Company description:

In just 18 months, Norwegian furniture manufacturer Vestre completed its new factory in the dense forests near the municipality of Magnor, Norway, it opened in 2022. As the largest investment in the Norwegian furniture industry for decades, the factory is a globally acclaimed showcase for sustainable and efficient production. Together with Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), Vestre has developed a completely new typology for factories in which people, production, technology, architecture and nature are closely linked. Four production areas were accommodated on around 6,500 sqm of floor space. The special geometry of the building supports an open and efficient workflow. The heart of The Plus is the open Courtyard with a maple tree in the centre of the building. It not only connects the production areas with the offices and the visitor centre, but also provides visitors and employees with insights into the production process. In order to keep the impact on nature as low as possible, mainly recycled materials and renewable domestic raw materials were used for its construction. With 50% less greenhouse gas emissions in manufacturing, for waste heat recovery technology and the additional generation of around 250,000 kWh of renewable energy per year through more than 1,200 solar panels, The Plus is designed to be the first furniture factory in the world to receive the highest BREEAM environmental certification, Outstanding.