Stepping into BYBORRE’s Amsterdam studio feels less like entering a textile company and more like boarding a spaceship. Circular knitting machines quietly whir away in the background, governed by BYBORRE’s unique software that translates design ideas into knit structures.
While the machines might look like something from out of the future, they are globally ubiquitous – widely used everywhere from the U.S. to India to produce mattress fabrics. What sets BYBORRE apart is the software layer the self-professed “textile nerds” have added to the process. The result is a new approach to textile design: digitally driven, produced on-demand, and designed to reduce waste.
Savo’s CEO Craig Howarth sat down with BYBORRE’s CEO Mijke van Ballegooijen to learn more about how BYBORRE is revolutionising textile production and prioritising the role of textiles in architecture and product design.
C.H. First of all, it’s super nice to meet you, and a big thanks for letting us come and visit you here. To start, it would be great for me – and, of course, for the readers – if you could give us a quick introduction to BYBORRE.
M.vB. Absolutely. BYBORRE was founded by designer Borre Akkersdijk and digital strategist Arnoud Haverlag. Borre had been frustrated that he couldn’t translate his designs into textiles, so he began experimenting in the circular knitting machines that were originally used by mattress manufacturers. He tweaked the first knitting software to be able to integrate pattern pieces of garments into the process directly. Arnoud saw the potential and suggested automating the process so anyone could turn their ideas into textiles.
As they entered the industry, they quickly realised how inaccessible and lacking in transparency it was. From the beginning, BYBORRE focused on three things: knit technology, automation to make textile creation accessible, and transparency in production.
After early success in fashion collaborations and their own collections, the company began expanding into interiors about two and a half years ago. Today, BYBORRE combines a digital design platform, its own knit technology, and on-demand production to give designers more control while reducing waste.
C.H. And in terms of the space here, how would you describe it?
M.vB. What you see here is that we’re a relatively small team. Our production happens with multiple partners, with the largest part in Belgium, where we produce our bulk textiles. But this is where we develop everything.
Since the beginning, we’ve had a strong digital mindset, but we’re also textile geeks. We believe that to constantly improve our products and challenge the system, those two things need to come together.
That’s why we have our laboratory here. It’s where we bridge the gap between design and industrial textile production, testing anything we think is needed. Having the lab right where we develop the product, build the digital platform, create new collections, and bring everything together helps us move faster and deliver stronger results.
C.H. So that allows you to produce some of the smaller series here, while larger orders are produced at your main facilities.
That was something we realised during the unofficial design week in Stockholm earlier this year. We were working with very tight deadlines – both to finalise the design with the team at Form Us With Love and then get the fabric produced.
At the same time, we were going through version two of the Savo Spine product we’re sitting in now. So the timing was quite intense – we had Savo Spine, a new fabric that Form Us With Love was designing with you to upholster the chairs with, and a very tight deadline. But in the end, together, we managed to make it happen.
M.vB. Absolutely. We’re able to move very quickly.
C.H. What stands out to me is the strong tech element. The software sits at the front and really acts as the enabler that allows these products to be created. So you have that tech component…
M.vB. …and the ability to iterate quickly, as you experienced.
C.H. Exactly. And then there’s the innovation side, which is another really important word for us at Savo – it’s one of our core values. But there’s also the sustainability element.
You touched on that briefly when you mentioned how much you keep in stock, which is really about on-demand production. Instead of having thousands – or even hundreds – of metres sitting on shelves, you produce based on what will actually be used.
M.vB. Yes. The textile industry operates with a real lack of transparency, so it’s difficult to get all the data on the table. But there has been quite a lot of research, and the estimate is that around 25 percent of all textiles produced globally are never used for their intended purpose.
That’s an incredible amount when you think about how much textile is produced every year. Honestly, if there’s one thing we’d like to achieve, it’s for textile producers – at least in the project market, where lead times are long – to move to on-demand production. Because it is possible, and that’s what we want to prove. It would have a huge impact on the environment.
C.H. And I think the gap to that is still quite significant, as you say. It really requires changing ways of working, and that also affects design processes.
But if we talk a bit about the second word I mentioned – innovation – which I see as closely connected to your brand, how do you describe innovation in the world of BYBORRE?
M.vB. For us, innovation isn’t innovation for its own sake. We constantly challenge ourselves to see if we can do things better. That might mean changing the way we work to make a real impact, or continuously testing new yarns that come onto the market – especially more sustainable ones – and seeing how we can use them while still meeting the requirements needed for projects.
At the same time, we look at how we can further digitalise the supply chain so that things move faster and on-demand production becomes even more feasible.
So there are many areas where we believe we can improve, and we like to challenge the rules. For me, that’s what innovation is about.
C.H. And if we talk about the interiors industry, where Savo is mainly active in the workspace segment. What’s your impression of the workspace industry?
M.vB. What I find interesting about this industry is that it’s not very digital yet.
C.H. Jag håller med – den är ganska traditionell, nästan analog i vissa delar.
M.vB. The ideas and designs are beautiful, but a lot of the work still happens through Excel sheets, phone calls, and personal relationships. That’s very nice – and very human – but sometimes it’s not the most efficient.
I think there’s room to benefit from digitalising certain parts of the process. Take sampling, for example. Of course, textiles are tactile, and you want to feel them, but a large part of the design process could be done digitally, reducing unnecessary sampling.
When it comes to the workspace specifically, I think it’s going to be a very exciting time. It’s all about employee experience now. The days of endless rows of grey desks and synthetic materials designed purely for efficiency are over. Companies need to think about how to motivate people to come into the office and support their professional development.
