Furnishing with perfection: A lesson from Villanova College

Ensuring students have quality seating can set the trend for their future posture, while comfortable furniture also means less restless fidgeting and movement, leading to better attention spans. During a recent upgrade, Villanova Boys College worked with ARKI Environments to ensure optimal furnishings for their learning environments.

As part of the 12-month redevelopment, the school made sure to prioritise ergonomics in furniture that was both versatile and durable. To achieve this, design firm Architectus collaborated with ARKI Environments to install a range of customised furniture solutions from Buro Seating that ensured the needs of the project were met.

Buro’s Konfurb Fly Sled chair features significantly through the project. The ideal chair for a boys school, the chair merges comfort, by sleekly mirroring the shape of the human body, with crucial durability. The chair, in both black and grey, is used in auditoriums and classrooms that have both round-table and front-facing table setups. The Konfurb Fly Sled Barstool is also used to accompany high tables and was customised for the project to have a high back and 650mm seat height, increasing safety and comfort for the students.

The school looked to create more adaptable teaching and learning environments that go beyond the traditional classroom space. To achieve this, the learning areas, including indoor and outdoor auditoriums and verandah breakout spaces, were made purposefully versatile so they can shift between setups, changing to become the optimal work environment depending on the necessary use.

ARKI Environments utilised the Konfurb Link Table by Buro to help establish these flexible spaces. The small, moveable table works seamlessly in changeable work spaces. When placed upright, it can be used as a laptop table ideal in small spaces, and if it is turned onto two legs, it can be used as a coffee table. Its heavy duty plywood construction also ensures durability.

“The furniture really makes the space,” says Matt Levander, head of senior school at Villanova College. “It needed to be an inviting space, and certainly the choices that ARKI Environments provided enabled us to create a really inviting space, one inspired by a university environment and one that will prepare our young men well for the future”.

Finally, Buro’s minimal and softly-upholstered Konfurb Neo chairs break up the office-style ergonomics, helping to execute the goal of making the space more inviting.

Buro’s commitment to environmentalism and ethical standards is also a drawcard for its furniture. Employing environmental design principles, Buro aims to reduce the use of raw materials and ensure an end-of-life recyclability of at least 80 per cent. Clients can also return their products for Buro to recycle. The company ethically sources its goods and ensures their services and supply chains are free of abuse and exploitation of any people.

The versatility and flexibility of Buro’s furniture allows Villanova’s students to find a setup that works well for them, physically, while also allowing them to adjust the furniture for different activities.

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