Archive for October, 2010

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Top 3 Perks of Really Small Cubicles

Friday, October 29th, 2010

There seems to be a lot of negativity surrounding the topic of small cubicles. Employers complain of the poor morale caused by squeezing workers into tiny boxes for 40+ hours a week. Employees gripe that they don’t have enough personal space in these cramped quarters. But every cloud has a silver lining and it’s time these diminutive workstations got a fair shake. So, here’s a tongue in cheek look at 3 things to enjoy about really, really small office cubicles:

Cozy Quarters Increase Activity

It may seem counter-intuitive, but working in a mini-cubicle means you are more likely to exercise. You will use every opportunity to get out of that cramped space and walk around the office looking like you are on an important errand that is vital for your job. As the square footage of your cubicle decreases, you can expect to shave inches off your waistline. Eventually, you will be so thin that your cube will seem positively roomy in comparison.

A Better Quality of Gossip

Since cubes with a small footprint allow more employees to work within earshot of each other, there will be a higher number of private phone conversations that you “can’t help” but overhear. If you end up vying with these coworkers for a promotion, you will have plenty of ammunition at your disposal to sabotage their chances and ensure your own success.

Prepare for Takeoff

Almost every little kid dreams of being an astronaut when they grow up. Now, as a white collar office drone, you may be closer to this goal than ever. Spacefarers must prove that they can take the psychological strain of living in close, overcrowded quarters for prolonged periods. Your tenure in a petite cubicle may actually prepare you for being among the individuals selected for the honor of founding our first colony on Mars.

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See A Cubicle System That’s “On The Go”

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

Cubicle panels that feature casters are just one option to make workstations somewhat moveable. That approach is fine if all you need to do is rearrange your existing office layout swiftly. But, you still have to move the chairs and desks separately with those cubicle systems. What if you needed to actually pack up an entire workstation and move it to a different room?

For true mobility, you have to look no farther than…Japan. The Atelier OPA design firm has developed a workstation called The Folding Office in its line of “kenchikukagu” or architectural furniture. It’s gone from a concept to an actual item available for purchase since the company began manufacturing these units at a factory in Shanghai, China. The self-contained cubicle system includes a desk surface, shelving, a chair, and LED lighting. These aluminum workstations are available in black, white, silver, red, brown, and wood grain finishes. When closed, the mobile office looks like a sleek storage locker.

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Owning Your Workspace

Monday, October 25th, 2010

This month, Cubicles Office Environments is excited to have a guest writer on board. Susan Koole Huls from Herman Miller weighs in below on the topic of employee satisfaction and cubicle customization.

“Physical space matters,” writes Alexander Kjerulf also known as The Chief Happiness Officer. He adds, “Many companies have buildings that are sleek, modern, architectural glass-steel-and-cement sculptures on the outside–and cubicle wastelands on the inside. These companies need to remember that most employees tend to work inside the building.”

This idea resonates throughout the Herman Miller research summary called,“It’s All About Me: The Benefits of Personal Control at Work.” It notes that companies will gain a competitive advantage if they view the workplace as a strategic asset. It’s a tool that can optimize employee performance and improve satisfaction.

Having some control over the workspace can improve comfort and the ability to get work done and reduce stress. This can lead to greater productivity and better health. Having some control also allows people to “own” a workspace, which gives others a sense of who they are.

“Workplace control begins with the person taking ownership of the space,” says Betty Hase, Workplace Strategist for Herman Miller. “Workers who never take ownership feel like victims of their environment.”

She’s found that workers have a greater sense of control when they go through an orientation to their workstations and learn how to adjust chairs ergonomically, use work tools, and adjust lights and other items.

Giving workers choices can make them more comfortable and feel more in control of their work and workplace. There are a number of things that can provide control—simple things like letter trays, shelving, storage bins, personal air control, coat hooks, options to increase privacy, a place to securely store personal belongings, and areas to display personal items.

Based on the latest research, more workers are getting more opportunities to have some control over their workspaces. A Herman Miller trends study found that 45 percent of companies surveyed say they allow employees to select or choose some features or elements of their workstations.

Ultimately, 17 percent of the respondents predict that worker control over the designs of their workstations will increase in the next five years—a move that will make the competitive advantage even more competitive.

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Glass Cubicle Dividers

Friday, October 22nd, 2010

Today’s leading panel system manufacturers all have one thing in common – they know customers want more transparency in the workplace. Cubicle dividers made of glass permit more light to enter into individual workspaces and keep employees from feeling to cut off from their coworkers. So, virtually all of the top cubicle companies now offer several collections that can be fitted with glass panels. Here is a selection to give you an idea of the variety of options available:

Teknion Transit

You can add or remove tiles at any time with this stacked panel style. Teknion refers to the glass tiles as Glazed Elements. These panes are lightly frosted to increase privacy while still permitting excellent light penetration. Metal and glass architectural components and cubicle doors are also available from this manufacturer.