For that, you need more. Tactility and colour can create an emotional connection to a space. They make environments feel engaging and human. I believe we’ll see much more of that going forward.
Another important aspect is identity. Companies can use materials to express who they are – translating their DNA into a space through texture and design. That can really strengthen employees’ sense of belonging.
C.H. As you mentioned, a catalyst for this shift was the move to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, employers are trying to bring people back to the office for the right reasons – collaboration, connection, and so on. But for that to happen, the office has to be attractive.
If we think about the workspace as it is today, and look a bit further into the future from an innovation perspective, what do you foresee?
M.vB. What’s interesting is that we come from the fashion world, where there’s a lot of experience with knitted textiles. Knit is quite different from woven textiles, and in interiors it’s still a niche, with a lot of untapped potential – but it’s growing.
That’s exciting, because you can do so much more with knitted textiles. From a colour perspective, you can create much more depth, and aesthetically, you can achieve a wider variety of designs than with woven textiles. Knit also has natural stretch, so it wraps beautifully around shapes.
C.H. Coming into the interiors world as one of the newer players, is there anything you feel the industry is overlooking when it comes to textiles?
M.vB. I think there are many opportunities, and the interiors and workspace industries are gradually starting to recognise the characteristics of knitted textiles.
As I mentioned earlier, textiles are often treated as an afterthought. The space is designed first, and only at the end do people think about adding textiles. But textiles can play a much bigger role in the architecture itself – especially when you consider acoustic applications, since knitted textiles have strong sound-absorbing qualities, or furniture, like with the Savo chairs.
When textiles are considered earlier in the process, they can really shape the outcome. It also changes the decision-making process, because you have time to plan properly, order in time, and produce on demand, which helps reduce waste.
C.H. And when you look at the industries you’re working across – the interiors industry, for example, where we have a culture that you should generally be able to have any colour you want on any product – it makes it challenging for producers in some ways.
Versus the automotive industry, for example, where you might have two, three, or four colourways, and that’s it.
Do you think that could ever be a direction for us? Or do you think that would be too boring for an interior workspace?
M.vB. I would love that.
Which reminds me – I think an important topic to raise is the changing needs of customers. It used to be much more about mass production, but today there’s a growing demand for smaller, almost custom orders.
I think all of this shows there’s a desire for smaller batches of more unique textiles – or chairs, or other elements – that help express identity. And that’s what we hope to facilitate.
C.H. If we look at the project ecosystem in the office interiors and workspace world, it can still be quite traditional. When you look at it from your perspective, what would make it the perfect model?
M.vB. I think it’s important not to be just a textile supplier, but more of a textile partner. If you want textiles that express a brand’s DNA and ensure longevity, they also need to be treated properly.
We work closely with architects to help translate their ideas and vision – often together with the DNA of the end customer – into textile. We’re also often in direct contact with the end customer, advising on things like cleaning or upholstery.
C.H. That sounds really valuable.
On that note, it’s been great to learn more about the thinking behind BYBORRE and the way you approach textiles. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us – and for showing us around today.
Office seating is changing – not through louder statements, but through sharper details. Materials feel more considered. Colours are more expressive. Finishes tell a story rather than just hold a function.
This gallery shows how you can create your own visual direction with Savo’s collection – how to create character, while keeping function and comfort. Explore this gallery of unique materials, textures and tones.
Creative direction by Studio Playground
Photographer by Jacobo Campos
Set design by Nicole Walker
The soft material brings it together: a grey, geometric woven texture that feels tailored rather than technical. Metal legs ground the design with clarity and precision. Sleek. Cool. Quietly confident.
A deep green surface meets black finishes – a combination that feels calm yet assertive. The colour adds warmth without softness, presence without excess. A chair that brings depth to the room – not noise.
Metallic elements paired with black finishes create a sharper expression. Lightness in form meets strength in material, giving the chair a technical yet refined feel. Designed to balance performance with a clean, contemporary edge.
Bright red soft material brings energy and personality, while the white finishes keep the silhouette light and open. Expressive and playful, without losing balance.
A red spine with a metal-finish dot introduces focus and structure, while blue upholstery with light blue stitching softens the overall expression. White legs and wheels set a clean foundation. A clear example of how colour and ergonomics work together.
Upholstered in vibrant red bordo leather, the chair takes on a grounded, tactile character – rich, calm and deliberate. Metal legs and darker wheels give weight and stability.
Full black – sleek, controlled and precise. High-quality black leather reinforces the purity of the expression. The metallic legs add subtle variation.
Aluminium legs and black wheels create a technical contrasting with a buttery beige feel – warm, inviting and quietly relaxed. Structure and comfort, held in balance.
Light grey upholstery paired with a polished aluminium base. Clean, honest and timeless – a familiar design with renewed clarity.
The dark blue pinstripe fabric adds depth and precision – tailored, composed and quietly distinctive. Metallic legs and upholstered armrests define the structure.
The chairs have distinctive characters, allowing for clearer choices. Design supports the way we sit, work and move. These fresh takes, ensure fresh ideas.
How will you style your Savo chair? We can’t wait to see.
The best-selling Savo Soul family just got an upgrade with an all-new armrest. In many workplaces, the most sustainable choice isn’t replacement – it’s refinement. The new armrest embodies exactly that philosophy: enhancing comfort, functionality, and longevity without requiring you to replace the entire chair.
At Savo, adjustability isn’t optional – it’s essential. Real value lies in products that can be updated, repaired, and adapted over time. For seating, that means replaceable components that extend the life of what’s already in use.
