Office Furniture

CUSTOMIZATION’S KEY INFLUENCE IN WORKPLACE DESIGN

CUSTOMIZATION’S KEY INFLUENCE IN WORKPLACE DESIGN

In today’s mobile workforce, versatility and choice in the workplace are becoming increasingly common. The influx of ancillary spaces – including work cafés, lounges and informal meeting areas – is representative of a larger trend of creating custom environments designed to give employees greater control over how, when and where they work.

Traditionally, workplace design has involved commercial architecture firms and the voice of select executives. Now, companies are beginning to look to other industries (including hospitality, education and art) to create inspirational work environments that empower employees with the flexibility and freedom to work as they see fit. In this month’s news aggregate, we explore how the shift toward customization is influencing workplace design.

Read the blog post on coalesse.com >

Unique Furniture acquires Jesper Office

Unique Furniture acquires Jesper Office

Unique Furniture A/S, an international furniture supplier based in Kolding, Denmark, reports that it has acquired the assets of office furniture vendor Jesper Office. Under terms of the agreement, which were not disclosed, Unique Furniture will acquire key personnel and intellectual property specific to Jesper Office’s brand and product set.

These cushion seats are designed to fit into the wall when not being used

These cushion seats are designed to fit into the wall when not being used

When architecture and interior design firm AEI, were designing this school in Bogota, Colombia, they decided to introduce bright colors and fun furniture.

The walls of various areas of the school have a honeycomb pattern with slots designed for storing cushioned seats. When certain seats are removed, reading nooks appear, ideal for kids that want a quiet getaway.

Read the article on contgemporist.com >

THE LESSTHANFIVE TATTOO: INSPIRATION THROUGH PERSONAL CUSTOMIZATION

THE LESSTHANFIVE TATTOO: INSPIRATION THROUGH PERSONAL CUSTOMIZATION

In the world of design, one size does not fit all. To give designers the flexibility they need, we continue to explore new avenues of making customization easier and more accessible. When thinking of ways we could enable customers to personalize their products, our Coalesse Studio design team got to thinking about the various ways people express themselves. Everything a person wears says something about who they are: their clothing, their hairstyle, their jewelry, even what’s on their skin. Since tattoos are such a popular form of personal expression, our designers came up with the idea of “tattooing” the LessThanFive Chair.

Read the blog post on coalesse.com >

THE NEW CULTURE OF CUSTOMIZATION

THE NEW CULTURE OF CUSTOMIZATION

The architects and designers who create inspirational workspaces are participants in a dynamic process of customization. Their mission is to be responsive to each client’s unique community and character, and to express those attributes in an environment that is unlike any other. Yet as tailored as these settings can be, they are rarely made of one-of-a-kind components.

Designers need tools to enliven the impersonal office and overcome the commonality of its prevailing furnishings. But how do these building blocks become more bespoke?

This is the new culture of Customization — a rising phenomenon today that empowers greater personal expression and creative participation in the demand for individualized products. Coalesse studies how customization has evolved in the greater design ecosystem, pushed both by a steady appetite for the value and heritage of crafted goods, and the democracy of newer technologies that engage consumers —and design professionals — deeper in the product-making equation than ever before.

Read the blog post on coalesse.com >

Vitra: Soft Modular Sofa | Jasper Morrison, 2016

The Soft Modular Sofa is Jasper Morrison's current interpretation of what has become a modern classic: the low-slung modular sofa with a decidedly horizontal emphasis. Uniting carefully balanced proportions, great comfort and a conscious renunciation of decorative details, the Soft Modular Sofa exemplifies the characteristics of this sofa type in their purest form. Firmly in line with his philosophy of 'super normal' design, Jasper Morrison has successfully coupled home-like informality with precise finishing and expressive clarity. As a result, the Soft Modular Sofa functions like an architectural element that can be subtly integrated in any interior.

Read more about this product on vitra.com >

Pierre-Emmanuel Vandeputte designs portable desk divider Diplomate

Pierre-Emmanuel Vandeputte designs portable desk divider Diplomate

Belgian designer Pierre-Emmanuel Vandeputte has created a portable desk divider that allows users to actively isolate themselves from the noise around them. Brussels-based Vandeputte designed the felt divider, Diplomate, to be easy to move and to use so that users can have the option of isolation at work.

Read the article on dezeen.com >

Rohnert Park’s Altwork wins North Bay Maker Award

Rohnert Park’s Altwork wins North Bay Maker Award

Making high-intensity computer users more at ease and productive in today’s fast-paced office environment is the goal of Altwork, a company designing and manufacturing thoughtfully crafted office furniture for 21st century innovators and creators that redefines how humans interact with their computers.

