Archive for May, 2010

Who’s The Designer? Cubicles Start As Ideas

Thursday, May 6th, 2010

60Switch_Stool_main_S03Modern cubicles are a far cry from the original Action Office created by Bob Propst in 1968. Now, workstations are available in an enormous range of configurations and styles to suit any office design layout. Who comes up with these high-end office furniture concepts? Most designer cubicles are marketed as part of a collection that is created by one or more specialists in commercial interior furnishings.

Like novelists, these designers get asked the “Where do you come up with your ideas?” question a lot. Martin Bergmann from the EEOS team (collaborators on the Coalesse line under the Steelcase brand) offers one answer. This Austrian design specialist says his team’s process entails “illuminating a previously undiscovered dimension” of a client’s brand. This information is used in concert with the customer’s functional requirements for the office furniture to develop the perfect solution.

Shrinking Cubicles - Design Efficiency and Space Management

Wednesday, May 5th, 2010

59 capsuleWhen it comes to office space planning, business owners look to maximize the utility of their office real estate in lots of different ways. A recent article from the Wall Street Journal reveals that one approach employers are taking is install smaller cubicles. Design features and careful implementation can actually make this less of a burden on employees than might be first supposed.

For example, some companies are using semi-transparent glass panels when reducing the size of personal workspaces. Others are limiting the total number of partitions and creating more collaborative areas. These tactics create an open feel compared to being stuck in an ever shrinking cell surrounded by 6’ high fabric clad walls.

However, there is probably a point at which people will begin to rebel. Then again, it hasn’t happened yet in Japan (take a look at this NYT article on capsule hotels). So, Americans may go along with this shift for much longer than anyone suspects. Just don’t try to reduce the size of our SUVs quite yet!

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