The new armrest is an upgrade, not a redesign. It builds on a proven solution and refines what matters most: ease of use, ergonomic precision, and visual clarity. Alongside classic multi-directional adjustability, the armrest top can now slide for more precise support during task-based work. A 2D version is also available, offering a simpler option without compromising comfort.
The armrest design was supervised by industrial designer Olle Lundberg and brings more contemporary expression to the Savo Soul family. While remaining clearly rooted in the Savo design language – understated, functional, and made for flexible work environments.
To understand the thinking behind the refinement, we spoke with Savo’s Product Designer, Kristina Jonsson.
What was the core problem you wanted this new armrest to solve?
K.J. Our goal was to significantly enhance the functionality and ergonomics of the armrest, ensuring it provides an even higher level of comfort and user-friendliness. At the same time, we wanted to meet all essential requirements without compromise. Another key focus was achieving a cohesive and harmonious appearance – a streamlined design language that integrates seamlessly with the overall chair concept, leaving no uncertainty about its fit or purpose.
Why was it important to design this as an upgrade rather than a new chair feature?
K.J. We already had a well-developed and highly functional armrest solution for Savo Soul, so there was no need for a complete redesign. Instead, we used the existing concept as a strong foundation and focused on refining and clarifying its features. The aim was to make the armrest easier to understand and operate, while enhancing its visual appeal and ensuring a more cohesive overall design.
What does comfort mean in practical terms when designing an armrest?
K.J. Comfort means designing armrests that are universally accessible and easy to use. They should be adjustable to suit different users, body types, and table heights. By providing proper support, the armrests help reduce strain by relieving the load carried by arms and shoulders – particularly during tasks that require continuous hand use, such as typing or detailed work.
Which adjustment do you think users will notice the most in everyday work?
K.J. The extended sideways adjustment at the top, combined with the rotation feature, will likely be the most appreciated. The adjustment process is extremely simple, requires no tools, and offers a high degree of flexibility. It allows users to shift easily between a relaxed, leaning-back position and a more forward, engaged “pole position.”
A further improvement lies in a small but meaningful detail. The button for vertical height adjustment has been repositioned to the front of the armrest’s vertical arm instead of on the outside, making it significantly easier to reach and operate during everyday use.
How do you see modular upgrades like this shaping the future of seating design?
K.J. It’s important to establish a well-curated core assortment that remains relevant and appealing over time without appearing outdated. To achieve that, certain parts and details need to be continuously updated, while preserving the overall design expression and ensuring that all essential and expected functions remain intact.
Ease of use plays a bigger role than it’s often given credit for. That’s why the new armrest offers tool-free width adjustment, removing friction from everyday fine-tuning and making it easier to adapt the chair to different users.
Comfort has also been carefully considered in the materials. The polyurethane top provides a noticeably softer feel than traditional plastic, supporting the arms during long periods of focused work without adding visual bulk.
These details matter most in environments where seating is shared, reconfigured, or updated over time. Instead of replacing chairs, existing seating can be upgraded with a new armrest – extending lifespan while improving the user experience.
The new armrest is available in black and white, in both 2D and 5D versions, and is offered as an addition to the chair – not a replacement. It’s a thoughtful update to a chair that has already proven its value.
By focusing on adaptability, comfort, and longevity, the new Savo Soul armrest reflects a broader shift in how seating is designed today – not as a finished object, but as something that evolves with the way we work.
Change a part, not the whole chair.
By refining individual components rather than redesigning everything, we can keep products relevant, functional, and visually contemporary – while preserving what already works.
Kristina Jonsson, Product Designer at Savo
2025 has been a year of reflection – and renewed momentum. At Savo, we’ve explored new ideas, hosted meaningful conversations and collaborated across borders. Returning again and again, to the reason we design seating at all: to support people, their well-being and the evolving world of work.
This year, we launched Savo Soul Air – our next-generation office chair designed for shared and continuously changing work environments. Modern workspaces demand flexibility, hygiene and environmental responsibility. Soul Air meets those needs with a foam-free, air-based seat, a breathable mesh back and a material composition of 79% recycled content. The chair is 97% recyclable – a significant step forward in mindful, ergonomic product development without compromising comfort.
This year, Savo turned 80! At this year’s 3daysofdesign festival in Copenhagen, we celebrated this milestone ‘Sit. Dot. Move.’, an exhibition designed and curated together with Copenhagen-based architecture studio Archival Studies. The installation traced our journey through a visual timeline of innovation – a quiet moment to pause, look back and move forward. By examining the past, present and future of workplace seating, the exhibition captured the essence of Savo’s enduring design philosophy.
2025 was a milestone year for Savo at international design events. We opened the year at Stockholm Design Week 2025 with ‘Studies in Seating’, inviting visitors to look beyond product and into behavior: posture, movement and the cultures that shape how we sit. The exhibition created a space for dialogue, offering insights on comfort, health and work-life balance in a world where so much of life happens seated.
Later in the year, we celebrated Savo’s 80th anniversary at 3daysofdesign in Copenhagen with ‘Sit. Dot. Move.’. Following its success, the exhibition traveled to Insperior Stockholm and Insperior Göteborg, then to Designers’ Saturday Oslo 2025. Next, it will arrive in the UK for Workspace Design Show London 2026 this February – register here.
2025 was also a standout year for Savo in print, with our anniversary publication & OnOffice feature.
We unfolded eight decades of movement, design and philosophy in Savo’s anniversary journal. Launched exclusively for‘Sit. Dot. Move.’, visitors were invited to pick up a copy and explore the chairs that have shaped how we sit – and copies went fast.