Maxon Parallel

This is another set of cubicles that can be built up in panel segments. The example shown here has the glass tile sandwiched between two fabric finished tiles for a “window” effect. You can also put the glass segment at the top for an airy impression. Maxon ships its glass panels with an eye toward shatter resistance. They use tempered glass that can safely withstand initial transportation and subsequent daily usage in an office environment.

Haworth Compose

Haworth created its glass cubicle dividers with employee comfort in mind. They recommend stacking a 24” glass tile on a 34” panel for a well lit environment and a clear view of the office area for seated workers. Or, you can select a taller bottom panel so that the glass only provides a view into other workstations from a standing position.

Herman Miller My Studio

In addition to standard clear glass panels, the My Studio collection also features curved, frosted outer walls. These provide a 360 degree glazed cocoon that provides a spacious feeling. This design can contribute to the accumulation of LEED credits. Transparent materials allow you to increase the amount of natural daylight used to illuminate your workspace.

Steelcase Montage

The cubicle dividers shown here for Steelcase are unique in that they are completely frameless. These low profile panel toppers are reminiscent of lovely sea glass that has been etched by the ocean. They delineate workspaces without detracting from a collaborative environment.

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Is Your Corporate Office Furniture Outdated?

Wednesday, October 20th, 2010

Of all the attention grabbing status symbols in the field of corporate office furniture, the expensive, glossy conference table is one of the most recognizable. But this piece of furniture might not be around much longer if some people have their way. For example, one writer at Workified proffers the opinion that conference rooms aren’t necessary and waste real estate because they are empty most of the time. The author of this blog post suggests that most meetings are a waste of time (certainly an opinion most of us have expressed at some point). If a company held only “standup” meetings with no chairs and no table, would more real work get accomplished in less time?

It’s unlikely that the conference room will disappear from the office environment any time soon. But it does make sense to look at your next purchase of conference room equipment from a different perspective. Choosing furniture that has multiple uses is generally a plus. For example, today’s modern conference tables often have multiple electrical and data ports. This means the table can be used to create extra workstations at a moment’s notice or provide a valuable work area for collaborative endeavors. Your office furniture supplier can give you more tips for fully utilizing your conference table. As far as getting your meetings under control so they are really productive, take a look at some helpful tips from Australian meeting expert David Julian Price.

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Is Your Solid Wood Office Furniture Bugged?

Monday, October 18th, 2010

Solid wood office furniture is an ever popular staple for executive office suites. Usually, these items are highly durable and will remain in excellent condition for decades with appropriate care. However, there are tiny intruders that can leave your lovely wood desk peppered with unsightly holes. Powderpost beetles and other insects sometimes infest trees before they are harvested. Depending on the species of wood boring beetle involved, they may take up to 2 years to complete their life cycle and emerge – leaving tiny holes in the surface of the wood. Raw lumber used to make furniture should always be properly treated to kill any hitchhikers. If you are purchasing solid wood furnishings, it doesn’t hurt to check with your office furniture supplier and ask about the methods used to ensure your wood furniture is free of pests.

Some wood eating insects such as drywood termites will attack wood furniture even after it is finished and sealed. The appropriate control method for this kind of infestation depends on the species of insect that is in the wood. The usual way of identifying the species is unpleasant but effective. You can determine what type of insect is involved by inspecting the frass (a mixture of excrement and wood fragments) they leave behind. In some cases, wood furniture can be successfully treated with fumigation. In worst case scenario situations, you simply have to replace the item entirely. Fortunately, new wood furnishings are not nearly as prone to infestation as antique wooden furniture tends to be. So, well-made solid wood furniture can still be a great choice for your corner office. Just be on the lookout for potential issues if your indoor work environment is fairly humid or if the office building has a history of termite problems.

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Posted in Office Furniture | 2 Comments »

Cool Office Furniture: Sit-to-Walkstation

Thursday, October 14th, 2010

One of the all-time best examples of cool office furniture is the treadmill workstation from Steelcase. The version that lets you alternate between sitting and walking is even cooler. Standing for 8 hours a day isn’t any better for you than sitting for that long. So, having the option to rest or exercise whenever you like is the best of both worlds. The Sit-to-Walkstation by “details” takes the original treadmill/desk and makes it more adaptable. You can fit both the treadmill and a regular office chair into the workspace and simply switch from one to the other.

