FEATURED STORY
Adding a green touch to work

“We noticed that there aren’t that many products on the market with a creative approach to plants,” says Tilla Goldberg, Head of Product Design at Interior Design Studio Ippolito Fleitz Group. Now in the form of “PARA VERT” for furniture maker Brunner, the product designer is now presenting a prototype at ORGATEC 2018 that is undoubtedly ready for the market. The idea is as simple as it is imaginative: The core element of this green room divider is a flower-like metal rod that curves up from a base and has a plastic container attached for holding plant pots. By adding further receptacles and rods at two different heights this basic module can be expanded as desired and can even act as a spacious room dividing system.

“PARA VERT” can be greened entirely to suit your personal wishes. And apart from being a pleasant eyecatcher in the workspace it also offers practical advantages: “80 percent of the air we breathe every day is indoor air,” explains Tilla Goldberg. However, since plants produce oxygen the air in the office is improved in a natural manner, while fine particulates and harmful substances are filtered out. Moreover, sharing the responsibility for watering the plants enhances social interaction.

“PARA VERT” can be placed anywhere in the room and thanks to its lightweight modular structure many geometric and organic shapes can be created; individual designs are quickly found – for example the system can be used to frame a discussion zone. The flexible modules also mean that the system can be easily adapted to different settings. Currently, “PARA VERT” is available in the standard Brunner shades of white and lava. Other color options are currently being considered.

If there is not to be a plant in every container they can also be put to a different use, say for storing office paraphernalia. The design also takes into account a potential need for concealed cable management with a hole in the base of each container large enough for a plug to be slipped through. Then the actual leads could run down along the rods of “PARA VERT”. Or clip-on luminaires can provide ideal lighting for the foliage. As such “PARA VERT” not only brings a lot of natural flair into the office but also a very practical touch – a concept that chimes with the spirit of the new work concept. “In the wake of the changes in our working world there is an immense longing for more greenery in the room, better health and untamed naturalness,” says managing director Dr. Marc Brunner.