Alongside this launch, Savo was also featured in OnOffice Magazine:
“Through tirelessly asking questions and responding to feedback, Savo has successfully perfected the art of crafting human-centric chairs that exemplify premium quality and Scandinavian design. We meet the brand as it marks 80 years in the business.” – OnOffice
In March 2025, we introduced the series Savo Sitdowns. Through conversations with designers, thinkers and creative leaders, including collaborators Archival Studies, Form Us With Love, Olle Lundberg and Amy Frearson, we explored what the future of office seating could look like. A recurring theme emerged: seating as part of a system. Modular, adaptable, repairable. Chairs and environments designed not only for today, but for what comes next.
Reflecting on the past year has clarified our path ahead. Our work will continue to centre people and the future of sitting. Our long-term sustainability commitments include:
– Providing full material transparency by 2027
– Circularity as the standard by 2030
– Climate-neutral operations by 2040
– Setting a new benchmark in longevity with the 100-Year Chair – fully repairable, endlessly serviceable and designed to last for generations
“This isn’t just a look back – it’s a reset.
We’re using our 80th anniversary to open a new chapter – one that blends our Scandinavian design heritage with clear commitments to circularity, climate and human-centred innovation.”
Craig Howarth, CEO, Savo
We can’t wait to see what next year brings!
The past and future meet at Archival Studies’ airy studio in Valby, Copenhagen. Housed beneath the vaulted ceilings of a historic listed building, it’s a fitting base for an architectural practice known for its focus on adaptive architecture, innovative use of sustainable materials, and future-facing design processes.
When Savo set out to create Sit. Dot. Move. for 3daysofdesign 2025, we partnered with Archival Studies, inspired by their commitment to reimagining existing spaces and materials to create something new. It’s an approach that strongly resonates with Savo’s own values.
Savo CEO Craig Howarth met Archival Studies co-founder Emil Roman Froege and designer Benedikte Munk Randløv to discuss the studio’s philosophy, their thoughts on the future of workspace design, and what it takes to design seats and spaces that will last the next hundred years – or more.
C.H. Thanks so much for welcoming us into your studio. It’s such an inspiring space and has a really open, welcoming vibe. Could you share a bit about the space itself and what it means for Archival Studies?
E.R.F. Absolutely. We have a purpose line we work from: we build spaces that can grow, be reimagined and shared. For us, that means focusing on existing buildings, not just making new ones. This office is a good example. It’s a listed building from 1956 – everything else around was demolished, but this one survived. The materials are solid, full of texture and character. When we moved in, it was just one big space. So we built what we call the ‘travelling circus,’ a structure we’ve moved with us from place to place. It’s built with traditional joinery, no glue, no nails.
That ties back to the name Archival Studies: studying the past and bringing it into the future, using digital fabrication. For us, the office is like a workshop, not just desks and computers. Especially as AI takes over more of the routine stuff, we’ll have more time for conversations like this – to actually figure out where to go next.
C.H. I’d love to hear more about how you actually use this space day to day – what kind of work happens here and how it supports your process?
E.R.F. We’ve been here about three years. We both design here and build – prototypes, special productions, experiments. Between the studio and the workshop, there’s just a glass wall, and that’s a good picture of how we work: the architects say ‘hi’ to the joiners, and the joiners come over to us. It’s a really nice interaction.
C.H. From what I’ve seen, you’re working across different disciplines – everything from office space planning and design for clients, to product design and development here in the studio. Do you see those as two parallel tracks, and how do they fit into your business strategy and future direction?
E.R.F. It’s a really good question, and it’s something we’ve been addressing from the very beginning. We were building ourselves, making our own furniture, lamps, counters, and more. One of our first projects was a restaurant, and we couldn’t find the products we needed to create the atmosphere we wanted. So, we ended up making the chairs, tables, counters, lighting, and special textile systems ourselves. We never do a project like this – it was a lot of work. But it gave us pieces that could become products. For example, the thin dimmer lights used in the Savo exhibition were first prototypes from that restaurant.
Back to your question: we don’t see ourselves as a product company, but our approach to interiors and refurbishing existing spaces follows an industrial design process. Digital fabrication allows us to keep everything on the computer, test it in a project, get feedback, and tweak it next time. Over time, this process evolves into a product or adapts to changing needs. For instance, we don’t use any glue in the joints – we design so that it’s easy to assemble and reassemble.
B.M.R.Product and spatial design are different disciplines, but what Savo does really well is work with systems – testing them at a product scale and then scaling them up. Right now, we’re doing that with the chair: it started as a chair, then became a spatial system, and now it’s becoming a house. The same joint and method work across all scales. You can focus on products or spaces alone, but this approach lets you do both – and actually do more.
C.H. We’ve noticed a few synergies between Archival Studies and Savo. First, the scalability – starting with a chair, like the Savo Spine, and building up into other products. Second, the layer-by-layer approach, where components can be taken apart, reassembled, or built upon. And third, sustainability, which underpins so much of what both our organisations do.
Moving on to our first project together at 3daysofdesign with Sit.Dot.Move., I’m curious: you don’t work with everyone, so what made you decide to collaborate with Savo? Was there something specific about the brand or approach that clicked for you?
E.R.F. We were really happy to take the deep dive on this. Since we’re moving into workspace design and don’t yet have much of a portfolio in that area, we’re building one. In architecture and design, your collaborators matter – they’re key. So right away, we were excited.
