Ultimate Flexible Workspace
Dutch designers Kapteinbolt have created a flexible workplace, called FLKS. The furniture features a desk and chair that fold out from two hinged sheets. Design firm Kapteinbolt says: ”We like to introduce FLKS (flex), a flexible workplace. Just open the panels unfold the table and the chair and put the plug in for light. The legs from the table and the chair are provided with special designed joints, pull and turn 90°.
The dimensions of the panels are a combination of sizes according to the Modulor of Le Corbusier in combination with the functional human sizes of today. This design is characterized by simplicity, clarity, freedom and space. Freedom in using and in arranging this workplace.
The dialogue between the space and furniture, but also the spaciousness of the furniture itself is an important fact. By bringing furniture back to the essence you can create space. The FLKS provides a definition of space. By giving cover to the back and to one of the sides, the FLKS creates a private and comfortable workplace.”
[ Article Source: LikeCool ]
Solar Walls for Ambient Workplace Lighting
Revitalizing the conventional confines of the traditional workspace, designer Jenny Redd has come up with an innovative room divider that other than providing privacy, also harnesses solar energy to run the office. The “Solar Wall,” as the designer hails the divider, utilizes a new kind of solar technology, wherein dye-sensitized solar cells are printed onto the glass, to provide electricity to the workspace. Capturing energy in its screen-printed honeycomb pattern, the freestanding room divider stores solar energy in its base, where power outlets are provided to juice up and run the electronics. The up-to-the-minute technology helps you accumulate not only the direct sunlight but also the indirect ambient light to power all the gadgets in the office.
[ Article Source: the Design Blog ]
The Office Playground
Motivated by the playground where children work or learn while playing, the “Official Playground” is a playful closet that provides personal space for work and meetings. Made in steel, chrome and plastic, the playground for adults features different levels that double as storage for your books/documents and other objects, separating interior from the outer space. Users need to climb on top of the playground to participate in high level meetings, which keeps them fit and increases their work productivity.
[ Article Source: the Design Blog ]
Imaginative Workplaces
There’s no excuse for drab office environments any more, argues Anna Richardson. Indeed, imaginative interiors which offer a bit of privacy as well as great teamworking space are essential for bringing out that creative spark in staff
JUST AS a computer is no longer a desk-bound, 13-inch-plus-screened piece of hardware, most workplaces are not what they once were. With growing flexibility and mobility of technology, rows upon rows of desks have given way to more efficient and creative uses of space, encouraging collaboration and inspiration among the workforce.
One of the clients of interior design group HOK would spend 5 per cent of the budget on loose furniture (associated with breakout areas and informal meeting spaces) five years ago, says Andy Warner Lacey, design director of HOK interiors. Now they often spend 40 per cent.
Where once a couple of high-end sofas sufficed, creating breakout space is more complex nowadays. Designing places for work can span extremes, says Phil Hutchinson, joint managing director of BDG Workfutures. ‘One person’s quiet is another person’s noise.’
Providing intimate, private spaces is just as important as furthering collaboration and teamwork. Enrico Caruso, principal of Gensler London, says people use workspace in four work modes – focus, work, heads-down and collaborative – and a successful organisation has to balance these.
Another consideration is providing employees with a sense of identity and, in many cases, integrating different parts of the business.
The Mobile Desk
Coming from the house of Opulent Items, the “Mobile Desk,” as indicated by its name, is a movable workstation that supports mobility in and around your workplace. Integrating a bicycle seat and a small tray for holding a laptop, allowing an ergonomic workplace, the Mobile Desk stands tall on three-wheeled legs that let you move around the place without leaving your seat and system. Cool! Finished in powder coated metal and vinyl saddle, the portable workstation measures 31.5″ x 20″ x 38″ (HWL) and is accessible for $500. Users can adjust the seat according to their height with little effort. Supporting teamwork, the Mobile Desk is available in a two-seat version (below) as well.
[ Article Source : the Design Blog ]
Zendome Domescape for effortless Events
German manufacturer Zendome has designed an Advanced Frame System (ADF-System) called “Domescape” that provides cover for a variety of events in a circular structure, which can be directed perfectly to the exact location with little efforts. Made in powder coated galvanized steel in the traditional handcraft way, the Zendome presents three separate round doorways, allowing unlimited possibilities in the space. While a large panoramic window lets the guests peep in and out of the dome structure. Easy to install and move, the ADF-System can be used either individually or in combination, according to the number of guests or availability of space. With Domescape, now you’ll be able to host an event anytime, anywhere.
