About Us
CHAPTERO1: INSPIRATION
Connecting with the mountains is our reason for being,and ourinspiration.
The only way to build the right gear for this environment was to build thecompany in this environment. We can't separate manufacturing from idea, orfrom location.
OUR BACKYARD
The Coast Mountains provide both the inspiration and rugged testingground for Arc'teryx.
In the span of the Coast Mountains, you'll experience dramatic vistas, diverseclimates and challenging conditions.The products we design are a directresponse to the needs of mountain athletes who go out in nature here.
WE LIVE IN THE WORLD'S LARGESTTEMPERATE RAINFOREST.
The Coast Mountains are our greatest inspiration - forthe products we make and the adventures we take.From our headquarters in North Vancouver, you can be in thebackcountry within 60 minutes.
The Coast Mountains inspire us to connect with our surroundings, to challenge ourselves,and to create products for mountain athletes.
Our Design Centre is where that inspiration transforms from idea to reality.
CHAPTER O2: DESIGN CENTRE
OUR DESIGN CENTRE IS LIKE AN ENGINEERING LAB.
We have a full industrial shop, manufacturing tools, a down room, colour tests,washing machines; all the tools to make and break products until we arrive at asmooth, efficient process with a beautiful result. This may take three years, it maytake longer.
Our Design Centre is a workshop, an engineering lab, a hands-on thinktank where experts with diverse skills and outdoor experience collaborateon the world's best product.
lt's not a pristine design lab. Which is just the way we like it.
From idea to manufacturing to final product, we pride ourselves on doing things differently.Having Arc'ONE, our local manufacturing factory, close to our headquarters (and the Coast
Mountains where we love to play) allows us to design, prototype, test, and refine-all in ourbackyard.
CHAPTER 03: CRAFT
ARC'One is a short drive from the Design Centre.
This critical link between design and production allows us to create innovativemanufacturing techniques.
Our ARC'One factory is where we learn,where we hone our skills and craftsmanship,but we can't do it all alone.
ARC'One is only one of our many facilities andsuppliers around the world that we depend on.
Before manufacturing begins, overseas facilitiesreceive an approved production sample andtechnical pack from the design team.
The development tech pack is built by teams at theDesign Centre. lt includes everything needed for afinished good facility to make a sample.
At Arc'teryx, we believe in design by doing.
There's this idea that products are made by machines and, for us, it's not true.Our designers aremountain athletes solving problems for other mountain athletes.
CHAPTER04:TECHNOLOGY
Of all our suppliers there is one partner who was essential to the birth of ourgroundbreaking outerwear.
our relationship with w.l. gore is one of the reasons we are able tocraft the world's best outerwear.
Materials are important, but it takes more than that to craft a light and durable outdoorproduct like the Alpha Sv Jacket.
The Gore environmental testing chamber can simulate the conditions ofany mountain peak in the world.
At the Gore facility, they are able to test materials and prototypejackets using various mechanized tests.Arc'teryx then takes theprototypes into the local mountains for further testing in real worldconditions.
The Alpha Sv Jacket is a storm fortress benefiting from continualrefinement and evolution.
When released in 1998, the Alpha SV introduced a new quality of alpine jacket:windproof, waterproof and durable in an incredibly lightweight package.Sincethen, Arc'teryx designers have obsessively refined and innovated each feature,season after season.These incremental improvements have kept the Alpha SV atthe forefront of the industry.
The journey to 475 grams.
Advanced design and manufacturing has led toa 33% weight reduction over the last 20 years.
Make it more durable. Make it lighter. Make it perform better. Make it last.That's our design ethos at Arc'teryx.
CHAPTER 05:SUSTAINABILITYWHAT IS NEXT FOR US?
How do we continue to build gear while simultaneously protecting our backyard?Extreme durability and responsible resourcing can dramatically reduce our
environmental impact.
Our philosophy is guided by the belief that durability is the strongest path tosustainability.
We start with a meticulous and mindful design process.Over decades of innovation, we havedeveloped a toolkit to deliver durability and improve our environmental impacts.
Manufacturing high performance outdoor gear is stilla challenge for the environment.Why?
Because manufacturing today is based on a linear economymodel with impacts across all stages of the product lifecycle.Each stage has multiple challenges that impact ourenvironment:
Energy Use
Global supply chains require large amounts of electricity andextensive transportation.
Global supply chains require large amounts of electricity andextensive transportation.
waste
High-performance materials are often not recyclable.
Water pollution
Making high-performance materials creates water pollution.
limate change
Emissions generated in manufacturing contribute to globalwarming.
VISION FOR THE FUTURE
Design for a circular economy
Ultimately, we want to move from a linear production model to acircular economy.All materials and products are resources to beused in a repeated loop, rather than disposed.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a methodology that rigorouslyand objectively measures the impacts associated with
designing, producing and using goods and services.
The Alpha SV Life Cycle Assessment evaluated 18environmental impacts across all 8 lifecycle steps.