As we explored further, we noticed all the similarities. Designers are often narcissistic in a way – we look for ourselves in others. The design-for-disassembly, modularity, and scalability really resonated with us.
The second was how clear Savo’s mission is. They focus solely on ergonomic office chairs. That made it easy: we could create a simple spatial concept that highlights the essence of the product – that it’s a really good chair.
C.H. When we celebrated Savo’s 80th anniversary, we also shared several new sustainability initiatives. One of the boldest was the idea of the 100-year chair. From your perspective as product designers, if you were part of the brief for this chair, what would you see as the critical elements to ensure it could truly last 100 years?
E.R.F. I was thinking last night about the most famous office chairs – Arne Jacobsen, Eames — both from the mid-50s. That was seventy years ago, the world has changed so much since then, but those chairs still don’t look so different. They were prime examples of modernism.
Now the tide is turning. We need to do things differently, which may also change the aesthetic, the function, and the way we use chairs. Sustainability will play a huge role. Work is shifting too – with AI, with people wanting more balance, with more home working. Will we spend less time sitting at a desk? Will work environments be more like workshops, where you’re standing, moving, engaging with technology differently? When you start thinking on a 100-year horizon – there are so many possibilities.
Coming back to the brief, I think Savo already has some of the core qualities in place: modularity, recyclability, circularity. For me, the key points would be: new sustainable materials, modular and circular systems, and a real attempt to imagine how we’ll actually work in twenty or even fifty years. Will the chair become simpler, or more complex? It’s hard to say.
B.M.R. It is. Because work chairs are already hyper-intelligent, right? They’re probably one of the most advanced pieces of furniture we have, with all these technical details and so many components that make a seat comfortable. But it’s also interesting to question how much comfort we’ll actually need in the future? How much foam do we really need to put into furniture? Upholstered furniture is the hardest to recycle right now. The Savo Soul chair with its mesh is a good example of another path – creating real comfort without thick foam.
C.H. Absolutely, and we’re super proud of that development. Because with the Savo Soul journey, it’s not just about launching the next product and asking, How do we make this one with the lowest CO2 footprint? We’re also constantly challenging ourselves on the existing range.
So when we looked at our highest-selling product in the group, the Savo Soul, the first step was to increase the amount of recycled material in the chair. That alone had a huge and immediate impact on its footprint. And that’s important, because there’s a lot of talk in the industry about initiatives – but the real question is, what have you really done? In this case, we could point to concrete results.
The next step was to remove the foam and move to a mesh seat, like you mentioned. And that’s part of the ongoing evolution. It’s a fascinating question where we’ll end up with the 100-year chair. Looking back, Savo has 80 years behind it. If you compare some of the first products with what you’re sitting on now, Benedikte – the Savo Studio – they’re not that different in expression. Technology and speed of development will definitely accelerate things, but in principle, the design expression is still very much the same.
B.M.R.In a way, that’s not a bad thing. Having a timeless aesthetic is also a way of prolonging the lifetime of a product. But of course, that’s always the tricky part to achieve.
C.H. And that’s the best we can do from a sustainability perspective: design a product to stand the test of time.
E.R.F. This whole idea that we have to repurpose and transform spaces – I mean, just look at the building we’re sitting in now. It has all these layers of history, all these beautiful traces of the past. I can imagine the same with good quality chairs, moving from one office to the next, being repaired, being repurposed. Maybe as a product designer you don’t just sell the chair, but the parts. And then it develops a different kind of aesthetic, like that old chair you inherit from your grandmother that has historical value, but also has the beauty of all the scratches.
C.H. A character.
E.R.F. Yeah, the character – like a person. And I think that’s what people are looking for more and more in an increasingly digitalised world: something with a human quality.
C.H. We’ve talked a lot about products, but let’s shift to workspace design. How do you see it evolving in the future? Since the pandemic, we’ve been navigating a balance between office and home work. From your perspective as workspace designers, what are your top tips for the workspaces of the future?
E.R.F. This might put us out of work (laughs), but architects really need to step back a bit. There’s already a lot happening in existing buildings, with people living and working there. What are their patterns? What do they actually need? That’s where co-creation comes in.
The people who work there know best. It’s about really understanding the company’s purpose, their strategy, how people feel in the space. Then you can try to reflect all that in the office, translating the purpose of the company into activity-based spaces.
C.H. So, driving more into the human psychology elements and on a deeper level?
E.R.F. Yeah, exactly. It moves away from just sitting in front of a computer to what you could call activity-based workspace design – thinking about what people are actually doing. Hopefully, AI and automation will free up more time for human interaction, because that’s the one thing AI can’t do yet: be creative and put different things together.
Then, of course, there’s all the functional stuff. Workspaces get a lot of wear and tear, strategies change every year, the world moves fast. How do you design something that can adapt over time? That’s where products come in – you can update your chairs, change them. How you subdivide a space can change, too. Adaptability is key. So for me, the big ideas are co-creation, adaptability, and activity-based workspace design.
B.M.R.Now, ideally, it would be great if you could just have one office for everyone, right? But there’s no one-size-fits-all. There are always special needs. And that’s exactly why adaptability is so important.
E.R.F. I think that’s a good point. We build spaces that can grow. We don’t define what people have to do, but create an environment where they can make it their own.
C.H. And if you have a seating producer like Savo with its guiding principles – sustainability, flexibility, adaptability, modularity – and architects like Archival working with the same ideas, then these kinds of collaborations are a really good starting point for exploring the future of workspace design.
