Vestre

Benches are not just benches – they bring us closer together. In collaboration with Human International Documentary Film Festival , LEVE Landsforeningen for etterlatte ved selvmord, and Kirkens SOS, we have placed three Friendship Benches in Oslo during the HUMAN International Documentary Film Festival this week. 💬 The benches provide a welcoming space for authentic connections and meaningful conversations, encouraging greater openness in difficult times. Loneliness is one of the biggest challenges of our time, but sometimes, a simple conversation can make all the difference. 🧡 The project is inspired by a mental health initiative in Zimbabwe, where psychiatrist Dr. Dixon Chibanda founded The Friendship Bench in 2006 to address the country’s lack of mental health services. He trained grandmothers in basic cognitive therapy to provide support and conversation to the community. The project has since grown into a global success – and the documentary about the initiative will be screened at the festival. 📍 Find the benches at Youngstorget, Vega Scene, and Cinemateket – with volunteers from LEVE and Kirkens SOS, as well as Else Kåss Furuseth, founder of the “Loneliness Party, present at times as conversation partners.

5 ways to design better public spaces for women🌍👩🦰 This International Women’s Day, we’re putting the spotlight on how public spaces can be designed to better accommodate young women. In these videos, Julia King, urban researcher, architect, and Director of Social Space, shares her five best tips for creating safer, more inclusive, and accessible public spaces. Because good design isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about equity, safety, and making sure everyone feels welcome💛 Happy International Women’s Day✨ #vestrefurniture #internationalwomensday #inclusivedesign #publicspaces #landarch

How do we measure social sustainability? 🌍 Yesterday, we had the pleasure of welcoming Byantropologene to Vestre for a workshop on this important topic. Sustainability isn’t just about materials and emissions - it’s also about people. As we work towards becoming the world’s most sustainable furniture company, understanding social impact is key.   Together, we explored big questions like: 🔹 How do public spaces create social value? 🔹 Which social sustainability initiatives truly make a difference? 🔹 How can we measure the impact of inclusive urban spaces?   The workshop brought together colleagues from across departments, giving us a range of perspectives on how our products and designs can help shape thriving communities. One key takeaway was a clearer understanding of how we’re already contributing to social sustainability - and how we can do even more. We’re excited to welcome Byantropologene back later this spring to build on these discussions and gain even more insight. More to come!   A big thank you to Beatrice Rossebø and Katja Bratseth for leading valuable conversations. Understanding how people use and experience urban spaces is essential for creating social meeting places that foster community, inclusion, and well-being. #urbanspaces #vestrefurniture #byantropologene #socialsustainability #socialvalue #creatingsocialmeetingplaces Jeanette Løining Bjørn Fjellstad Jens Rygh de Flon Linn Grindem Daniel Kring Belert Sofie Korzonek Ina Helene Bjørkeng Andreas Håheim Guro Sørbø Midtun Nicolai Gulliksen

When we built The Plus, the world’s most environmentally friendly furniture factory, at Magnor in eastern Norway, we took a huge step toward an emission-free future - and toward our goal of becoming the world’s most sustainable furniture company🌱⁠ ⁠ By bringing previously outsourced processes in-house, we gained control of 90% of our value chain. Why is that so important? Because when we have control, we can act fast, cut emissions more effectively and adopt the most environment-friendly solutions – without waiting for others to take action!

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us in Copenhagen for the celebration of the book Making The Plus at the cool and stylish New Mags last week✨ It was an evening of great conversations, inspiring talks from Vestre’s CEO Bjørn Fjellstad and photographer Einar Aslaksen, and a shared appreciation for The Plus —the groundbreaking project by BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group for Vestre. Old friendships were rekindled, new connections were made, and together we toasted to design, sustainability, and creativity💚

Vi i Vestre ser etter en salgsansvarlig for Norge som vil spille en nøkkelrolle i å styrke vår markedsposisjon. I denne rollen får du muligheten til å bygge sterke kunderelasjoner, lede et dyktig salgsteam og drive vekst i et selskap der bærekraft, kvalitet og design står i sentrum! Hos Vestre blir du en del av meningsfulle prosjekter som skaper sosiale møteplasser over hele verden. Vil du være med på reisen? Les mer og søk her 👇

