Interview: Nuremberg Furniture Collective

As a network, you accompany companies that want to actively shape change on a joint development journey towards feel-good spaces and liveable workplaces. What motivated you to complete the assessment?

We want to create liveable workspaces that are as sustainable as possible. We want to achieve this through the active use of spaces by enthusiastic employees (instead of empty spaces), the reuse and imaginative refurbishment of existing furniture, high adaptability through flexibility and modularity and, last but not least, through more sustainable products of our own. That's why an external audit makes sense - with an outside perspective and suitable network contacts.

Did you have specific questions when you started the assessment?

Our focus was primarily on a specific project topic that we wanted to work on in a targeted manner:
We want to convert our "be_INN" product as a room-in-room solution from conventional to more sustainable materials. Our customers attach great importance to tailor-made solutions that not only meet their individual requirements, but also ensure respectful use of resources.

On a scale of 1 to 5, where would you place yourselves in terms of sustainability and why? (1= we are still at the beginning; 5= we have already implemented many measures)

1: We are still at the beginning with this topic.
2: Sustainability is important to us, but we are still at the beginning of our efforts.
3: We are aware of the importance of sustainability and have taken the first steps.
4: Sustainability is an important part of our work and we have already implemented many measures.
5: Sustainability is very important to us. The topic is part of our strategy.

On your scale, we would place ourselves at 3 - 4: We are aware of the importance of sustainability. Sustainability is already firmly anchored in our work and we have successfully implemented initial measures. But there is always room for improvement.

Was there an "aha" moment while completing the assessment? Did you come across something that you hadn't expected?

One realization is that the scope of sustainability is very broad. That's why completing the assessment helped us to systematically record the various objectives.

Have you already implemented initial ideas based on the findings of the assessment?

We are constantly implementing further measures step by step. Our aim is to support our customers with long-lasting concepts so that they are as well prepared as possible for future changes.

Were you surprised at how you performed compared to your benchmark group?

Unfortunately, there isn't really a suitable benchmark in our field. We are very special.

As a network for workplace design, you work together with different companies, use various raw materials and develop individual workplace solutions. It might be difficult to consistently implement "sustainable" measures. What can you recommend to other networks like yours in terms of sustainability?

We always try to think about sustainability and also address it stringently within the network. Because in the end, two things count above all: starting and doing.

How do you integrate sustainability into your (creative) processes?

Sustainability is an important basis for our work in all projects thanks to the many different co-collectives. We are driven by long-term and authentic solutions for our joint customer projects. Over the past almost ten years, this has enabled us to create numerous inspiring and popular workspaces that are not only functional, but also sustainable and future-oriented.

Further information on the assessment