E.R.F. Then we just need the politicians to set a good framework so we can earn what we need to do the right things sustainably. And the population has to push for it, too. So it’s also about how we, with design products that exist in a commercial reality, find a way to tell that story. Is it just icing on the cake, or is it a strong branding story?
C.H. Agreed. I just want to say thank you both so much. It’s been a really interesting chat, and a pleasure talking to you. Keep doing what you’re doing – it’s awesome.
B.M.R.& E.R.F. Thanks, you too!
When we think of sustainability, we often imagine large-scale solutions – wind farms, circular materials, or net-zero roadmaps. But sometimes progress begins with a single design decision.
At Savo, sustainability isn’t something added at the end. It’s part of every curve, every joint, every choice of material. And in recent years, one shift has made a remarkable difference: removing foam from one variant of our chairs, Savo Soul Air.
For decades, polyurethane foam has been the default comfort layer in task chairs. It’s soft, adaptable but difficult to recycle. Made from fossil-based materials, foam often ends up as landfill at the end of its life.
Savo chose a different path for the Savo Soul Air. By designing comfort through movement, flexibility, and smart engineering rather than chemical padding, we’ve eliminated the need for foam altogether. It’s a simple change with a profound impact – reducing waste, improving recyclability, and cutting reliance on non-renewable resources.
Removing foam wasn’t just a material choice, it was a mindset shift. We wanted to prove that real comfort and sustainability can coexist when design does the work instead of chemistry.
Andreas Mattisson, Head of Development & Sustainability
Every Savo chair follows the same design principle layer-by-layer: Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle. Modular construction allows components to be replaced instead of discarded, ensuring a long and adaptable life cycle.
The materials are chosen with equal care. Our signature mesh back, used across several models, removes the need for foam entirely. All mesh fabrics are OEKO-TEX® certified, and the Vivid fabric range contains at least 80% recycled polyester. Every piece of wood is FSC® certified, and we work continuously to increase the share of recycled aluminium and plastics in our products.
The journey towards foam-free seating culminates in Savo Soul Air – a chair that makes sustainability visible. Made from 79% recycled materials and 97% recyclable, it’s designed for shared and flexible workplaces. The transparent mesh seat replaces foam with air, creating lightness both in form and footprint.
Savo Soul Air represents more than a product innovation. It’s proof that sustainable design can also mean elegant simplicity – and that the most responsible choice can feel effortless.
Savo’s long-term goals reflect this mindset:
– Full material transparency by 2027
– Circularity as standard by 2030
– Climate-neutral operations by 2040
– A 100-year chair – fully repairable, endlessly serviceable, and made to last for generations.
Because sustainability isn’t only about what we remove, like foam, but what we choose to keep: quality, comfort, and care in every design.
Sunlight streams through the huge, steel-framed windows of Haptic Architects’ north London warehouse-turned-office as Savo CEO Craig Howarth sits down with architecture and design writer extraordinaire Amy Frearson.
The London-based journalist and editor has honed her craft at titles including ELLE decoration and The Financial Times, all while holding down her role as editor-at-large at online architecture, interiors and design magazine Dezeen. Also a published author, Amy’s book All Together Now: The Co-living and Co-working Revolution, explores the shift in how we live and work, and the blurring of lines between home, office, and school. And if all that isn’t enough, she’s also the co-founder of Curated Maps, a digital platform offering guides to design weeks around the world.
Having moderated discussions at events like Savo’s Studies in Seating exhibition during Stockholm Design Week 2025, Amy is uniquely positioned to discuss the future of how we live and work. Together with Craig, she explores how workplace design, seating, and the next generation of workers will shape office spaces in the years to come.
C.H. Thanks for having us here today, Amy. It’s a fantastic space – is this your main workplace?
A.F. When I’m in London, I’m usually here nine to six. Sometimes I work from home or remotely, depending on the project, but this is my main base. I like working in an office. Even though I work for myself, I miss the feeling of being part of a team.
C.H. During COVID, homeworking became the norm, but now things seem to be shifting again. Why do you prefer working in an office?
A.F. I worked in-house at Dezeen for eight years before going freelance in 2019. Since then I’ve learned that, even though I work for myself, I don’t enjoy working by myself.
I’ve shared studios with friends and spent time in a design office in Copenhagen, and I loved being around a team while still doing my own thing. When I came back to London, I reached out to Haptic and joined their office. It’s exactly the balance I was looking for; it creates opportunities to share expertise while still getting on with our own work.
C.H. Beyond culture, what do you think makes a workspace truly work?
A.F. I think small details can make a big difference. I love this space – like many London offices, especially in the creative industries, it’s an ex-industrial warehouse with huge windows letting in incredible natural light, a view of the canal, and plenty of plants, which can really have an impact on the way you feel when you’re spending so many hours of the day here. The layout is quite old school, with banks of desks and meeting rooms. It might feel a bit old-fashioned now, but it really suits me. When I need different ways of working, I’ll do that at home, but in the office, I come to sit at my desk and have meetings.
C.H. This space really feels like a hidden gem. How do you see workspace design evolving more broadly?
A.F. It feels like it’s constantly yo-yoing. Sometimes we want the office to be more fun or more serious, sometimes more traditional and other times more flexible.
People across the industry see it very differently. For example, someone at WeWork told me people don’t want banks of desks anymore, but that was specific to their clients, often corporates downsizing headquarters and looking for flexible spaces to meet. On the other hand, smaller co-working spaces tend to focus on cultivating community, often for freelancers or individuals who actually want an environment that feels professional where they can crack on without distractions.
So, I always say: it depends who you ask. There are so many different needs and factors shaping it.