Exciting opportunities in Custom Design at Vestre🙌 For over 75 years, Vestre has pushed the boundaries of design, engineering, and manufacturing—and we’re taking it even further with our Custom Design department. We offer tailored solutions to meet the unique demands of any project, with our expert team guiding the process from concept to delivery. From product customization to digital visualizations, they help bring ideas to life and create engaging public spaces. Every project is manufactured at the world’s most environmentally friendly furniture factory, The Plus, backed by Vestre’s industry-leading warranties and commitment to sustainability. With growing demand, we’re looking for passionate professionals to join us in shaping the future of custom outdoor solutions. Are you ready to make an impact?👇 Project Manager – Play a key role in delivering sustainable and innovative design solutions across the globe. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/dMjhTHKs Product Engineer – Play a key role in product development, combining creativity with technical expertise. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/d8rqjvM6

Amazing days during Stockholm Design Week🙌⁠ ⁠ Instead of a traditional stand, we focused on impactful events! We kicked things off with an inspiring evening, bringing together over 200 industry professionals to explore the future of social meeting places. A special thank you to Emma Olbers, Dr. Julia King, and White Arkitekter for sharing valuable insights on how we can design more inclusive urban spaces that care for both people and planet. ⁠ The week continued with a breakfast session at our Stockholm office on sustainable design, and we wrapped it all up with the book launch of "Making The Plus" with photographer Einar Aslaksen at Bokhandeln Konst-ig📚⁠ ⁠ A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and made this week unforgettable! Until next time… ⁠ #stockholmdesignweek #socialmeetingplaces #sustainabledesign

Making The Plus - a manifesto for the green transition🌱⁠ ⁠ In 2022, we unveiled The Plus – the world’s most environmentally friendly furniture factory, designed by BIG to seamlessly blend nature, industry, and public space. Now, its story is brought to life in Making The Plus, featuring the stunning photography of Einar Aslaksen📸 This book explores how architecture, sustainability, and innovation come together to shape a greener future. Like the building whose story it tells, it serves as a manifesto for the green transition!⁠ ⁠ "We envisioned this book as both a visual showcase and a practical guide. By breaking down the “The Plus” project into its components it demonstrates how sustainable architecture is achievable, what it entails, and how it can be realized. Like the factory, the book aims to inspire and empower others to explore innovative, sustainable solutions in industrial architecture.” – co-editors Florian Böhm and Annahita Kamali⁠. “What we have made is an open-source recipe for sustainable architecture and manufacturing. By illustrating how this utopia became real, I hope to inspire readers to envision even greater possibilities for the future." – photographer Einar Aslaksen. 🌍 We’re going on a global book tour! Stops include the USA, Sweden, Germany, England, and Norway – with more to come. In the meantime: Do you have a favorite independent bookstore that might be interested in hosting an event? We would love your input!⁠ ⁠ A special thanks to the contributors of the book: Marianne Preus Jacobsen, Einar Aslaksen, Studio AKFB, Florian Böhm, Annahita Kamali, BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group, Viktoria Millentrup, David Zahle, Bjarke Ingels, Hatje Cantz Verlag, Richard Hagemann, Fabian Reichel, Lydia Fuchs, Susannah Hagen, Johanna Agermann Ross and Disegno💚 Find the book here: https://lnkd.in/dt7iQHHt ⁠ #ThePlus #sustainablearchitecture #greentransition #MakingThePlus⁠ 

We had the pleasure of welcoming Vekstbedriften Vilja to The Plus🙌 Vilja is one of our talented suppliers, and the transport packaging they produce plays a crucial role in protecting our furniture during shipping. As a local company in Eidskog municipality, Vilja is a great inspiration. They work every day to promote job inclusion and provide new opportunities. As they so beautifully put it: “Our employees have limitations in certain areas, but also special strengths.” Through Vilja, many get the chance to live an active working life and contribute to delivering outstanding products and services across Norway. During the visit, the Vilja team got to see how their products are actually used. Did you know that their packaging traveled to over 20 countries with our furniture in 2024?🌍 The visit became a valuable meeting place with professional discussions, collaboration, and lots of pride. When we later visited Vilja to see their production, the joy and enthusiasm were contagious. We at Vestre are incredibly proud to work with them. They show that local engagement can have global significance – and that we all can contribute to saving the world. A little💚