Tora Schei Rørvik

What did you want to achieve with your project?

I want to place greater focus on a type of social living arrangement, where one has the possibility to share resources, enrich each other and live a more self-sufficient and sustainable existence. The concept presents a future plan of how to utilize old farms, preserve the cultural landscape, create new businesses and a new way of living. This is achieved through adapted room and furniture solutions, where living in shared spaces and taking part in common activities can be experienced as both natural and enriching, rather than intrusive and claustrophobic.

What has inspired you?

My inspiration and motivation is based on people's views on climate challenges. I've been curious about human psychological factors in terms of why we act with such an absence of environmental awareness and an individualistic, virtually egoistic, attitude towards the climate. By examining how community and unity can contribute to changing our views on these challenges, the focus was placed on what is sustainable for humans and how this is an important factor in being able to act sustainably regarding the environment.

What has this resulted in?

The project has resulted in a table design that is intended for the family room in shared accommodation. By focusing on more conscious adaptations of the surroundings, I believe you achieve greater satisfaction and flow in the use of an area. The “Kvar” table facilitates interaction, something that people can gather around, and as a place to perform various activities together. The versatility of the table's construction allows one to adapt its use to any type of situation. I want the table to surprise people, provide enjoyment of use and catch people’s interest, and at the same time become a natural part of one's everyday life by relieving, gathering, creating order and safety, inviting activity and playfulness in both social and private situations.

Why has this been important to you?

Here, there are three different approaches. The fundamental one lies in the inspiration of creating sustainable solutions for humans and nature. Conservation of cultural landscapes within farming has recently been a theme of discussion. By using my own home farm as a starting point for the project's concept, the re-use of barns is closely linked to my own situation, where one faces a dilemma regarding how to utilize these outbuildings. Thinking purely about the design, it has also been very important for me to create an object that invites interaction between both the product and the users themselves. This helps to form a relationship with the object so that it becomes something one wants to look after, - a sustainable product.

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