de vorm's flexible furnishings cater for post-pandemic workspaces

material and process drives the design of de vorm’s furnishings. the dutch furniture maker is best known their innovative, pioneering use of PET Felt that, whilst made of recycled plastic bottles, is beautiful and super flexible for customization. in fact, their products – ranging from seating systems to partitions – can be used in any scenario and for multiple functions, whether in the office or home, as standout or background pieces, and in multiple colors. with the effects of COVID-19 radically and suddenly changing the way we work as well as live, how will the future of our workspaces look? de vorm founder and CEO jeroen ter hoeven elaborates on the possibilities of post-pandemic workplaces with designboom.

EASI & vaimo office in genk, belgium / architecture by creneau international
featuring de vorm’s AK1 and AK2 PET Felt workplace dividers
images credit arne jennard

‘when I first founded de vorm over 10 years ago, it was clear to me that work was changing. people didn’t need an office to work in anymore,’ states jeroen ter hoeven, founder and CEO of de vorm. ‘most employees can work wherever they want, as long as there is a decent internet connection. the furniture and workspaces, therefore, also have to be flexible to accommodate for those needs.’

this is where the flexibility of de vorm’s furniture making derives from – their products need to be as flexible as their users. to meet this aim, they developed a toolbox for architects and designers to enhance when creating spaces. by focusing on the material and process of their designs, their framework enables people to choose their desired products and adapt them to fit the needs of the clients. the results are tailor-made yet affordable furniture for spaces to work, socialize and live.

EASI & vaimo office in genk, belgium / architecture by creneau international
featuring de vorm’s AK1 and AK2 PET Felt workplace dividers
image credit arne jennard

‘the movement for more flexible working accelerated due to the pandemic. it also improved brands and people’s receptiveness to new technologies, like video conferencing, which saves time, money and lowers our carbon footprint.’ jeroen continues to add, ‘people were commuting quite far pre-pandemic, for example. it wasn’t ideal but employees would do it for their job. will they go back to this life post-pandemic? we have gained more time for our private life by not commuting. will companies need the same amount of office space? smaller premises can be localized, cater for flexible working, and still be suitable for multiple functions to enable socializing.’

ASICS in hoofddorp, the netherlands / architecture by CBRE
featuring de vorm’s nook PET Felt lounge chair, big modular table system, and the LJ 4, 3 and 2 PET Felt stools and chair
images credit stijn poelstra

the effects of the pandemic has challenged all brands differently, from the way they work to the services they provide. for de vorm, their model was already corona-proof in many aspects. ‘COVID-19 is something that the world obviously has never experienced before. but it turned out that our products are suitable for offices that need social distancing. we already provide workplace dividers, room dividers and enormous tables in our collection,’ clarifies jeroen.

the brand manufactures the big modular table system which can be configured to 10m long and 2m wide. with dividers, this can easily create several safely distanced workstations. room dividers, made from PET Felt, can hang or stand to create routes within an office or to fend off certain areas to promote different functions. these make spaces more manageable and personal.

‘we have always focused on a non-traditional office with a unique perspective on flexibility and a more social aspect. our furnishings are not for one specific purpose but maybe five or six purposes at the same time. they enable space where one can have a coffee and conversation as well as a meeting. we don’t make task chairs or work desks. we make landing spaces [furnishing systems where employees can come and go] and products with acoustic performance to help control and personalize larger furnishing systems and spaces. partitions are key to this,’ confirms jeroen.

ASICS europe in hoofddorp, the netherlands / architecture by CBRE
featuring de vorm’s nook PET Felt lounge chair, big modular table system, and the LJ 4, 3 and 2 PET Felt stools and chair
images credit stijn poelstra

now, more than ever, de vorm is helping interior designers and architects create the workspace of the future. this is focused on health and safety at the same time as customization. ‘if an employee only works from home two days, on-the-go for two days, and only one day a week at the office, then that space really needs to connect them to the company, from style, coloring and more. we help brands create working environments that are completely submerged in their identity. that is why we make all our furniture as if a toolbox. interior designers and architects can customize the products within our framework to fit all their needs,’ explains de vorm’s founder and CEO.

campus founders in heilbronn, germany / architecture by kami blusch
featuring de vorm’s big modular table system, AK1 PET Felt workplace divider, and the LJ 2 PET Felt stack chair and LJ 1 PET Felt armchair
images credit kami blusch

it is hard to predict how the landscapes of our living and workspaces will look post-pandemic, but de vorm is confident of one thing – the office won’t disappear. ‘in the short term, companies are now implementing practical social distancing measures and lowering space occupancy. in the long term, companies will reassess whether they really need those big offices, with people coming in every day. but they still need a place to get creative with each other, socialize and work. that is what an office is in the first place – a place that is optimized for your work. the future will probably be a hybrid workplace, a mix between working from home and at the office,’ concludes jeroen ter hoeven.