ORIGINAL HABITEK WORKS*
A FURNITURE CONCEPT FOR HOMES AND OFFICES

Design: Kirsi Gullichsen 2003–2005

The products of this furniture concept combine the benefits of mass production and craftsmanship. The structural principle permits the use of shelves and storage units also as partitions.

The original habitek works* collection contains basic furniture industrially produced but finished by hand, and created through the collaboration of architect Kirsi Gullichsen and cabinetmaker Sakari Paananen. At present the collection mainly consists of tables and various types of storage furniture, such as bookcase walls and cupboards, and more furniture is being planned. The original habitek works* concept has also aroused interest outside Finland, and the first export agreements to Great Britain and the Nordic countries are currently being prepared.

The products of the furniture concept combine the advantages of serial manufacture and craftsmanship. Production in series permits suitable pricing, while finishing the products by hand ensures high-standard results. The underlying idea of product family is to create timeless, adaptable and high-quality furniture for changing life situations. The furniture is suited to homes, public spaces and workplaces alike, and their high-standard materials and quality of work provide a long use-life.

Kirsi Gullichsen, the designer of the furniture has worked as an architect since 1992. Her office, ARX Architects of Helsinki, has been engaged in private and smaller public commissions. The office specializes in spatial concept and exhibition design, and it has been successful in many architectural competitions both in Finland and abroad.

The furniture is made in Finland, with components provided by several subcontractors. The quality and functioning of the product chain is the responsibility of Sakari Paananen’s company Punavuoren Puuhevonen Oy, which was founded in Helsinki in 1995. This specialist carpentry firm currently employs ten persons and is known for its well-finished work of high standard.

Kirsi Gullichsen is particularly interested in geometric systems, in which larger entities can be built from simple elements. This is evident for example in the collection’s bookshelves and storage furniture, in which a few different parts can be combined to make large systems even of the size of a whole wall. The furniture can also be easily delivered to clients as separate elements.

The structural principle and the finishing of all surfaces permit the use of shelving and storage furniture as freely standing partitions. The shelves can also be assembled to be used from both sides. A further advantage of this furniture concept is its wide range of materials and colours, which can be easily combined for customized solutions for clients.

The prize jury particularly noted the high-class finish of the furniture, the wide range of alternatives in materials and colours, and the timelessness and longevity of the products.


original habitek works*
P.O. Box 284, FI-00151 Helsinki
Tel. +358 (0)9 6227 3220
info@habitek.fi
www.habitek.fi