Herman Miller presents Arras™– the workspace of the future.
Arras is the first product released from the Herman Miller Research and Design Lab in Asia Pacific. Designer Marc Fong and his team researched key requirements in the workplace experience across the region when considering this design.
The result is a bench solution borne out of our increasingly nomadic yet socially connected lifestyle. It enables you to sit anywhere and at any time. Available in a gorgeous palette of colours and finishes it allows infinite expressions for designers to create a visual feast and as with all Herman Miller products, it has been designed with the Herman Miller Design for Environment protocol in mind.
Every component can be easily disassembled for end of life management and no components are chemically bonded. Arras does not use PVC or any other toxic material, has verifiable recycled content exceeding 50% by weight, and is BIFMA X7.1 certified as a low emission product that meets indoor air quality standards.
Rapidly renewable materials like bamboo and strawboard worksurfaces as well as FSC certified Greenfirst and EO worksurfaces are all available. Designed for durability and ease of churn, Arras carries our comprehensive Herman Miller 12-year, 3-shift warranty.
» Learn more on the Herman Miller website
Sustainability attributes
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Post-consumer recycled content
Consumer goods that have served their purpose, been recycled and reprocessed are considered post-consumer recycled content. This includes products used by households, industry and commerce that, after recycling, can be reused as parts of new products or materials. Examples of post-consumer recycled content include recycled rubber tyres transformed into roofing and flooring products, and old newspaper processed into cellulose insulation.
Made from rapidly renewable material
Rapidly renewable materials regenerate more quickly than their typical harvest demand – for example, grown and harvested in 10 years or less. Popular rapidly renewable materials include bamboo, cork, wool, straw, natural linoleum, soy bean composites, sugarcane bagasse, kenaf and hemp. Rapidly renewable materials should be produced naturally and quickly, without significant environmental or air-quality impact or increased erosion.
Recyclable
Recyclable products and materials can be reprocessed and transformed into new goods at the end of their useful life. Materials composed of a single substance (for example, aluminium or concrete) are generally easier to dismantle and recycle than those composed of multiple substances. Employing recyclable materials offers several benefits – reduced use of new resources, reduced landfill, reduced costs for manufacturers.
Designed for disassembly
Design for disassembly is a manufacturing strategy that anticipates the future reuse of individual components or materials, enabling a product to be broken into its constituent parts for reuse or recycling. Design for disassembly can make recycling easier, resulting in less use of new resources, less energy consumption and less landfill. In economic terms, design for disassembly gives further value to products beyond their original life. Disassembling a structure rather than demolishing it can also reduce impact on the environment by reducing dust released during demolition, reducing land degradation and reducing transport costs of disposing of materials to landfill.
Supported by take-back program
A take-back program sees the manufacturer accept used products from consumers, before recycling or refurbishing them for future use. The philosophy underlying a take-back program is that manufacturers should be responsible for their products throughout their entire life, also known as a “cradle to cradle” approach to manufacturing. Reclamation programs streamline recycling for consumers and encourage manufacturers to produce recyclable products and materials.
Made using renewable energy
Many manufacturers now make use of certified renewable energy – energy produced using natural resources such as sun, wind, rain, tides and geothermal heat. Eco-conscious companies choose renewable energy to reduce their carbon footprint, to offset emissions and to fulfil stated environmental objectives. Renewable energy is estimated to supply around 18% of global energy consumption, with biomass (wood burning, for example) the most popular, followed by hydroelectricity and wind power.
Low embodied energy
Embodied energy refers to the energy consumed in producing and distributing products and materials. This spans the extraction of resources, processing and manufacturing, and distribution of the final product. Products and materials with low embodied energy generally require simpler manufacturing processes – for example, natural resources such as timber require less processing than aluminium and other metals. Specifying products with low embodied energy can reduce pollution, depletion of resources and degradation of the environment.
Low embodied water
Like embodied energy, embodied water is the water used to create and distribute a product or material (as distinct from water used during its operation). Reducing the amount of embodied water in a product’s manufacture and distribution can lessen its impact on the environment.
