Meeting, Waiting, Communicating
The story of OFFECCT
Quite a few years have passed since we started this company.
This describes the way we reason at OFFECCT. Sometimes we
When a piece of furniture from OFFECCT is in its limelight, it is just
A lot have changed during this time. However, a great part of the
solemnly call ourselves Bearers of Culture. Many of our competitors,
as much a Swedish cultural piece as a film by Ingmar Bergman or a
ambitions we started out with are still with us.
perhaps even the majority of them, choose to relate to chairs, tables
drama by August Strindberg. If a chair were made only to rest your
and sofas simply as objects. We don’t. To us, furniture and people
behind on, well, any block of wood would do.
We have never compromised on accuracy. Trends may come and go,
must co-exist. When we relate to Bearers of Culture it also gives
but we have always kept quality as a constant. Our clients should
away that we are proud of what we create and that we consider
return to us with a smile on their face, not with a wrecked chair.
ourselves part of history as it is being written.
The same goes for curiosity, which has driven us throughout the
Sweden and Scandinavia has quite a reputation to live up to when
years in our mission to find new collaborations and interesting
it comes to furniture production and design. Our ambition is to
challenges. Curiosity demands guts, and the brave definitely have
maintain and manage this heritage as well as being open-minded
more fun than the cowardly. Deep down, a furniture producer is
towards new possibilities. Without our roots in the Scandinavian
merely a man, and the courage to live is the condition to succeed.
soil we would never have had the strength to grow the way we have done.
Bearers of Culture
Other topics that occupy our day to day thinking are environmental
money to spend on development of environmentally friendly products
Maybe it’s not so odd that Eero Koivisto has designed both the
care and the will to work globally.
and work methods, surely the darkest of future visions would soon
Orbit sofa system and the Amazonas nesting tables. Amazonas
be a reality. In Tibro, as well as in the rest of the world. And that’s
pretty much by itself reflects OFFECCT’s wholehearted belief in
OFFECCT’s headquarters, production and showroom are located in
not the way we want it. The care for the environment is therefore an
design being a determining aspect of social foundations. Eero
the small town of Tibro, Sweden. Someone read Tibro backwards and
obvious part of our quality management.
Koivisto explains;
it spelled Orbit. A fact we could not help to laugh about. Orbit is the scientific vocable for the circulation of a planet. Earth, for instance. In the winter of 1962, American astronaut John Glenn was the first
- As a designer you can strive to create an ecological and sustainable The fact that the world is a unity and that knowledge and passion
quality product that the buyer does not wish to throw to waste.
nowadays travels back and forth over the borders is apparent in our
Amazonas is therefore of monomaterial, in this case steel, that is
collaboration with talented designers from other parts of the world.
completely recyclable. To further contribute, parts of the proceeds
person to “make an Orbit” when he circulated around the globe in his space shuttle Friendship 7.
from Amazonas are given to a project aiming to save the rainforest. Today, it is just as natural that cosmopolitans like Karim Rashid, Jean-Marie Massaud and Norway Says is part of our squad, as
We aim just as high. The natural state of our planet is simply a result
Swedish designers Monica Förster, Thomas Sandell and the trio
of how we treat it. If we as furniture producers don’t have the time or
Claesson Koivisto Rune.
Tibro makes Orbit
Every piece of furniture is a possible meeting place. Since we spend lots of time working with public spaces we have gained a great amount of experience on how different furniture interact with different kinds of people. We therefore do not hesitate when we state that every piece of furniture is a possible meeting place. And where people meet, things happen. We want to create possibilities for people to meet under good conditions. Therefore we put high demands on our designers and their ability to communicate. It doesn’t matter whether you are a greek olive cultivator or a wine producer in Italy; the fact remains that only good circumstances give good crops. Why should we think any different?
Meeting
Spline by Norway Says
Bond & Bond Light by Jean-Marie Massaud
Bond by Jean-Marie Massaud
With a strong environmental commitment, OFFECCT implements ecological values in all aspects of the product development cycle. We always strive towards creating high quality sustainable products made from recyclable materials. As an example of this, parts of the proceeds from the Amazonas nesting tables support The Children’s Rainforest, a Swedish nonprofit environmental organisation that has turned rainforests into nature reserves since 1987. For more information, please visit www.barnens-regnskog.net
Amazonas by Eero Koivisto
Cornflake by Claesson Koivisto Rune
Sport by Eero Koivisto
Bird by Broberg & Ridderstr책le
Cloud by Monica Fรถrster
Mono Light by Ola Rune
Propeller by Eero Koivisto
Q Collection by Olle Anderson
Are not all public spaces just different kinds of waiting areas?
Our perception of time depends on how we find the surroundings
Someone on a way to a meeting gets stuck in traffic and someone
and ourselves therein. If the location is beautiful or exciting in some
else has to wait. A decision is held up. Time is ticking.
way, we find that time is an asset. If the sofa at the airport gives us a sore backside it can break down our patience in no time.