[ Article Source :
Morris & King Company Offices
Located in New York City, the Morris + King Company is a leading independent PR and marketing firm that recently finished a complete renovation of its offices, the results of which are nothing short of spectacular. Under the direction of Judith R. King, partner and principal of The Morris + King Company, along with the help of David Aldaheff, a recognized leader of the avant-garde movement in furniture design and owner of The Future Perfect, the Morris + King offices were transformed into a vibrant workspace that is both functional, and fun. Between its vibrant colors, stylized furniture and calming ambiance, the Morris + King Company office definitely looks like a great place to work!Mo
The vision and theme of the redesign was a “glowing ice cube with hidden surprises”, which is perhaps the most visible in the “blue ice-cubicles”. Fabricated by design firm Panelite, the cubicles contain dimmable stacked cube lamps, and desks with glass tabletops that reflect the tranquil blue hues from the cube walls.
The “rumpus room” is a stylish conference room that features an eclectic collection of blue chairs, including cast aluminum prototypes of 1970s Air France lounge chairs, velvet seats from the former cruise liner “Stella Solaris” and a pair of rocking chairs from Bensen. The room also has a fully stocked back, a built in plasma tv, and even a Nintendo Wii system.
To accentuate the theme of the redesign the office was decorated with an inspiring collection of paintings, sculptures and photography, including 11 custom-designed abstract paintings that reside on the walls of the firm’s 40 foot gallery whose bold colors and sharp geometric shapes appear to be in a continuous state of motion.
Organize Your Workspace for Maximum Productivity
As you pilot your way through the business day, your workspace is your cockpit. If you can’t see the gauges or reach the controls quickly and efficiently, you’re in trouble. Luckily some simple organizing techniques can make your desk, cubicle, or office more conducive to higher levels of productivity.
Clear the deck. Your elbows and your brain need room to do what they do best, so you’ve got to clear away the clutter. Those spontaneous piles of miscellaneous paperwork, the boxes of stuff tossed in the corner, the tchotchkes from last year’s convention? They’ve all got to go. “Out of sight, out of mind” is the directing principle here. Put away (even better, throw away) anything you don’t need to be thinking about on a daily basis. As for the stuff you do need, choose a sensible place for it — all of it — and commit to keeping it there. Once you do that, putting away an item requires no thought or decisions.
Keep only frequently-used items within reach. Split your workspace tools and current paperwork into two categories: what should be within arm’s reach and what shouldn’t. Right now, as you sit at your desk, consider every single item that you can reach out and touch. Is there anything you use less than a few times a week? Get it out of your way. (Hint: If it’s dusty, it doesn’t need to be there.) Is there anything you use often that’s not right nearby? Relocate it to the space right in front of you. For example, if you rarely use the hole punch, store it in the office supplies drawer. If you’re always jotting things down, a fresh notepad and uncapped pen should be next to your mouse pad.
Set up a landing strip. Every day you arrive in workspace with the same items — a cell phone, briefcase and/or purse, mail, keys, change. Make a “landing strip” where you can drop your stuff when you come in and out (maybe with an extra cell phone charger and change cup). If incoming paperwork or mail makes its way to your desk or chair each day, use an inbox to “catch” it. Clear out this inbox and file, recycle, or otherwise process everything in it every day.
Store related items together. Reduce the amount of time you spend hunting for tools by grouping items by task. Keep the stamps near your envelopes, pens near notepads, fresh folders near the filing cabinet, ink near the printer, shredder near the recycling bin, and so on. This is the most obvious piece of organizing advice in the world — until you’ve got a letter to mail and can’t find the stamps.
Make yourself comfortable. You spend the majority of your waking hours in your workspace, so it’s worth investing in a comfy chair and desk at the right height, a mouse and keyboard that’s easy on your hands and wrists, and even a widescreen monitor (or two) to make long hours at the computer gentler on your eyes and bodies. Beware of fancy office products that claim to be more ergonomic than others; your gauge is your body.
Pay attention to the way you work and adjust as needed. After your initial reorganization, keep an eye out for recurring tasks you can do more efficiently in your workspace. If you often need space to spread out paperwork, get a keyboard drawer or L-shaped desk that gives you that room. If you have a laptop you take with you, get yourself an extra power cord or dock for easy plugging and unplugging. If you refer to paperwork while you type, get yourself a monitor-mounted document clip. One right-handed university dean told me that she taught herself to mouse with her left hand so she could jot notes at the same time with her right. Some of the most effective (but less obvious) tweaks you can make in your workspace depend on your work style and needs.
source: HarvardBusiness blog
