‘Revo’ by Pearson Lloyd and Profim strives to revolutionise workspace design

Workplace furniture has seen nothing short of a dramatic development over the past few decades, moving from simple, utilitarian designs to ones that are interactive and intuitively adaptable. The furniture used in offices of late represents a significant shift regarding emphasis towards promoting comfort, flexibility, and collaboration. Modern offices acquire adjustable sit-stand desks that encourage ergonomic health, modular furniture systems that make it simple to reconfigure the space for different tasks, and interactive whiteboards that help brainstorming sessions. Taking a leap towards revolutionising workspace settings, London-based design studio Pearson Lloyd Design Ltd has developed the Revo collection, in collaboration with Poland-based furniture design brand Profim.

‘Endlessly comfortable, infinitely recyclable’ encapsulates Profim’s vision for Revo, as they reached out to Pearson Lloyd to create a furniture family that addressed both, the urgent need to rethink how upholstered, contract furniture is created, addressing the climate crisis, as well as the growing global working culture that has also witnessed a massive shift in recent years. “Pearson Lloyd is among the best at identifying and responding to global trends. It is amazing how many of the shifts they predicted at the beginning of the project are now a reality—hybrid working models, the growing importance of connectivity and social interaction, and the freedom of the tech revolution versus the value of face-to-face contact. With Revo, we are perfectly prepared to address these new needs,” shares Magdalena Borowiec, marketing director of Profim.

The Revo collection includes sofa designs, both with and without backs, along with benches, screens, and stool designs in softly contoured, organic shapes. The idea of 'squaring the circle' served as the inspiration for Revo's straightforward and striking aesthetic identity, which uses a gentle geometric language to distinguish the collection, while also allowing it to be put together in countless different ways. It is a range of modular furniture that can be incorporated into any interior space. With a variety of table designs in various shapes and sizes, Revo's chairs and screens as well, can accommodate a multitude of tasks, including focused individual work, formal meetings, and brainstorming at the coffee table. The workplace has evolved into a complex network of adaptable areas, each with specific furniture requirements, rather than being divided into a desk area and a conference room. Revo’s versatility is in tune with this evolution, enabling an impressive 96 modular configurations.

The ubiquity of Revo as an example of modular design is largely due to how lightweight it is. Owing to Profim and Pearson Lloyd’s decision to use recycled, expanded polypropylene (REPP) instead of plywood, which is commonly used to make upholstery frames, reduced the product's weight by approximately 40 per cent. The constituent parts of Revo can be broken down into their individual components and returned to their individual technical cycles as a result of Pearson Lloyd's design. “Replacing the plywood base structure with REPP (recycled expanded polypropylene) maximises the potential reuse of the base materials. Plywood has no circularity. REPP, which is already in its second life, can be fully remoulded for a third, a fourth, ad infinitum,” shares Luke Pearson, co-founder of Pearson Lloyd. Overall, 74 per cent of the materials used to make Revo can be recycled. Additionally, since 90 per cent of the REPP used by the furniture designers at Profim is already recycled, very few new materials were employed in this collection. To further simplify disassembly, upholstery is attached to the folded EPP using a tied drawstring rather than glue or staples. Using local supply networks, Profim produces Revo in its homeland, Poland. All of the collection's parts are made using just three moulds, and the furniture's lightweight construction considerably lowers the carbon footprint in its transportation.

The set-up below, featuring a central table encompassed by comfortable seating, works especially well within confined communal spaces where it may be used for brainstorming sessions or collaborative meetings. Its strategic employment enables the best possible use of constrained space, while generating a setting favourable to dynamic idea exchange and cooperative thinking.

The arrangement depicted below is ideal for open-concept workstations since it includes a screen that discretely divides the two seating arrangements. This innovative setup seamlessly combines the elements of inviting seating, a functional table, and a privacy-enhancing screen. An arrangement like this not only maximises comfort and collaboration but also satisfies the requirement for private spaces in busy workplaces. Additionally, the layout's careful consideration allows for private, one-on-one conversations, fostering a setting for fruitful connections.

The configuration featured below features a sophisticated L-shaped layout, encompassing backrests, a screen, pouffes, and a centre table. This design provides a clever solution, one that is ideal for positioning at corners within a space to maximise its efficiency. This particular layout may be of optimum usage within staff lounges or relaxation areas, providing a haven of comfort for employees to recline or unwind during a busy workday. The centrepiece of this arrangement, the table, is a multifunctional asset that not only makes it easy for teams to get together for meals but also encourages interaction in a relaxed atmosphere.

Both configurations displayed below offer optimal solutions tailored towards compact spaces that may not be equipped to accommodate lengthy seating arrangements. The left-hand layout fits in well inside small spaces, fostering an atmosphere of exclusivity and privacy ideal for developing a private workstation. In contrast, the arrangement on the right thrives in common areas and makes for an ideal option for get-togethers, meetings, or promoting team cohesiveness. Its adaptability allows for a variety of applications and fosters collaboration in shared areas.

With a conspicuous overtone of sustainability, Revo's distinctive features also include a mix-and-match hue and durable, post-consumer polyester. It has numerous upholstery options and a flexible colour scheme created by Maja Ganszyniec, creative director of Profim. The two fabrics that have been used are a high-performance two-colour fabric made from 98 per cent post-consumer recycled polyester, and the other is a 100 per cent recycled polyester, including 50 per cent Seaqual Yarn, which is made from marine plastics, salvaged and repurposed. Both materials provide Revo the sturdiness it needs to last in busy professional settings, as well as an appealing residential aesthetic suitable for the contemporary workplace.

The Revo collection is a testament to how design can alter the way we work and interact, especially at a time when workplace dynamics are constantly changing. The functional yet sustainable design by Pearson Lloyd and Profim, which deftly combines aesthetics, usability, and materiality, places at its core, the value of creative teamwork. With Revo, the future of workplace designs is granted a bold, conscientious, and efficient step forward.

Text by Ria Jha