When we discuss these waiting areas, we like to talk about our responsibility as a furniture producer. Part of this responsibility is
Our designers put great importance into integrating time aspects
creating a space that people feel comfortable in, where consum-
when creating an object. Waiting should be worth the wait.
ing time isn’t a torment. A space where the air can vibrate of the positive anticipations that waiting may enhance.
Waiting
Nemo by Eero Koivisto and Ola Rune
Tempo by Andrea Ruggiero
Spoon & Spoon Low by Monica Fรถrster
Flower & Flower Mini by Eero Koivisto
Float High by Eero Koivisto
Float by Eero Koivisto
Float by Eero Koivisto
Vertigo by Eero Koivisto
Easy Block by Jean-Marie Massaud
Ghost by Eero Koivisto
Tinto Center by Claesson Koivisto Rune
Orgy by Karim Rashid
K-Line by Khodi Feiz
Tray by Monica Fรถrster
Woob by Eero Koivisto
At the end of the day, everything is really about communication.
At OFFECCT every vessel communicate with each other. Every
We should be able to understand each other, spend time and
object we produce should be both fully visible and completely
communicate in a way that feels genuine and reliable. A creative
invisible.
meeting place enables communication between people. Not only should you be able to trust the person you are talking to, you should
In our view, furniture is part of the human signal system. Signs that
also feel safe to rely on the tools you are using. Our products are
should be clear enough to be understood by anyone anywhere. At
our communication tools.
that point, we have achieved our goal.
Tables, chairs, sofas, lighting – no piece of the puzzle is less important than the other. Together, these components can either enhance or disrupt communication. The experienced craftsman often says that good technique is never noticed – it just works. And we are all aware of the opposite.
Communicating
Grip by Satyendra PakhalĂŠ
Palma by Khodi Feiz
King by Thomas Sandell
Toffee by Eero Koivisto
Orbit by Eero Koivisto
Solitaire & Solichair by Alfredo H채berli
Window by Eero Koivisto
Playback
Spinnaker
by Eero Koivisto
by Beat Karrer
Pick Up by Alfredo H채berli
Smalltown by Eero Koivisto
Zero by Marre Moerel
Playhouse by Anders Breitholtz
SOUNDWAVE速 Flo by Karim Rashid
SOUNDWAVE速 Skyline by Marre Moerel
SOUNDWAVE速 Luna by Teppo Asikainen
SOUNDWAVE速 Mesh by Teppo Asikainen
SOUNDWAVE速 Scrunch by Teppo Asikainen
SOUNDWAVE速 Swell by Teppo Asikainen
We have been working with environmental issues for a long time, and we’re environmentally certified according to ISO and the Swan eco-label. Today, large parts of our collection bear the Swan ecolabel, and we work continuous towards improving all of our products from a recyclable and sustainable point of view.
Environment & Quality ISO and eco-labels
We believe in combining genuine Swedish craftsmanship with qualitative, innovative and sustainable design. We execute our beliefs in close collaboration with some of the world’s most renowned designers, who all share our company’s passion for creative meeting places. Together we strive to create elegant and intelligent products, incorporating Scandinavian design tradition and ecological values in the process.
Meeting, Waiting, Communicating Creative Meeting Places
Alfredo Häberli
Anders Breitholtz
Beat Karrer
Broberg & Ridderstråle
Jean-Marie Massaud
Karim Rashid
Andrea Ruggiero
Mårten Claesson, Eero Koivisto, Ola Rune
Katrin Greiling
Khodi Feiz
Marre Moerel
Monica Förster
Norway Says
Olle Anderson
Satyendra Pakhalé
Teppo Asikainen
Thomas Sandell
Our designers www.offecct.se
Bond
Float
Float High
Ghost
Mono Light
Float High
Ghost
King
Nemo
Orbit
Palma
Queen
Slide
Nemo
Orbit
Orgy
Smalltown
Solichair
Solitaire
Spoon
Spoon Low
Playback
Smalltown
Bond
Sport
Sport
Tempo
Tinto Center
Woob
Zero
Zero
Easy Block
Float
Bond
Bond
Bond Light
Bond Light
Cornflake
Cornflake
Cornflake
King
Mono Light
Mono Light
Our collection www.offecct.se
Quick
Quilt
Window
Flower
Mini Flower
K-Line
K-Line
Toffee
Amazonas
Basic
K-Line
K-Line
Pick Up
Playhouse
SOUNDWAVE® Flo
Bond
Bond
Cornflake
Cornflake
SOUNDWAVE® Skyline
SOUNDWAVE® Luna
SOUNDWAVE® Scrunch
SOUNDWAVE® Swell
SOUNDWAVE® Mesh
Cornflake
Dual
Fold
Grip
Propeller
Cloud
Forest
Spinnaker
Propeller
Spline
Sport
Tray
Vertigo
Q Chair
Qool
Spline
Spline
Bird
Quick
Our collection www.offecct.se
© OFFECCT 2008 | Photography: Åke E:son Lindman, Johan Fowelin, Peter Fotograf amongst others
Skövdevägen, Box 100, SE-543 21 Tibro, Sweden | +46 (0)504-415 00 | www.offecct.se