Commercial Furniture

1. Commercial Furniture

2. The Quickbourner Team • Germany, 1959. Two brothers developed the concept of open office layout and brought the idea to the US in 1967. • They believed that many offices hindered work productivity. Their designs promoted good communication and flow. • Referred to a office landscaping. • Their plans were based upon a systems analysis of work flow and communication. • The layout was very free and non-rectilinear.

3. The Quickbourner Team • People in frequent contact with each other were placed close together. • Many acoustical problems were attempted to be corrected by the use of carpet, plants and acoustical ceiling tiles • This new approach of “landscape” planning had a tremendous impact on the way offices were to be designed. They were flexible, efficient, open and informal. • Americans, however, were slow to accept the idea because they didn’t want to give up their hardwall office, which were status symbols to the executives.

4. Open Office Landscaping

5. Robert Propst • Hired by Herman Miller, Inc. in 1960 • A researcher and inventor • Developed Action Office I for Herman Miller and introduced it in 1964. • A panel based system using a vertical approach • Despite what the modern office has become, his goal was to get away from boxes and corridors. • The use of the panels violated the Quickborner concept but was widely accepted as open office landscaping.

6. “Grade A” Systems Manufacturers • Haworth, Inc. : Unigroup, Premise, and Compose • Steelcase : Series 9000, Avenir, Answer, Kick • Herman Miller: Action Office, Ethospace, Resolve • Allsteel: Stride, Terrace, Concensys • Teknion: T/O/S, Leverage, Transit, District • Knoll: Dividends, Equity, Morrison, Reff, AutoStrada • Kimball: Cetra, Traxx, Footprint

7. Types of Modular Furniture • Systems Furniture- Panel Based (Universal connectors or handed connectors) • Desking Systems (no panels) • Spine Based (hybrid)

8. Panel Based System • Monolithic • Stacked or Segmented • Off-modular

9. Panel Terminology • Monolithic • Raceway • Topcap • Siderail • Honeycomb core • Monocoque Construction • Adjustable levelors/glides • Carpet grippers

12. Heights and Widths will vary

13. What is Panel Creep?

14. Top Cap, Side Rail and Corner Post • Side rails showing “slots” to hang components into. • Corner post

15. Variable height connectors • Variable Ht. Connectors • Covers exposed panel end when using two different panel heights

17. Electrical Systems • Haworth has an 8 Wire System • 3 Hot, 3 Neutrals, 1 ground and 1 Isolated Ground • Max 16 amps per circuit • All manufacturers have a different system

18. Panel System • Top Channel Raceway

19. Electrical Systems Lay-inPower Base RacewayBeltline PowerPorted PanelFlex ConnectorProgrammable Receptacle

20. Components

24. Examples of Systems Furniture

25. Haworth Unigroup Too

26. Haworth Premise

27. Haworth Compose

28. Haworth Compose

29. Haworth Compose

30. Steelcase Answer

31. Steelcase Kick

32. Steelcase Avenir

33. Steelcase 9000

34. Herman Miller Action Office Series 2

35. Allsteel Terrace DNA

36. Teknion District

37. Knoll Equity

38. Knoll Dividends

39. Kimball Xsite

40. Non-Panel Based Systems • Desking • Benching • Storage based – Spine Planning Guide : http://www.knoll.com/media/9/797/TemplatePlanningIdeas,0.pdf

41. Conventional vs. Spine Conventional vs. Spine

42. Haworth Beside

43. Haworth Reside/Beside/Belong

44. Haworth Patterns

46. Steelcase C:scape

47. Steelcase Elective Elements

48. Steelcase Post and Beam with Answer Systems

49. Teknion Interpret

50. Knoll Template