C.H. Many universities and student spaces are furnished with everything from sofas to project tables, so moving into a traditional office can feel alien for younger generations. Do you think companies consider this when designing workplaces?
A.F. I think that’s definitely a factor. The older and younger generations often want quite different things. Overall, I think there’s a clear mix needed between more active forms of sitting and more traditional setups.
C.H. At Savo, we’ve put a lot of focus on active seating. From your perspective, how important is the office chair, and do you think it’s often overlooked?
A.F. With home furniture, the function is easier to achieve, so the aesthetic often becomes the deal breaker. In the workplace, function takes priority. The chair has to work well, and there’s a lot it has to do to work well. So, aesthetics have naturally taken a back seat.
Chair technology has come a long way in the past decade, and younger generations coming into the workplace expect their office furniture to look good as well as work well.
C.H. That’s part of what we explore in our Studies in Seating research. Many users don’t use the full functionality of a chair, so it needs to be intuitive. But design often gets little attention. During COVID, when people needed chairs at home, design suddenly mattered more.
Sustainability is also increasingly influencing material choices. Do you think people are caring more about the design of office chairs?
A.F. It’s really interesting, actually. I recently wrote about a hospitality project where the designers committed to reused and natural materials, sourcing almost everything secondhand. The only exception was the chairs. Reclaimed wood or reused textiles can work well, but the chair is one thing people aren’t willing to compromise on. We need the seats to function. And that creates an opportunity: to design seating that’s both comfortable and beautiful.
C.H. Much of what we’ve discussed today is also in your book All Together Now. It explores co-working and co-living, and how some products blend the two. What was the inspiration behind the book?
A.F. The book explores shifts in student housing and family communities with shared spaces, looking at these new real estate models through the lens of design. It asks: how do you design these spaces to perform well and address the challenges people fear when sharing spaces?
One model I found interesting is combining smaller private apartments with shared co-working spaces. This benefits building owners by using space efficiently, and residents by giving them social interaction and flexible work options.
My biggest learning was that we need more models of how you can live and work. There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to the future of the workplace. The future is about more variety and flexibility, allowing people to work and live in different ways and create combinations that work for them.
C.H. Trends in interiors point to flexible, adaptable spaces. The challenge for many organisations is how to effectively bring all those pieces together.
A.F. That’s the tricky part – flexibility on its own isn’t enough. You mentioned earlier how customers often don’t adjust chairs, even when they’re highly adaptable. The same thing happens on a larger scale in offices. You can design different settings, offer a variety of seating and work environments, but people won’t necessarily use them unless they’re shown how. Most stick with what they know – it feels comfortable, or they’re too busy to think about changing how they work. So when we talk about the future office, it’s not just about creating possibilities, but designing in a way that encourages people to actually discover and use those new ways of working.
C.H. I think it comes back to human nature – we take the path of least resistance. And office chairs are no different. From a Savo perspective, one of our core principles is intuition. A chair has to be intuitive, especially when it’s not assigned to just one person. In co-working spaces or shared offices, the same chair might be used by several people in a day. The key is that it should adapt to the user, not the other way around. But that’s not always easy to achieve when there are so many demands on what the chair needs to do in terms of adjustability.
Speaking of which, do you have a favourite chair – one that really stood out to you in a particular office?
A.F. Funny enough, it wasn’t the chair I’d have called the most comfortable, but it was the one that made me sit well. At first, I wasn’t sure; it felt a bit awkward. But after a few days, I noticed my posture was much better. By the end of my time there, I was thinking, “How do I take one of these home with me?” It was a good reminder that what feels natural at first isn’t always what’s best for you.
C.H. Well said. Amy. Thank you for letting us come down here today. It’s been a nice follow on from the discussions we had during Stockholm Design Week.
A.F. Thank you so much for coming to visit me here. It’s been an absolute pleasure exploring the future of the office with you.
The design of a room can affect everything from our ability to concentrate to how empathetic we feel.
Isabelle Sjövall, neurodesigner and author of Designfulness.
You’ve likely heard it before, a comfortable workspace boosts productivity, but the benefits of liking where you work go far beyond ticking off your to-do list. Neuroscience, psychology and ergonomics all point to the same insight – environments shape behaviour. And when you enjoy your workspace, you’re more likely to move better, feel better and work smarter.
Environmental psychology has long shown that physical comfort directly affects mental clarity. When you feel at ease in your body, you free up mental capacity for more meaningful work. That’s partly due to what researchers call embodied cognition – the idea that our thoughts and behaviours are shaped by our physical state. In other words, an uncomfortable body leads to a distracted mind. The next time you’re adjusting a stiff seat or squinting at poor lighting, remember that those seemingly small issues will add up. In contrast, a well-designed workspace promotes clarity, engagement and even creativity.
As we explore in our guide to sitting myths, the problem isn’t that we sit – it’s how we sit. Moving more is what matters and this perspective is backed by medical reviews showing that long, static sitting is associated with health risks – but dynamic sitting, which involves micro-movements and position changes, is not. That’s why seating solutions that invite variation and adjust to your movements are so effective, they work with your body, not against it.
A chair you enjoy using becomes a tool for movement. And when movement becomes natural, it supports long-term well-being.
There’s a growing body of research confirming what many intuitively feel, access to natural elements in the workplace has measurable benefits. Studies have found that workers with more exposure to daylight sleep better and report higher energy levels throughout the day and adding greenery to an office can increase productivity by as much as 15%. Even a simple window view has an effect, views of nature, even urban trees or a patch of grass, improve focus and emotional well-being at work.
