Ope
Manufacturer Stavanger / Norway
0
In a world where everything constantly changes, we create furniture that lasts for generations. The Norwegian furniture manufacturer Ope was founded in 2011 by the designers Lars Urheim and Eirik Helgesen. Their goal was to create a truly sustainable furniture system, based on the principles of circular economy. The Ope system was designed to give everybody the option of getting their unique furniture solution for home or workplace, without compromising on versatility and adaptability. Ope carries the distinct marks of the Scandinavian Design tradition it is part of. Light, functionality, openness and sustainability are core to the product concept.
During a hike far above the world famous fjord ’Lysefjorden’ in Norway, the processing of the idea for a a new furniture system where the panels seems to be soaring began. This idea has both named the system with the characteristic openings between the panels, as well as defined the aesthetical expression of the system. Light is let in through the openings, and the floating panels give the product its light and open expression, which is recognizable for classic Scandinavian Design. The rounded corners of the panels separates Ope aesthetically from other modular furniture systems, and adds a softness that harmonizes well with a comprehensive interior together with upholstered furniture and organic shapes.
A dawning financial crisis inspired the designers Lars Urheim and Eirik Helgesen to formulate a comprehensive theory of how the furniture industry and society would develop for decades after. Expectations about digitization of physical goods, individual customization of products, distributed manufacturing, e-commerce and circular economics are important factors in the development of Ope.
Ope is furniture system, brand, furniture manufacturer and sustainable business concept, all in constant development. Design methodology has been essential in every aspect of the project, and it is difficult to talk about one facet without talking about the others. Ope is a clear proof that design thinking is an all-encompassing method. The furniture system consists of panels and connectors, the standard format being set to a center width of 36cm (14,2”). The assessments behind this format were made across all roles and tasks in the entrepreneurial team.
At the base was the desire to communicate the modular system, which basically has no limitations, to the private market in an easy-to-understand manner. The solution was to create a packet solution of a size where an appropriate number of panels and connectors fit into a cabinet. The product series is called Ope SelectTM, and includes the product packages Ope ØyTM and Ope Ås TM, as well as Ope Mini and Ope Maxi that are developed for our partner Lammhults Biblioteksdesign. All packages are carefully curated by the designers in order to create a broad variety of solutions for the end customer.
Sustainability has been central to Ope since the beginning, and the commitment go deeper than choice of materials and climate emissions. By designing for reuse without going through transportation and material recovery, one can achieve low environmental impact and minimal waste production in a lifetime perspective. Re-use should, in line with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, be its model for circular economy ideally without any use of energy and processing or waste produced.
Ope’s solution is furniture that changes shape and function on site in line with the user's changing needs throughout his/her lifetime. The purpose is to reduce transport needs, replacement and waste even after the product is put into service. Ope is always assembled at its destination, which means that the environmental benefits of transport-efficient packaging of the product follow the value chain from production to delivery.
Ope wants to push limits by facilitating extreme customization of design to increase usage over time. Through reuse and redefinition of the product's purpose, the system is revived without loss of resources whenever the user's needs end. Cyclical reuse of the Ope components should be a realistic opportunity, and everyone should be able to learn how to mount and disassemble Ope. The product is mounted without tools, with very few different components to relate to.
The design
During a hike far above the world famous fjord ’Lysefjorden’ in Norway, the processing of the idea for a a new furniture system where the panels seems to be soaring began. This idea has both named the system with the characteristic openings between the panels, as well as defined the aesthetical expression of the system. Light is let in through the openings, and the floating panels give the product its light and open expression, which is recognizable for classic Scandinavian Design. The rounded corners of the panels separates Ope aesthetically from other modular furniture systems, and adds a softness that harmonizes well with a comprehensive interior together with upholstered furniture and organic shapes.
Process/concept
A dawning financial crisis inspired the designers Lars Urheim and Eirik Helgesen to formulate a comprehensive theory of how the furniture industry and society would develop for decades after. Expectations about digitization of physical goods, individual customization of products, distributed manufacturing, e-commerce and circular economics are important factors in the development of Ope.
Ope is furniture system, brand, furniture manufacturer and sustainable business concept, all in constant development. Design methodology has been essential in every aspect of the project, and it is difficult to talk about one facet without talking about the others. Ope is a clear proof that design thinking is an all-encompassing method. The furniture system consists of panels and connectors, the standard format being set to a center width of 36cm (14,2”). The assessments behind this format were made across all roles and tasks in the entrepreneurial team.
At the base was the desire to communicate the modular system, which basically has no limitations, to the private market in an easy-to-understand manner. The solution was to create a packet solution of a size where an appropriate number of panels and connectors fit into a cabinet. The product series is called Ope SelectTM, and includes the product packages Ope ØyTM and Ope Ås TM, as well as Ope Mini and Ope Maxi that are developed for our partner Lammhults Biblioteksdesign. All packages are carefully curated by the designers in order to create a broad variety of solutions for the end customer.
Sustainability and circular economy
Sustainability has been central to Ope since the beginning, and the commitment go deeper than choice of materials and climate emissions. By designing for reuse without going through transportation and material recovery, one can achieve low environmental impact and minimal waste production in a lifetime perspective. Re-use should, in line with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, be its model for circular economy ideally without any use of energy and processing or waste produced.
Ope’s solution is furniture that changes shape and function on site in line with the user's changing needs throughout his/her lifetime. The purpose is to reduce transport needs, replacement and waste even after the product is put into service. Ope is always assembled at its destination, which means that the environmental benefits of transport-efficient packaging of the product follow the value chain from production to delivery.
Ope wants to push limits by facilitating extreme customization of design to increase usage over time. Through reuse and redefinition of the product's purpose, the system is revived without loss of resources whenever the user's needs end. Cyclical reuse of the Ope components should be a realistic opportunity, and everyone should be able to learn how to mount and disassemble Ope. The product is mounted without tools, with very few different components to relate to.
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In a world where everything constantly changes, we create furniture that lasts for generations. The Norwegian furniture manufacturer Ope was founded in 2011 by the designers Lars Urheim and Eirik Helgesen. Their goal was to create a truly sustainable furniture system, based on the principles of circular economy. The Ope system was designed to give everybody the option of getting their unique furniture solution for home or workplace, without compromising on versatility and adaptability. Ope...