Since a long time I had blocked out memory about school, but a call from Flötotto to design a new school chair brought it all back into my life. When we started to work on the chair we were trying to talk to (nearly) everyone related to our project: the kids of course, the teachers, the school´s janitor, the people in charge of specifying/buying school furniture, even insurance companies. We wanted to find out as much as possible about the different criteria for a school chair as well as understanding the mechanics of its industry and market. School furniture is a very national affair. Each country has not only its own norms/regulations, but also its own industry producing the school furniture. In Germany there are 3-4 main players splitting the cake of the market. The situtation is not at all bad for these companies which is where the problem lies. The lack of competions has been hindering industry to push for innovation and thus catching up with the conclusions drawn from recent studies about the work place school. Currently, health promotion in schools is growing ever more important. Inclusion of ergonomic seating and working conditions have been the centre of public debate. The German Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth has commissioned a thorough study called the "Work Place School" which states that dynamic sitting is the prime condition for a balanced physical, spiritual and emotional well-being which is the premise for healthy learning. While traditional furniture encourages children to sit up straight and still, dynamic sitting allows kids to frequently change posture, even getting up from their chair during class.

PRO is characterized by three strong design elements: firstly, the round seat is similar to that of a stool and therefore does not prescribe a forward sitting position. Secondly, the slim backrest gives the torso room to move sideways. The third and most decisive aspect is the distinct S-shape of the backrest: the lower curve allows freedom of movement and takes strain away from the lower back and pelvis. The three-dimensional shape provides structural stability, thus making it possible to produce the plastic shell without using any fibreglass reinforcement (which has the additional benefit of increased recycling options).

Project assistant: Olivia Herms (KGID)
Producer: Flötotto