A collection specially designed to create a safe haven for nature in urban spaces.
As biodiversity sharply declines in urban spaces, slowing the pace towards extinction of many species is essential. Sustainable furniture manufacturer Vestre aims to do exactly that. Designed in a collaboration with René Hougaard, designer, architect and founder of Arde, and Rethink Studio’s design manager Alexander Qual, Habitats is an outdoor furniture collection that not only lives with the natural world, but also helps it grow. The concept behind the collection is simple: put biodiversity at the center of the design. The urban furniture not only offers people an eco-friendly way to spend time in nature, but also allows insects, birds, and plants to thrive even in the middle of a concrete jungle.
Created with nature in mind, the designs provide a home to the cities’ smallest creatures. To ensure the efficiency of the designs, Vestre also brought paleontologist Lene Liebe Delsett and biologist Katrine Turner on board. The collection comprises several designs that aim to enhance biodiversity in cities.
Furniture and outdoor accessories that allow insects and plants to live in peace.
The Log bench allows the storage of old wood which in turn provides a habitat for insects and fungi. The Pile bench features an empty space for the addition of surplus material from a garden like stones and gravel. Other designs include Leaf, a hotel for insects, the Wings bird nests, and the House bench. “We know that responsible furniture will not save the loss of nature and biodiversity, but we are convinced that our products can play a very important role to raise awareness around the great problem humanity is facing and we hope the initiative will inspire many others to build up interest and love for the natural world from where we originate,” says designer René Hougaard.
Vestre introduced the Habitats collection during Milan Design Week 2021, at Tortona Rocks. The exhibition also featured other Vestre designs, including the Plinth benches designed by Note Design Studio and the Munch Collection designed by Andreas Engesvik and Jonas Stokke. The company aims to make all the products from the Habitats range available for sale in 2022. Photography© Vestre.
