Award-winning chairs from Seaview-based brand Noho, designed by Formway, have patrons feeling ultra comfy at the new Te Mako Naenae Community Centre.

The Lightly chairs each weigh just 2.75kg. They are the first stackable chair in the world manufactured using plant-based polymer EcoPAXX® - made from the highly CO2-absorbent castor bean plant, and a type of post-consumer recycled plastic called ASA.

The chairs exceed commercial durability and safety standards.

TEAM Naenae Trust (TNT) operate Te Mako. TNT Chair Lillian Pak says the Lightly chairs ticked all the boxes for the community centre.

"They are light, very comfortable, look great and are easily stacked for when we need to move them. We're pleased they meet our sustainability goals and we love that they were designed and made locally."

Lightly won the 2023 Furniture Design of the Year category at the Dezeen Awards, an annual awards programme for the world's best architecture, interiors, design and sustainability projects.

Noho’s sister company is Formway which was established in Seaview in the 1950s as a small scale manufacturer of steel furniture. Formway use in-depth research into human behaviour to guide their product designs and is recognised as a world leader in the design of performance seating.

Noho was established as a direct-to-consumer brand that boldly brings innovative, sustainable furniture to the world. All Noho products are designed to improve the lives of people, with a lighter impact on the planet. Including their inaugural Noho Move chair, they have sold more than 20,000 chairs, with their largest market being the US.

Prior to this, Formway gained high-level kudos with their LIFE office chair becoming the seat of choice for former United States president Bill Clinton and the late Apple boss Steve Jobs.

With such a history of innovation and success, Noho could be based anywhere in the world. So why Seaview?

Noho Co-CEO Paul Wilkinson says the answer is simple.

"The company was established here, we live here, and we’ve never seriously contemplated moving anywhere else.

"And Lower Hutt is a great place to do business. We design and test the chairs in Seaview, we utilise local specialist knowledge and skills, and our chairs are manufactured in Taitā by Uniplas NZ Ltd.

"It’s also handy that Callaghan Innovation are just down the road. That relationship has been very helpful. They provide great advice and support."

Wilkinson says a backbone of Noho’s success is ensuring their chairs are part of the circular economy.

"Choosing materials that are better for the environment is part of the company's DNA. Alongside the castor-plant-derived EcoPAXX material used for the Lightly chairs, our Noho Move chair is made from Econyl®-a product made by Italian company Aquafil.

"Aquafil recycles old nylon carpets and fishing nets, including those from at least one significant New Zealand seafood company. It’s transformed into a polymer in pellet form, which we use to manufacture our chairs.

"Our end goal is for our products to have a long, useful life, and be handed-on or on-sold but the clever process used by material companies like Aquafil means our seats are also recyclable, which truly makes them part of the circular economy."

About 640,000 tons of fishing nets and gear is left in oceans and other waterways each year. World Animal Protection estimates this kills at least 136,000 seals, sea lions and whales annually.

"It’s nice to be a small part of fixing this problem. Our ergonomic chairs are not only saving your back, but our oceans," says Wilkinson.

Prada, Gucci and Dynafit also use the Aquafil polymer in some of its products.

© Scoop Media