Posts Tagged ‘Furniture’
April 30th, 2009 in Furniture No Comments
It’s hard to justify purchasing new office furniture in a recession but the author of this piece thinks spending $729 on a Steelcase Think Chair could be a wise investment. The chair design features two trade-marked mechanisms developed by Steelcase after consultation with the University of Vermont’s Back Research Center.
Flexible metal bands in the chair’s back move with and support your back while the reclining apparatus under the seat ensures a smooth, jerk-free transition from sitting upright to leaning backward. Arm rests can be adjusted to move closer to your body and can also move forward or backward with a nudge from your elbows – great for shifting from your keyboard to answering your phone. Although there are no complicated levers, users can “program” their favorite chair positions with an analog, manual knob. (more…)
August 14th, 2006 in Trends No Comments
This article notes that the generation entering the workforce today is technology-based, networked, mobile and “highly interactive,” with values that make it difficult for them to adjust to a traditional hierarchical business structure. The author insists, however, that this culture will invade the office and greatly impact office design. Design constructs like acoustical privacy will give way to the adaptive interaction favored by this generation; office furniture has already begun to adapt: (more…)
March 20th, 2006 in Design No Comments
The cubicle still claims the largest share of office furniture despite decades of bad press from designers and workers alike. Recently, however, organizations have begun to develop economical and productive alternatives. This article provides an historical overview of the rise of the cubicle and the economic reasons behind its success. Among the more than 100 cubicle variants the article touches on Steelcase’s “Personal Harbor” (which can be filled with its own lighting, fan, door and window), Knoll’s A3 or “anticube” (a rounded, podlike structure with privacy provided by translucent mesh) and a June launch of two Herman Miller cockpit-like systems that emphasize color and privacy. (more…)
May 30th, 2004 in Design No Comments
Cost-conscious, nimble, innovative companies are increasingly expecting their workspaces to be the same. The result, according to this article, is a new emphasis on modularity in office and product design. Flexibility and adaptability are the keynotes, with a particular eye on collaborative or mobile space – “You’re not making [employees] adapt to the environment – the environment adapts to them.”
Old panel systems connected only panel to panel at certain connection points; new systems allow panels to connect midpanel, allowing greater flexibility and cost savings. Products like sliding doors and flat screen displays take up less room, while modular units with built-in IT functions allow for plug-and-play setups, cutting out the cost of frequent rewiring and cabling.
The author lauds the increasingly broader palette in color, texture and design of modular units, which she sees as contributing to greater sales as modular units are finding their way into the executive floors of insurance companies and investment houses.
Source: Katie Weeks, Contract; May, 2004
