Pix Brook Academy – Now or Never Pod
In 2021 we were honoured to take part in the Willmott Dixon London & East Trainee Challenge which involved supplying sustainable furniture for a net-zero carbon pod designed and built for the challenge.
| Value | £60k worth of donations (total project) |
| No of students benefitting | 1,160 |
| Recycled content | 71% |
| Location | Hitchin, Hertfordshire |
The Brief
In 2021 we were honoured to take part in the Willmott Dixon London & East Trainee Challenge lead by James Vosper. As part of the Challenge Willmot Dixon designed and built a net-zero carbon pod which was donated to Pix Academy school in Hitchen, Hertfordshire.
The pod is a small indoor classroom for around 8-10 students and will be used to teach students about sustainability, construction and as a space to support wellbeing. Pinnacle supported the challenge by providing sustainable furniture for the pod.
Willmott Dixon wanted to use as much recycled or re-purposed material as possible in the project. As part of our Sustainability Commitment Plan, we have been developing sustainable alternatives to our product ranges. With this brief, we focused on proposing materials from recycled sources.
Furniture fit for the Future
Stools from the Sea
Our Splinta low stool with black oak legs was specified with fabric from 100% post-consumer recycled polyester. The fabric was developed in response to the problem of marine plastic pollution – with 12 million tonnes of plastic entering our oceans each year, the issue is immediate and shocking. The fabric is woven from a blend of 50% Seaqual yarn, created from plastic collected by fishermen from the sea and beaches, and 50% recycled polyester yarn, created from post-consumer plastic bottles diverted from landfill.
Each metre of the fabric contributes to reducing plastic pollution in a tangible way. For every 4.5lbs of fabric sold, 1lb of waste is removed from the sea, whilst each metre contains the equivalent of 26 plastic bottles. In addition, for every metre of fabric sold, the manufacturer supports work in cleaning our oceans.
The black oak legs are made from FSC® certified timber. This means that the timber is from a forest that is managed in an environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, economically viable manner and ensures the protection of indigenous people’s rights.
Tables from Trash
The tables were also made from recycled materials. The tabletop materials were made from mixed plastic waste and converted into sheet materials known as OrcaBoard. One OrcaBoard is made from 30kg of plastic waste (approx. 1,500 plastic bottles). The design pattern on the top of the tables wholly dependent on the plastics used in the mix – this unintentionally adds to the uniqueness of the design.
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This project gives us the opportunity to put our vision for sustainability product development into practice. We were delighted to be involved in the project.
The pod shows that sustainability can be intrinsically part of modern building and FFE design rather than an optional add-on.
What Sustainability means to Pinnacle
Pinnacle has a focus on sustainability right through our company. In 2021 we formalised this with our Sustainability Commitment Plan which consists of three pillars we are focusing on to ensure our products, our business and our suppliers provide FFE solutions that are more sustainable.
We are acutely aware of the impact we have on the environment, and we are transforming our business to support the aspirations of modern building design and future generations.
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