On the Imperative of Silence

How do we produce our best work? How do we remember what is really important in a mad regime of distractions? How can we find the inner spaciousness to align our work with our deeper sense of priorities?

At Elementa our work is to think deeply about what work is - and to build concrete suggestions on how it can be done better. The dB storage series is the result of long hours of discussions with designers Jonas & Øystein at StokkeAustad - on the relationship between high quality work and our physical surroundings.

2015Nikolai Aurebekk17 December 2015StokkeAustad, Acoustics & Sound, Norwegian Design, ThoughtsComment

Hans Brattrud's Arktis chair anno 1960

A lot due to the great work of our colleges at the company fjordfiesta, Hans Brattrud's beautiful Scandia chairs are celebrated as perhaps the most important Norwegian design from mid-century modernism.

2015Nikolai Aurebekk13 December 2015Design History, Norwegian DesignComment

Product launch: UN by StokkeAustad

The UN trestle table started out as an impulse to make a universal trestle base that would accommodate mostly every type of table top regardless of shape or size.

Designers StokkeAustad pondered deeply upon the request and came up with a solution which is not only very simple and elegant: It turns out that the it also carries a lot of extra possibilities, extending into shared workspaces, shelving and beyond.

2015Nikolai Aurebekk11 November 2015StokkeAustad, Elementa NewsComment

Skrekkøgle on the Work of tomorrow

Run by Theo Tveterås and Lars Marcus Vedeler, Skrekkøgle is a different voice in the Norwegian design scene, exploring technology and tactility, often bordering on art. The Skrekkøgle website, which features selected projects and an inspiring web shop, is a real treasure house of quirky design ideas, eloquently formulated and always with an element of surprise.

The Elementa Blog have talked to Theo about the future of work, their own work - and the role of design in addressing real problems, be they small, big or medium sized.

2015Nikolai Aurebekk11 November 2015Internet Of Things, Interviews, Norwegian DesignComment

Korsmo & Utzon's low cost chair of 1948

Was it made? Can it be made? Should it be made? New York Museum of Modern Art's competition for low cost furniture in 1948 resulted in some of today's most celebrated furniture classics - including Charles & Ray Eames famous fibreglass chaise longue. Other participants in the competition included famous designers like Hans Wegner, Ilmari Tapiovaara and Marcel Breuer.

2015Nikolai Aurebekk9 November 2015Design History, Norwegian DesignComment

Successful Givers & Toxic Takers at work

What is the science behind giving while at work and in life? Is generosity as good a trait as we like to believe, or do we easily give ourselves away? How can we all become architects and shape our workspace according to our skills, interests and values?

The organizational psychologist Adam Grant has studied how generosity fits into the workspace, and his results challenges the conventional notion that taking is more"effective" than giving.

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2015Nikolai Aurebekk8 November 2015Comment

The Elementa UT project - bringing life into work

Write hElementa UT is an initiative that aims to explore imaginative ways of working and living with plants through design. We humans are incredibly adaptable to environments that are less-than-optimal for our wellbeing. Desktop computing as we know it is a phenomenon that is both at the core of conceived value production in our society - and deeply problematic for the health of our human organism. While the obvious solution is to actually get away and into the jungle (or the mountain or the sea) - the UT project is about transforming the workspace through the incorporation of plants and life.ere...

2015Nikolai Aurebekk12 October 2015Elementa News, Hallgeir HomstvedtComment

Hilma af Klint at Henie Onstad

At Elementa we are hugely inspired by all kinds of true explorers of the hidden recesses of the mind. The first big retrospective exhibition of the Swedish mystic artist Hilma af Klint’s work, originally organized by Moderna Museet is now on display at Henie Onstad art centre - and is allegedly the last chance to see this show for a long time.

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2015Nikolai Aurebekk11 October 2015Art, ExhibitionsComment

Jodorovsky's commandments for immortal consciousness

While at the intersection of art and mysticism, we came over Dangerous Minds' recaption of filmmaker Alejandro Jodorovsky's 82 "commandments". If you haven't yet experienced his movies, do dedicate an autumn evening to explore his masterpieces The Holy Mountain and El Topo for a definite stretch of your imaginative spirit.

2015Nikolai Aurebekk9 October 2015Imagination, Cinema Comment

Office desks available at Prindseloftet

Looking for a space to work in Oslo - part time or full time? Elementa is part of the collective at Prindseloftet in Storgata 36 in central Oslo, sharing space with Foodstudio, Growlab and designer Hallgeir Homstvedt. The members of the collective all work with various approaches to ecology and design with the aim to produce real value in their respective fields.

2015Nikolai Aurebekk7 October 2015PrindseloftetComment

Visit Elementa at 100% Norway in london

We are happy to announce our first show abroad at 100% Norway during the London Design festival, 24-27th September. Elementa is a Norwegian manufacturer of ideas and furniture for the office. Founded in 2011, Elementa is a plattform for ambitious Scandinavian design exploring issues of the contemporary workspace, technology and ecology.

2015Nikolai Aurebekk24 September 2015Elementa News, ExhibitionsComment