Meet Our New Home
So many brands talk the talk without walking the walk when it comes to business operations. Here at Swole Panda, we were looking for a new and exciting chapter to embody our ethos of bringing sustainable accessories to the market. The solution is Flimwell Park! A new 46 acres development of self-sufficient office and visitor facilities. Situated in the beautiful High Weald on the Kent/East Sussex border, we’d be delighted to take you on a tour before we move in next month.
Shared values
The design brainchild of Steven Johnson (The Architect Ensemble), Flimwell Park has been over 10 years in the making. They wanted to ensure they met their goal of bringing the natural and manmade worlds together in harmony, saying, “our aim is to show how architectural and woodland development can exist in a continuous, integrated and mutually beneficial relationship”.
If you have read our blog 'Why bamboo makes an excellent fabric' you’ll know that we minimise our impact on the environment through the raw material we use, as well as the fully closed-loop manufacturing process we have put in place. Moving here reflects our commitment to minimising our carbon footprint wherever we can. We want to ensure that when you purchase from Swole Panda you can feel good, not only because of the softness of our fibres or the beauty of our designs, but about your impact on the planet too.
Green construction and energy
Indeed, the high-quality materials and craftsmanship used to build Flimwell Park are cutting edge yet also sympathetic to their woodland surroundings. Enhancing rather than detracting from this designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a vast solar panel installation complements a range of environmentally friendly timber.
More than gestures to sustainability these solar panels generate 100% of the office's power. We believe that this self-sufficiency enhances our existing values. We’re especially excited to be moving to a forward-thinking office that was considering these issues several years before the Government announced their Green Building Revolution. As such, our new office has been awarded the highest energy performance rating.
Innovative recycling
Not wanting to undo this good work, the park chose car parks and walkways that uphold these values as well. Built from recycled plastic, they’ve reused a ‘slow to break down’ piece of rubbish to their advantage, saving high quantities of waste plastic from entering landfill.
This attitude is embodied in our Recycled Woven Belt. In total, 7 plastic bottles are repurposed in every one of these items, made from Repreve®. Our partnership with Plastic Oceans UK intends to turn the tide of plastic waste polluting the seas. We donate 5% of profits from our belts to help with this endeavour. Visit our Kickstarter page to support us using this fully recycled and kind to the planet fibre.
All of this and more means we were delighted to discover Flimwell Park and the aligned ethos that we share. Visit Flimwell Park’s Instagram feed to see images of this innovative mixed-use woodland site.
Moving forward
Designed with conservation in mind, Flimwell Park is also centred upon improving the wellbeing of those working from this woodland setting. It shows what is possible in terms of innovation just as bamboo has the potential to revolutionise the fashion industry. We expect that being set in nature and an up-and-coming community will prove inspiring for our team too. Watch this space to see what we design next.
Having discovered more about our new offices - and the sustainable eco-conscious values that underpin their building and renewable energy supply - you may be curious to see how we meet our own planet friendly objectives. Shop our collection of accessories for men and women or contact us to find out more.
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