Per Nadén
Per is an architect who runs his own firm in Gothenburg. He loves buildings but has also a great interest in what way people uses rooms; how they live in them and furnish them. Therefore it was a no brainer for him and his brother Pontus, who has a degree in fine carpentry, to open up their own wood workshop where they contsrtuct all the premises they design, including everything from storage units and kitchens to smaller details and furniture. As a designer Per describes himself as stubborn, curious – ”always aiming to get to the bottom of things”, and with an intuitive sense of form. For Verk Per has designed the lovely desk V.PN.01.
Tell us about V.PN.01!
– I actually designed and built this desk on demand for my neighbor in the middle of the pandemic. Just like the rest of us he had started to work a lot from home and needed a proper desk. He wasn’t looking for the classic large director’s desk, nor a technical one with an adjustable steel base. Instead he searched for a work station that would blend in with the rest of the living room furniture, even when no one was using it or work. And there you go… I would describe it as verison of a classic trestle table that has been used throughout the ages, at the same time as it has a silhouette of its own with neat proportions.
What was the assignment?
– It was actually Verk who reached out to me! They saw our table on Instagram and got in touch. After that we refined a few details.
Tell us an anecdote about V.PN.01!
– When we painted it with linseed oil, mixed with black carbon black, the silhouette looked like a chinese character. I asked a Chinese employee what it meant in Mandarin and he answered “work or work (verk)”. It therefore feels like this small desk is given one for Verk!
What is your favorite use for it?
– I love to sit at it writing little love letters with an ink pen.
Why did you want to work with Verk?
– Somehow I feel Verk have put their foot down. They want to work consistently and without cheating. It is both fun and educational to be part of such a trip.
Can design make the world a better place?
– Whether we like it or not, we all are forced to design and set the world in order for us – without design there is nothing. But we need to have a critical attitude towards what we design. We need to ask us if what we design actually is needed and if it has something to be loved for? We must get down to close to zero in climate impact in society and have to make up our minds on how to persistently improve our manufacturing.
What does a sustainable future look like in the field?
– In a optimal future we have all become better at understanding our chaotic world and our place in it. In this world we know more about what is really important and understand how we can create this, in the same time as we learn what effect materials and manufacturing techniques have on us and on the earth we live on. Finally I hope that we by then not only talk, but actually get these things done.
Design by
Per Nadén
