Soft Work Double Bench_web_5-2

Soft Work

Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby, 2018

The Soft Work office seating system offers a versatile platform for both individuals and teams. Besides ergonomic seating options, users also find practical table surfaces, power outlets and charging stations. Mobile tables and chairs can be pulled up as needed and put away again, and the addition of panels creates spaces for quiet, concentrated work.

Environmental Product Passport

Carbon footprint
The carbon footprint stands for the amount of greenhouse gas emissions (also referred to as carbon emissions) generated throughout a product's entire life cycle. The carbon footprint is most commonly expressed in CO2 equivalents (CO2e) as a standard measure for the warming effect of all greenhouse gases.
Recycling
Following the principle of the circular economy, Vitra uses the largest amount of recycled and recyclable materials possible.This proportion will increase as a result of ongoing product development.
Material composition
Vitra uses a wide range of materials that must all withstand stringent internal and external testing procedures. If a new material is found that is better for the environment and meets Vitra's quality criteria, suitable products are executed in that material.
Packaging & logistics
Vitra uses detailed information to elaborate targeted optimisation of transport routes. Preference is given to rail transport whenever feasible, and Vitra aims for the most efficient capacity management possible when using lorries. Packaging serves to protect the product and minimise the transport volume. Packaging is reduced wherever possible and materials are optimised in terms of their impact on the environment.
Supply chain
Vitra purchases its raw materials and components almost exclusively from suppliers in Europe, which simplifies compliance with uniform statutory standards and shortens transport routes. Vitra maintains long-term relationships with many of its suppliers, some spanning several decades, which is a key advantage for the further development of products, technologies and materials.
Certificates
Vitra purchases its raw materials and components almost exclusively from suppliers in Europe, which simplifies compliance with uniform statutory standards and shortens transport routes. Vitra maintains long-term relationships with many of its suppliers, some spanning several decades, which is a key advantage for the further development of products, technologies and materials.
Greenguard
The GREENGUARD label for indoor air quality recognises products that contribute to the creation of healthier indoor environments.

GS
With the GS seal for tested safety, a state-authorised inspection institute certifies the suitability and safety of the construction and monitors production at regular intervals.

Ergonomics Approved
The 'Ergonomics Approved' certificate confirms the fulfilment of ergonomic requirements and testing criteria that exceed the minimum legal regulations for office swivel chairs.

BIFMA
Soft Work fulfils the ANSI/BIFMA standard X5.1-2011, thus meeting the stringent safety requirements for the US market..
Here you can download the Environmental Product Passport as a PDF. If you have any questions about the Environmental Product Passport or other concerns about sustainability, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].
Environmental Product Passport (PDF)
Product family

Soft Work

Never since the introduction of computers have office structures and work habits undergone such a radical transformation as that taking place today. Public spaces are becoming workspaces: thanks to communication technology, people can now work in hotel lobbies, cafés, airports or even parks. And in reverse, offices are becoming public spaces: many companies are now creating open and inspiring locations in which employees – or external visitors – can relax, hold meetings or spend the day working. As work is no longer tied to a specific location, new behavioural patterns have developed, which are gradually finding their way into the office. For example, the sofa has become a place on which to work – even though it is not necessarily suited to this task from an ergonomic viewpoint. With this in mind, Vitra and the designers Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby have devised and developed the new seating system Soft Work, uniting expertise from the home, office and public sectors. Instead of creating a working environment centred around desks with peripheral sofas, Soft Work has developed into a system in which table workstations are focused around a seating landscape. Barber and Osgerby see this as a long-term development: 'The workstation is going the same way as the dining room – it’s disappearing as an archetype. The desk has had its day. With mobile technology you need a place to sit occasionally, or a comfortable place to hang out. That’s our belief.' Soft Work offers a versatile platform for both individuals and teams. Besides ergonomic seating options, users also find practical table surfaces, power outlets and charging stations. Mobile tables and chairs can be pulled up as needed and put away again, and the addition of panels creates spaces for quiet, concentrated work. Thanks to its modular concept, Soft Work can be easily assembled into diverse arrangements, enabling architects to structure the internal spaces of a building, create specific focal points, or define flexible public areas. All these options are possible due to the sophisticated construction of Soft Work and its technical details: the arm-mounted desks are movable and enable diverse seating and working positions; the power sockets are located between the seat cushions and can simply be pivoted upwards for comfortable use; partition screens can be used to divide up zones and create quiet sheltered spaces. All of the functional elements are seamlessly and elegantly integrated into the appealing overall aesthetic. Equipped with generously padded seat cushions and flexible backrests, the sofa offers comfortable working conditions, even over longer periods of time. Straight and curved elements in single or double versions, platforms, tables, panels, arm-mounted trays, power and data connections, along with a choice of covers in a wide range of colours, offer countless possibilities for customised configurations of Soft Work that suit individual needs and spaces – whether in offices, coworking centres, universities, station halls, airport terminals or restaurants.

This product was designed by

Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby

Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby studied architecture as fellow students at the Royal College of Art in London. Since that time, their collaborative work has probed the interface between industrial design, furniture design and architecture.