Altwork is on schedule to start shipping its first product to West Coast customers this summer and management says it will be ready to deliver nationwide shortly thereafter – with international shipments by the end of 2016.

Read the article on northbaybusinessjournal.com >

The 'Station' desk cradles your body and gut-punches your wallet

The 'Station' desk cradles your body and gut-punches your wallet

Our computers have rapidly shrunk from room-size behemoths to hulking desktops to the svelte laptops that now dominate modern offices. What haven't changed much are the tables and chairs that the computers (and we) sit on. A new integrated workspace from the Altwork company, appropriately named the Station, has been designed to replace both pieces of furniture while giving you more flexibility in how you interact with your computer. I was recently able to get a butts-on demo of the Station, and the only contortion I had to perform was wrapping my mind around its massive price tag.

Read the article on engadget.com >

Office Depot Launches Exclusive New WorkPro Flex Collection for High Quality, Flexible Workspaces

Office Depot Launches Exclusive New WorkPro Flex Collection for High Quality, Flexible Workspaces

Office Depot, Inc., a global provider of office products, services, and solutions, through its Office Depot and OfficeMax brands, today announced the launch of the WorkPro® Flex collection. The new product line offers flexible, multi-use table tops and legs that are ideal for desks, training rooms, conference tables and other unique needs of businesses.

Q&A WITH LUKE PEARSON AND TOM LLOYD, PEARSONLLOYD

Q&A WITH LUKE PEARSON AND TOM LLOYD, PEARSONLLOYD

Luke Pearson and Tom Lloyd founded PearsonLloyd design studio in 1997. Since then, the London-based practice has served many sectors- including healthcare, office furniture, aviation and urban design- with a focus on identifying and responding to the shifting patterns of behavior in contemporary life. PearsonLloyd takes a collaborative approach to its work, embracing the restrictions imposed by production, the market, and other factors that define a brief. It’s work is grounded in research, and at the core is an attempt to understand the relationship between a product, its place, and the way people use it. in 2008, Tom and Luke were awarded the distinction of Royal Designers for Industry by The Royal Society of Arts. In August 2012, they were named one of the Top 50 Designers Shaping the Future by Fast Company magazine in New York.

In 2016, Teknion launched Zones, a comprehensive collection of furniture and workplace applications that address new workstyles and applications.

Read the article on designinsiderlive.com >

VIDEO: Sedia Systems NEW Lecture Hall Solutions 2016

VIDEO: Sedia Systems NEW Lecture Hall Solutions 2016

Sedia Systems offers a wide variety of contemporary lecture hall seating. From the innovative M Series that optimizes room capacity, to the award-winning O60 Series that offers a modern and elegant design, our solutions deliver unparalleled learning environments. Sedia Systems has installed lecture halls at some of the world’s most prestigious colleges, universities and multinational corporations. With the broadest array of designs and options we can address all your lecture hall needs seamlessly and efficiently, anywhere on the planet. Learn more at www.sediasystems.com/lecture-hall-seating today.

On the beam: the making of New Tendency and Wagner's bar stool

On the beam: the making of New Tendency and Wagner's bar stool

Germany’s tangled 20th-century history is reflected in its multiple sites of memory and heritage – including that of the revered Bauhaus design school. In Dessau-Roßlau, in Saxony-Anhalt, is the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation. It was founded post-reunification and is housed in the rebuilt, Gropius-designed iconic modernist building that bears the school’s famous typography on the outside wall. The foundation undertakes design education, as well as researching and conserving the Bauhaus tradition.

Read the article on wallpaper.com >

KINESIT: A CUSTOMIZABLE TASK CHAIR FROM ARPER

KINESIT: A CUSTOMIZABLE TASK CHAIR FROM ARPER

A few months ago, Italian furniture company Arper reached out to see if we’d like to test drive their latest task chair – Kinesit (designed by Lievore Altherr Molina). I jumped at the chance because I’ve spent years trying to find a work chair that is comfortable after many hours of sitting (hint: they’re really hard to find) and one that looks cool. I have a small space, which means my office chair has to pull double-duty as a dining chair, so the less office-y, the better. That’s why the Kinesit felt like a good option. Say hello to my little friend! 

Read the article on design-milk.com > 

This Is How Many Calories You Actually Burn at Your Standing Desk

This Is How Many Calories You Actually Burn at Your Standing Desk

I love my standing desk. Throughout the workday, I like to stand for 20 minutes or so every hour to keep my energy up, while relieving my aching back and butt from poor sitting posture. I like to think that it’s a healthy habit that’s keeping me fit, active, and maybe even a few pounds lighter. But new research disagrees.

Read the article on womenshealthmag.com >