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Design for Good: 10 Principles Guiding Circular Design in Practice
Design for Good: 10 Principles Guiding Circular Design in Practice
“That statistic alone changed how we think about our role as designers. If we want to reduce emissions and create meaningful change, it has to start with design’’ Sasha Titchkosky, Koskela
1. Design for Timelessness
Enduring design is more than aesthetics - it’s about resisting the throwaway nature of trend-based products. At Koskela, we create furniture that is made to last, visually and physically, across decades and spaces. Our design language favours simplicity, proportion, and high-quality detailing that sits comfortably in a wide range of environments. It’s why our pieces don’t feel out of date five or ten years after production. Longevity of appeal is a critical ingredient in reducing overconsumption and keeping products in circulation for longer.
Image: The Anssi table (Project by Hammond Studio)
2. Design for Adaptability
Furniture should change as life does. Modular systems, optional components, and multi-functional features make it possible for products to evolve over time - rather than be replaced. Case in point is the Quadrant Sofa, designed specifically for adaptability: users can add or reconfigure modules to suit changing floor plans, household sizes, office configurations or preferences. This kind of thoughtful flexibility doesn’t just support circularity - it empowers people and organisations to keep what they have, for longer, and on their terms.
Image: The Quadrant Soft Sofa for HB Hotels (By Renascent) - A modular sofa design that offers multiple configurations for maximum flexibility
3. Design for Standardisation
Efficient design often starts with working smarter, not harder. By aligning with standard material sizes and limiting excessive customisation, we reduce waste and increase efficiency - without compromising creativity. For example, many pieces in our school range are designed around consistent panel sizes and shared components, which not only improves sheet yield but streamlines the production process. Limiting finish options also reduces excess and simplifies maintenance. Standardisation helps us design with scale, reuse, and material recovery in mind.
Image: The Yakka Desk - designed utilising sheet yield design and biophilic principles. It can be arranged in countless configurations to drive dynamic thinking and self-led learning.
4. Design for Care and Repair
Wear and tear is inevitable - but that shouldn’t mean obsolescence. Our design process prioritises easy care and repair through removable covers, replaceable parts, and minimal adhesives. For example, we’ve redesigned nearly all of our sofas and most of our chairs to allow for removable upholstery, making repair or cleaning far simpler. In the Macquarie Bank boardroom, we refurbished the same table twice - most recently by replacing the surface with a 4mm thick timber veneer, allowing for repeated refinishing with a fraction of the resource use of solid timber. Thoughtful material choices and smart construction extend a product’s life and its emotional value.
Image: Refurbished custom boardroom table for Macquarie Bank
5. Design for Disassembly
We design our products to come apart without destruction. That means reducing the use of adhesives, avoiding bonded materials, and favoring screw or mechanical fixings that can be undone with basic tools. This approach enables repairs, upgrades, and better recycling outcomes. Some challenges remain - like laminates permanently bonded to substrates - but we’re actively designing around these limitations. We clearly map out how each product can be taken apart, with the goal of giving every component a second life
Image: The Curlew sofa - designed with removable covers for easy maintenance.
6. Design for Re-Assembly
True circularity requires that disassembly isn’t a one-way street. Furniture needs to go back together just as easily as it comes apart - especially in commercial settings where reconfiguration or relocation is common. This comes down to small but important details, like choosing screw fixings over pop rivets. For instance, updating our Jake Chair because its existing pop-riveted backrest makes repairs difficult without damage. By improving this detail, the chair becomes truly reconfigurable and maintainable across its lifecycle.
Image: The Boab table has been designed with removable base panels which allow for easy site access and straightforward electrical maintenance.
7. Design for Remanufacture
Circularity doesn’t end at repair. By designing for remanufacture, we ensure that product components can be reclaimed and transformed into something new. This involves limiting material types, avoiding permanent bonds, and favouring durable frames and components. In a project for Charter Hall, we remanufactured a set of task chairs - refinishing and reupholstering them to give them an entirely new identity while retaining the original frames. This approach not only reduces resource use but keeps valuable materials in active circulation.
Image: A before and after shot of The Quadrant Soft Sofa - using the existing foam body from a pre-loved Sofa and reupholstering it with a new cover, ready for it's new home.
8. Use of Recycled and Renewable Materials
Material selection is one of the most powerful tools we have. Where durability and performance allow, we choose recycled or rapidly renewable materials. For example, our Polska Stools are made using 100% recycled polypropylene sourced from Australian suppliers. The Boowambillee coffee tables now feature recycled solid timber. And our Jake Chairs have two options - one produced in partnership with Critical, using recycled plastic to close the loop and the other using rubberwood for the plywood, which is a by-product of the latex industry. While Australia’s recycled material market remains limited, we’re committed to doing what’s possible - and helping build demand for what’s next.
Image: The Bookbook is made from Woolpack - a biproduct of the sheep's wool industry and Replas - a hard inner sheet made from recycled plastic bottles and caps. It features removable covers for easy on-site maintenance.
9. Use of Low Embodied Carbon Materials
Some of the most climate-impacting materials in furniture are hiding in plain sight. Polyurethane foam and steel, for example, are two of the highest embodied carbon materials in our range. That’s why we’ve eliminated polyurethane foam entirely from one of our sofas - replacing it with a combination of natural and low-impact materials without compromising comfort or durability. Local sourcing is another key strategy: in many cases, the emissions saved by avoiding air freight or long-distance haulage outweigh the benefits of recycled content. Design decisions must be based on data, not assumptions - and we’re building that knowledge into everything we make.
Image: The Classic Sofa - now manufactured without polyurethane foam
10. Design for Recyclability
A product’s end-of-life should be considered from the beginning. That means limiting the number of material types, avoiding bonded composites, and ensuring that components can be easily separated and recycled through available pathways. We opt for 100% wool fabrics instead of blended synthetics, and where possible, we favour biodegradable or infinitely recyclable materials. Not all “sustainable” materials are created equal - plywood, for instance, is often landfill-bound due to the formaldehyde-based adhesives it contains. Our goal is to make sure that what can’t be reused can still be recovered - with minimal environmental impact.
Image: Our Denim fabric from The New Denim Project - is made from upcycled cotton and post-industrial waste, with the waste from the upcycling process being passed onto coffee growers to use as compost
