I am pleased to announce that I have finished my first piece of office furniture for Jofco, an Indiana-based office furniture manufacturer. What makes this venture special is that everything I design will be totally green! When renovating our house this past year, I learned so much about building to protect the environment that I decided that I'd like to carry on in that spirit, with green office furniture.
This first project is called "Tahke." Tahke is totally green - from material to glue to tack surface to finishing, from drawer boxes to the compact florescent lights used in the overhead.
Tahke is made from bamboo that is harvested, by hand, in China, from a hillside where it is indigenous (and there are no pandas!). It replenishes itself every 5-6 years. Compare that to 30-40 years for trees!
Tahke and its companion pieces will be available in two colors, natural, and the beautiful amber color you see in the photo (above) that comes from a heating process that carmelizes the sugar that's naturally found in the bamboo. No chemicals or dyes! The finish is water-based, created with a new process that's never been done before.
You can expect to start ordering my new furniture line in September (2007) with expected delivery in December. Tahke, by the way, is the phonetic spelling of "bamboo" in Japanese.
The Official Press Release
Jasper, IN - JOFCO, the Indiana based office furniture manufacturer, announces the introduction of TAHKE, a collection of modern and contemporary furniture for office environments. Internationally recognized for producing quality crafted and smartly designed wood furniture for the multi-use work place, JOFCO expands its offering with this flexible and modular and sustainable casegood.
TAHKE, designed by Jhane Barnes, is the first green casegood product for the company.
Tahke is a new kind of case good. Composed of solid, bamboo plywood, it utilizes refined characteristics inherent in the material to define its style. Responsible and intriguing design details propel Tahke into an unprecedented arena of sustainability.
Recognizing that process is as important as product, JOFCO collaborated with celebrated designer Jhane Barnes to design a completely green solution. Every detail - glue, hardware, veneer and wood species is sustainable. "It is our responsibility to regard the issues of sustainability at all levels," says Jhane Barnes. "In designing TAHKE I selected materials that reflect that responsibility."
Tahke is freestanding furniture engineered to accommodate the technological demands of today's office. Designed to suit diverse office aesthetics, the line includes five desk styles: single or double pedestal, peninsula, rectangular or bullet shape desks. Storage credenzas with or without knee space. Work surface storage towers accommodate personal and media requirements.
"Being sustainable means anticipating change for a prolonged life cycle," says Barnes. "Tahke's units are modular to allow field reconfiguration."
Developed for longevity, Tahke starts with solid, 3-ply vertical cross core bamboo. Top surfaces are reinforced with a clear water-based finish protecting wear points and minimizing damage.
Plywood is available in two colors: amber and natural. These are not stains, but natural bamboo plywood color offerings. All work surfaces have a hard, durable clear powder coat applied.