The worksurface can be adjusted for the correct height whether you choose to sit or stand. The best part is that you don’t have to use any tools or throw your back out moving the worksurface up and down. That’s taken care of with an automated lift mechanism. All you have to do is push a button to change your workstation into a workout center.

Steelcase recommends that users install the following accessories along with their Sit-to-Walkstation:

  • Flat panel monitor arm
  • Wireless keyboard (without a palm rest)
  • Wireless mouse
  • Hands free phone headset

Treadmill Basic Features

The treadmill itself can be set for speeds between .3 and 2 miles per hour. Sure, that’s not exactly speedy; but any faster than that and you probably wouldn’t be able to type or use your mouse while you walk. You can check the console to see your speed, distance, calories burned, and time. This means you can track your progress from week to week as you spend more of your day walking and fewer hours sitting.

User Reviews

Is this workstation just a gimmick or is it a viable alternative to traditional office furniture? Users of this device give it a pretty good rating overall. The equipment isn’t completely silent, but it’s quiet enough to let you concentrate on work. You will need to wear appropriate athletic shoes when you use the treadmill – not slick soled office shoes or pumps. It may also be a good idea to stretch out at the beginning of your day and after each session on the Walkstation. Of course, you don’t want your cool office furniture to leave you hot and sticky. If you’re worried about sweating throughout the day as you work and walk, stash some non-scented baby wipes in your desk to fix that problem.

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Teknion Cubicles: District Collection

Tuesday, October 12th, 2010

Imagine an old fashioned news room filled with employees. Intrepid reporters sit at sleek, sharp edged desks. They talk to sources on the phone, then stab feverishly at their typewriters with nicotine stained fingers. Secretaries in pencil skirts and heels rush to and fro shuffling papers from one boxy metal filing cabinet to another. Now, update that mental picture to remove the tired stereotypes and retain the elegant simplicity of the office furniture. That’s the impression Teknion cubicles from the District collection will give you on first glance.

The District line features desks, cabinets, and walls that have a distinctly classic feel that harks back to the middle of the last century. It also has a distinct cubist flavor with its multi-purpose credenzas, towers, and miniature storage units that can be layered and stacked to support worksurfaces and divide spaces. Architectural walls and glass windows can be incorporated to add definition to any configuration. The whole collection offers cubicle-style practicality and efficiency while bringing to mind a time before the first cube was introduced to the office environment.

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Global Office Furniture: San Diego Businesses Buy Imported Goods

Monday, October 11th, 2010

Over the past 50 years, the process of procuring office furnishings for use in the United States has become increasingly global. Office furniture San Diego businesses choose to purchase often comes from one of this country’s main importing partners in the furniture industry – China and Canada. It might surprise you to learn that sourcing office furniture from China has only recently become a prevalent practice. In the year 2000, only 13% of imported office furniture came from that country. Now, according to statistics from BIFMA, that number has spiked to around 40%. In the same time period, Canada has lost 22% of its share of the U.S. market.

Some people may point to this trend as an indication that U.S. businesses are opting for the cheapest products available regardless of the quality of the product. What’s interesting about the argument against buying non-domestic office furniture is that it cuts both ways. For example, here’s a snippet from a 2007 news article at AllAfrica.com in which the writer complains about the cheap U.S. furniture imports flooding the Kenyan marketplace. Would we want other countries to stop buying American-made products?

The ethical and practical questions surrounding the topic of international trade definitely fall outside the scope of this blog post. However, one easy way to ensure your purchasing decisions directly benefit U.S. workers is by choosing locally refurbished office furniture.

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Powder Coated Steel Frames For Cubicles

Friday, October 8th, 2010

Steel is one of the most popular materials used for making frames for cubicles. It’s not as lightweight as aluminum, but is cheaper per pound (although the price for steel is very volatile). In an office application, a cubicle doesn’t really have to be “high performance”. It just needs to be sturdy, dent/scratch resistant, and not too heavy to move when necessary. This means costly specialized alloys aren’t really required. Steel meets all the criteria necessary for making top quality cubicles that will last for decades. This material is also highly resistant to corrosion if it is powder coated.

What is powder coating? It’s a process of applying electro-statically charged dry paint to a metal surface. The paint is pigmented resin (plastic) in powdered form. One cool thing about powder coating is that you can spray the fluidized powder at the front of an object and wind up with paint on the back of the object. That’s because the electrostatic charge between the surface and the powder acts like a magnet to pull the “overspray” that flows past the object back onto the metal. Here’s an explanation of how this process works along with diagrams. After the powder is stuck to the metal frame, it is baked or cured in an industrial oven at high temperatures to make the coating permanent.

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