UPM Turns Production Surplus Into Architectural Innovation:
November 27 2007 - 9:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Pavilion Built From Recycled Material Makes North American Debut at
Design Miami 2007 WESTMONT, Ill., Nov. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
UPM ProFi, a wood/plastic composite that is gaining popularity in
Europe as an environmentally attractive "green building" material,
will be introduced to North America at Design Miami, December 6-9.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071127/AQTU027-a)
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071127/AQTU027-b) UPM
ProFi is manufactured from surplus materials, primarily paper and
plastic, left over from the production of self-adhesive label stock
by UPM Raflatac, the Label Division of UPM. The process residue is
sent to UPM ProFi's production facility where it is recycled and
moulded into patio decking and corner protector profiles. "The
Space of Silence", a pavilion built entirely of UPM ProFi, is the
result of a unique partnership of global forest industry leader
UPM, renowned Japanese architect Shigeru Ban and Finnish design
company Artek. A trailblazer in applying ecological thinking to
architectural design, Ban was inspired by ProFi and sketched an
exhibition space for Artek that would be built from the new
wood/plastic composite. The pavilion was first presented by Artek
and UPM in April at Salone Internationale del Mobile in Milan,
Italy, then was reassembled for display in Helsinki, Finland. The
first appearance of the pavilion in North America will be at Design
Miami. "The pavilion is a perfect match of UPM's drive in product
innovation and Artek's world-class design," said Markku Koivisto,
Director, UPM Corporate Venturing. Mr. Koivisto emphasized UPM's
commitment to the environment and sustainability which led to the
development of ProFi. "We are continuously researching new ways of
reducing waste at all stages of our products' lifecycles," he said.
"UPM ProFi is a great example of our sustainable approach to
business and the flexibility to think across lines of business."
Besides the structure itself, UPM innovative products are showcased
inside the pavilion. The floor is built of weatherproof and highly
durable UPM ProFi Deck, ideal for outdoor use in patios,
playgrounds, garden buildings, boardwalks and other applications.
The pavilion is decorated with Artek's 2nd Cycle furnishings
collection that will be brought to life with UPM Raflatac RFID
(radio frequency identification) tags. The RFID tags are embedded
into Artek's antique-patina designed furniture and can be read or
uploaded via mobile phone, revealing the history of each item. The
media preview at Artek's exhibition pavilion "Space of Silence" is
Thursday, December 6, from 6 to 7 p.m., and the exhibition is open
to the public December 7-9 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. The
pavilion will appear in New York in 2008 at a date to be announced.
Artek Pavilion at Design Miami/ Miami Design District Palm Lot, 140
NE 39 St. FL 33137, USA For photos and press materials, go to
http://www.upm-kymmene.com/ > Media Relations > Press Kits
> UPM at Design Miami 2007. Notes for editors: UPM is one of the
world's leading forest products groups. The Group's sales in 2006
were EUR 10 billion, and it has about 28,000 employees. UPM's main
products include printing papers, label materials and wood
products. The company has production units in 14 countries and its
main market areas are Europe and North America. UPM's shares are
listed on the Helsinki and New York stock exchanges.
http://www.upm-kymmene.com/ For more information on UPM ProFi,
please see: http://www.upmprofi.com/ UPM Raflatac, please see
http://www.upmraflatac.com/ Artek and 2nd Cycle collection, please
see: http://www.artek.fi/ Design Miami 2007, please see
http://www.designmiami.com/
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071127/AQTU027-a
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071127/AQTU027-b
http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: UPM CONTACT: Markku
Koivisto, Director, UPM Corporate Venturing, +358 40 861 2852, or
Sharon Pond, Communications Director, UPM North America,
+1-630-386-2681, or Paula Morri, Communications Specialist, UPM
North America, +1-630-824-7928, all of UPM; or Anna Vartiainen,
Marketing and PR Manager of Artek, +358 40 823 9039 Web site:
http://www.upm-kymmene.com/ http://www.upmprofi.com/
http://www.upmraflatac.com/ http://www.artek.fi/
http://www.designmiami.com/
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