Based on an instinctively familiar form, Patterns, a collection of workstation pieces in the form of benches, tables, desks and work walls, elevates a simple folded plane to sophisticated design. With its broad material options and an anodized aluminum inlay, Patterns injects a level of refinement into the workplace.
A large concern for today’s professional facility manager is how to do more with less time, less space and less money. It is important to find furniture that is affordable and sustainable while still maintaining a level of flexibility that allows for change. As reducing real estate costs has become a top priority for most corporations, furniture that best maximizes space helps to greatly reduce overhead. The furniture industry has responded to common trends in order to manufacture more affordable, flexible and practical products.
Facility managers are not necessarily looking for drastic concept changes in the furniture they purchase; in fact, it is a typical desire to buy furniture that is compatible with the furniture they already possess. As technology is a large factor in influencing the way spaces are reconfigured, there is a call for furniture to be crafted around the technology used in the workplace. It is important that new products are practical, focusing on ease of installation and operation. People want furniture that makes their life easier and saves them money.
In an article in Today’s Facility Manager magazine, Charles Zelonis, facilities manager for Aavid Thermalloy in Concord, N.H., said, “I wish furniture companies would come out with more conservative furniture designs, because some of the products look too futuristic. Breakthrough introductions do get more attention and are used as statement pieces in a couple of core areas of a building but, in the end, facility managers buy practical furniture so it will last.” A Michigan-based company responded with Patterns, a collection of workstation pieces in the form of benches, tables, desks, work walls, and “wrappers” that are meant to work with any interior architecture and also with the company’s systems and movable walls.
Marta Wassenaar, product manager for Patterns and a LEED-accredited professional at Haworth in Holland, Mich., agreed that, “facility managers’ needs from an efficiency standpoint have not changed; right now, cubicles are the answer.” That sentiment seems to be widely shared. Also quoted in Today’s Facility Manager magazine was Christopher Fusco, facility manager with The Ford Co. in Cranbury, N.J. He said, “We can’t do away with the cubicle; that’s not a reality. Cubicles are vital for our entire company, including our offices in Detroit. We need a level of privacy, since few people work in private offices anymore.”
In response to many facility managers’ needs, most furniture companies are streamlining their systems offerings to make them more flexible for end-users’ needs. In addition, more systems are moving to slim, lower-height and lighter-weight panels that are easier to connect and move. “We’ve interviewed hundreds of facility managers about their needs to get hold of what’s happening and why the solutions on the market aren’t good enough,” said Wassenaar. “It turns out that parts don’t talk together and that frustrates the facility manager.” In an attempt to eradicate this issue, Haworth’s new Patterns collection is meant to work with not only existing architectural factors, but other systems on the market as well.
In With the New
Because facility managers are consolidating space, or trying to utilize space more efficiently, while increasing worker effectiveness, solutions that accomplish both objectives are necessary. Several years ago, Haworth introduced a product line that used creative work-surface sizes and shapes to develop what they called the “Perfect 6 x 6” station. The goal was to give a smaller station the feel of a larger station so the occupant wouldn’t feel squeezed and productivity wouldn’t be compromised. One of the main ways to enable the use of smaller workstations is the increasingly prevalent use of flat-screen monitors.
The growing popularity and reduced prices of flat-screen computer monitors is one trend that is already influencing the design of systems furniture. Today, 500 million old CRTs are being replaced with flat-panel LCD monitors. Oversized CRT monitors have cramped the desktop for more than 30 years, and workstations that are designed for flat-panel monitors can be reduced by 20 percent. Technology has become a reality that facility managers must deal with. Because monitor arms are attached to work surfaces, they are considered part of technology and facilities. For the first time ever, the information technology and facilities departments are partnering to determine furniture purchases.
Beyond space and technology, facility managers are focused on sustainability. It is becoming more enticing to clients that the products they purchase are eco-friendly, and manufacturers are responding. For instance, when engineering its products, Haworth focuses on trying to avoid environmental burdens of products, processes and services already in an early stage of product development, also known as “Design for Environment,” to guide new product development. The strategies include increasing recycled content, using more rapidly renewable materials, and designing products to be disassembled at the end of their useful life to increase recycling opportunities. One example of this is the Zody task chair, which is 98 percent recyclable and made with materials designed to maximize human and ecological health.
Another aspect of the burgeoning green movement is energy-efficient and adaptable raised flooring and demountable walls. They are gaining momentum with business and property managers due to their versatility and cost-saving benefits. Not only do the structures save energy and money, they also improve air quality and increase adaptability and accessibility. The use of those products has a dramatic impact on reducing the amount of construction waste going into our nation’s landfills.
As facility managers struggle with the issues of shrinking space, a more demanding workforce, constantly changing technology and mounting pressure to go green, furniture manufacturers are rising to the challenge of adapting to their needs. While there is no perfect solution to those issues, companies continue to invest in research and development to lead the way in solutions that are practical, simple, flexible and environmentally friendly.
