kg 19Kg 18Kg 17Kg 16Kg 15Kg 14Kg 13Kg 12Kg 11Kg 10Kg
The architecture of Kirn locates the arm in a predominant position, designed for easy and intuitive adjustment.
You lift the arm to the height required via incremental clicked steps. To reset you click to the top, which drops the arm to the bottom.
UP
The flexible lumbar support has additional dynamic aircell technology to displace and react to changing postures with an enhanced support (adjustable – 80mm up/down and 20mm in/out).
DOWN
Arm height travel is 100mm with simple fingertip controls
Kirn’s arm has been designed to help provide maximum support and comfort for petite users, larger users, and everyone in between.
The mesh seat provides supportive dynamic suspension whatever the task, and the generous waterfall front encourages upright posture for all user heights and a more comfortable perch for height adjustable work surfaces.
The arm moves seamlessly with the backrest as you recline.
Seat depth is 66mm of travel with generous waterfall for shorter users and perching activity.
The weight balancing mechanism can automatically respond to users of all weights, from the very lightest users up to 23.5 stone.
Seat height range 415mm to 585mm Kirn’s increased seat height range enables both shorter and taller users to find a comfortable sitting position, for both fixed and height adjustable work surfaces.
Kirn standard arm
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Kirn is predominantly manufactured using a next generation, low impact 100% recycled polymer material,
Kirn multi-adjustable arm
Using smart materials in this way is just one example of the Circular Economy thinking Orangebox is putting into practice in our transition away from wasteful resource use; part of the radical rethink required to ensure our collective future prosperity and wellbeing.
Product specification Kirn-HBA Task armchair
Kirn-HBAH Task armchair with headrest
Kirn-HBCA Counter height armchair
Standard Product Description Castors: 65mm black, hard tyre castor as standard.
Back Frame: Injection moulded 30% glass filled nylon in black or white.
Plastic Trim Colour: Black or white options available.
Headrest: Available in black or white to match back frame. The mesh is also matched to the back frame.
Mesh Colour: Charcoal or smoke options available. (passes BS EN 1335-1 & BS EN ISO 9241). Composition 84%, Polyester, 15% Polyamid, 1% Elastane
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Optional Upcharges
Base: Available in textured black.
Castors: 65mm black, soft tyre castors and 65mm black, soft tyre, break unloaded available as an upcharge.
Mechanism: Synchronous weight balancing movement with up to 20° recline.
Glides: 50mm diameter glide available as an upcharge.
Gas Lift: Task chair (black) – 170 mm travel. Counter height chair (brushed chrome, fitted with footring) – 250 mm travel.
Mechanism: Travel limiter (2 position travel limiter & back lock in the upright position).
Seat: Injection moulded 30% glass filled nylon in grey or white. Integrated seat height & depth controls. 66mm seat depth adjustment.
Base: Textured white available as an upcharge.
Arms: 2D Arm, 30% glass filled nylon injection moulded arms textured black or textured white. Soft-Touch TPU armpads available in black only. 100mm height adjustment & rotating armpads.
Lumbar: Adjustable lumbar support. Height 80mm (up & down) and depth 20mm (in & out) with air lumbar pad. Colour matched to back frame.
Arms: Multi-adjustable arm available as an upcharge.
Orangebox Smartworking® London 38 Northampton Road, London EC1R 0HU, United Kingdom. T. +44 (0)20 7837 9922 email. smartworkinglondon@orangebox.com
Head Office & Manufacturing Orangebox Limited, Parc Nantgarw, Cardiff CF15 7QU, United Kingdom. T. +44 (0)1443 816 604 email. sales@orangebox.com
Orangebox Smartworking® New York 320 5th Avenue, Suite 600, New York, NY 10001 email. nyc@orangebox.com
Orangebox Smartworking® Huddersfield Bates Mill, Colne Road, Huddersfield HD1 3AG, United Kingdom. T. +44 (0)1484 536 400 email. smartworkinghuddersfield@orangebox.com
Orangebox Smartworking® Dubai Dubai Design District, Building 3 Office 504, PO Box 333016, Dubai, UAE. T: +971 (0)4770 7900 email. smartworkingdubai@orangebox.com
www.orangebox.com