At Savo, our approach to workplace seating is guided by this human-centric ethos. We build chairs that support your body without demanding constant correction, designed to move with you. They adapt, rather than dictate. Blending into work environments, yet subtly elevating them. Because ultimately, liking your workspace isn’t about ping pong tables or office slides, it’s about feeling comfortable in the space where you spend most of your day. A great office space is all about balance. Materials, colours and layouts that mirror the outside world can help create a workspace that feels calm.
And when paired with furniture that adapts to your needs, the result isn’t just aesthetically pleasing, it’s health-promoting.
Explore how ergonomic design can improve well-being and performance in our sitting myths guide or learn about how the world is rethinking the chair in the digital age with the culture of sitting.
The chair is the object that more than any other shows the relationship between form and function,.
– Bruno Munari.
As simple as it may seem, the chair holds a mirror to culture, technology, and how we inhabit the world. Nowhere is this more evident than in the workplace; a once rigid and hierarchical space, now increasingly fluid, mobile, and virtual. In this shifting landscape, Savo’s design philosophy – rooted in ergonomics, adaptability, and comfort – offers a timely reminder that how we sit shapes how we work.
Historically, the chair has evolved from a symbol of power to an everyday necessity. The throne became the task chair, and in between came a parade of innovations. Marcel Breuer’s Wassily Chair stripped the form down to its bare, modernist essence. Charles and Ray Eames sculpted plywood into the contours of the human body. Niels Diffrient reimagined office seating with a focus on human factors and effortless adjustment. Each design responded not just to style trends, but to deeper questions. What does the body need? How do we live and work now?
In the past, we often separated our seating choices: comfort was reserved for pleasure, and discomfort was an unfortunate necessity of work. But the evolution of office seating is gradually erasing that divide, bringing the two together in a more seamless experience. Today, we sit more than ever – often for longer stretches and in more static environments.
The digital age has transformed work into something we carry with us: on screens, in clouds, across time zones. Then came the pandemic, and with it two years of global stillness. Living rooms became offices. Kitchen tables became conference rooms. Our bodies paid the price.
In response, a new movement emerged: standing desks, walking pads, treadmill meetings. And while we pushed against the sedentary life we’d been forced to live, the value of good seating became more apparent. Because the reality is that most of our work requires a huge amount of sitting; and so the experience should be supportive – not just for our posture, but for our presence and engagement. The chair should work with the body, not against it.
Our approach to workplace seating is guided by this human-centric ethos. Chairs are built not just for the tasks we do, but for the people we are while doing them: ever restless, ever creative, ever changing. In a world increasingly defined by invisible systems and intangible work, a thoughtfully designed chair is one of the few tactile interactions we have left. It’s where design quite literally meets the body.
Whilst our workplaces and demands have evolved, the chair remains a crucial tool. It’s not just where we sit, but how we show up. The right chair makes space for focus, flow, and wellbeing. And in the quiet dance between design and the human body, that’s where Savo emerges – as an intuitive design partner supporting us in the way we work.
Photography by Morten Nordstrøm (cover) and Jacobo Campos (1,2,3,4)
During this year’s 3daysofdesign in Copenhagen, we marked 80 years of innovation with the exhibition Sit. Dot. Move. — a reflection on movement, design, and the evolution of how we sit at work.
Hosted in the historic Odd Fellow Palace and designed together with Copenhagen-based architecture studio Archival Studies, the exhibition invited visitors to explore Savo’s journey, from early steel-frame designs to today’s ergonomic, modular seating solutions.
Sit. Dot. Move. explored Savo’s rich design legacy, a journey through eight decades of innovation in one place. Visitors delved into our impressive portfolio, from early breakthroughs to a bold vision for the future and a collection of intuitive, ergonomic chairs were on display, showing where Savo sits now.
Each day began with guided breakfast sessions led by Savo CEO Craig Howarth and Archival Studies. These informal gatherings paired local pastries from Juno the Bakery with meaningful discussions, offering insights into Savo’s design philosophy, historical milestones and future commitments. Attendees had the chance to experience the products hands-on and engage with the ideas behind them.
Thousands of visitors also explored an interactive activity focused on sitting patterns and workplace culture, as well as a curated library featuring Savo’s first 80th anniversary publication. Here, sitting became more than a physical act, it became a lens for examining how design supports our daily lives.
As we were reflecting on the past, we remained focused on shaping the future of sitting, with people at the centre. During the festival, we made four key commitments for the future.
– Providing full transparency on all materials used by 2027.
– Circularity as the standard by 2030.
– Achieving climate neutral operations by 2040.
– And a new benchmark in longevity with The 100-Year Chair – fully repairable, endlessly serviceable and built to last for generations.
This isn’t just a look back – it’s a reset.
Craig Howarth, Savo’s CEO.
We’re using our 80th anniversary to open a new chapter – one that blends our Scandinavian design heritage with clear commitments to circularity, climate and human-centred innovation.
Sit. Dot. Move. is more than an exhibition – it’s a statement of intent.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped make our event a success – from our design collaborators at Archival Studies to Framing events for providing such a special space. And to everyone who joined us, sat down and connected with our team – we truly appreciate your presence. Let’s meet again soon.
Here’s to 80 years of Savo! And to everything that comes next.
Photography by Morten Nordstrøm (cover, 3 & 4) and Rickard Grönkvist (1, 2 & 5).
You can find all the products that were on display listed below.
Savo XO
Savo Studio
Savo Spine
Savo Joi
Savo Soul
Savo 360
Savo Invite
Savo Maxikon
Photography by Morten Nordstrøm.