Force of Nature: Fast Outdoor Lifestyle

Outdoor living environments are a combination of two worlds, they take the essential warmth, shelter and comfort of the interior and remove everything else (including the walls). Replacing them instead, with the sights, the sounds and the feel of the wonderfully energising nature of the exterior.

Italian outdoor lifestyle specialist, Fast, has a healthy obsession with nature. Based in Vestone – a postcard supermodel in Northern Italy – the young company was founded by father and son Stefano and Marco Levrangi in 1995 to exclusively produce outdoor furnishings, intent on providing comfortable ‘interiors’ for exterior environments.

Flicking through the Fast catalogue is like bathing in a world of glossy nature photography, but it’s not just the rolling Vestone countryside that catches your eye. In fact, the factory’s surrounding forests, lakes, resorts and spas seem to drive inspiration into the core of each collection.

This inspiration is clear to see in the brand’s best-selling Forest chair, with its seat and back resembling a silhouetted enchanted wood. Forest creates a fairytale scene right on the patio. But the same inspired-by-nature story can be read all the way through the literature. From the practical: the New Joint modular sofas feature entirely weatherproof cushions for low-maintenance comfort in changeable conditions. To the surreal: designers of Forest, Robby Cantarutti & Partners, have also created Wild, a series of tables with a frame of intertwined aluminium branches. While the new Ria collection from Alberto Lievore – having already wowed visitors to imm cologne in January with its interesting form – creates playful geometric shadow patterns that gradually progress across a terrace.

As any environmentalist worth their crust will tell you, however, finding comfort and contentment in the natural world is useless if you can’t respect it. This is why, back in 1995, Fast selected aluminium as their material of choice. As a non-toxic metal, aluminium can be recycled indefinitely and is resistant to rust, while as a material for ‘soft’ furnishings it’s as malleable as wax and a third of the weight of steel.

Fast forward to the present day, and as recycling technologies have improved, this environmentally-aware company has introduced the LCA Method (Life Cycle Assessment) into its working practices. ‘Thanks to the LCA method, we are able to monitor the impact of most products throughout their lifecycle, from raw materials to the end product.’ says Fast CEO Marco Levrangi. After all, if Fast want the world to enjoy outdoor environments in comfort, it’s best to ensure there are still outdoor environments to enjoy.

To coincide with the brand’s core values to respect and appreciate nature without disrupting it, it’s imperative that any additions to the landscape be complementary. This year sees an explosion of new colours and finishes for all products, selected especially to blend with various locations. Further complementary additions to both the landscape and Fast’s exclusive material guest list include stone, wood and fabric – natural or recreated. All highly durable and recyclable, the additional materials add movement, warmth and softness to the strength of the aluminium frames, without disrupting overall sustainability.

As part of the LCA Method and Fast’s efforts to reduce waste production, full control of the entire manufacturing process is now in-house. This means that boutique products can be customised by feeding variations into production, without losing quality or consistency. ‘We do not depend on subcontractors, which means we can do everything and do it quickly.’ explains Marco Levrangi.

With a reputation for speed, customisation and quality, the stackable and durable products now graduating from Fast production are especially suited to fulfil the varied requirements of the contract markets. These include the aptly named, and extremely customisable Allsize table and the Orizon collection with its unique ‘NaturAll’ finish, allowing the series of aluminium tables, benches and sofas to imitate slats of sun-kissed decking.

In order to fully experience outdoor living, Fast know that as manufacturers, they must have respect for nature above all else. This means returning products back to their original material states, avoiding disruption to the natural landscape and minimising waste material.

These respectful outdoor living environments allow users to plunge headfirst into nature, without leaving their seat.


© Architonic