BIFMA`s 2015 Chemicals Summit

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GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS
Meet idesk, the new Cherryman brand
A little more than 10 years ago, Cherryman founder Frank
Lin saw an opportunity to shake up the commercial furniture
industry by offering what he hoped would be a disruptive value
proposition: quality products at a great price and shipped within 48 hours. In his own words, he intended to “revolutionize
the value market.” Under the design direction of Carl Gustav
Magnusson, idesk, the new brand within Cherryman, focuses
its product strategy on very selective designs to cover a large
spectrum of furniture applications. The new brand represents
an amazing amount of design and development in a relatively
short amount of time.
FULL STORY ON PAGE 3…
Untangling the Complex Web of Chemicals: BIFMA’s
2015 Chemicals Summit
As wellbeing continues to earn increasing attention in interior
design and architecture, the list of standards geared toward
achieving it also grows, and it’s no wonder that architects and
interior designers take caution in their practices when attempting to adopt these standards. In its continued pursuit of
chemicals transparency resolution, the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) recently
hosted its second, and hopefully final, Chemicals Summit at
the Merchandise Mart in Chicago to guide the involved industries’ strategy in chemicals transparency and how it relates to
building and product standards.
FULL STORY ON PAGE 10…
Concurrents - Environmental Psychology:
Empathetic Design
CITED:
“IF YOU AREN’T IN
OVER YOUR HEAD,
HOW DO YOU KNOW
HOW TALL YOU ARE?”
—T.S. ELIOT
Designers, even those applying research about the people who
will use a space, can lose track of the experience that a “nonstandard” person can have in the places they’re developing.
Much research focuses on the experience of average users,
but few of us are actually “typical.” We’re too tall or too short
or too thin or too heavy or too something else to be “standard.”
Average and usual are in fact scarce and unusual. Designers
must consider the experience of the full range of people who
will use the spaces they are developing.
FULL STORY ON PAGE 21…
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XSEDE
Your Work. Your Way.
™
kimballoffice.com
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products
In July, Cherryman will relocate its headquarters to this HLW designed building in El Segundo, CA. All photography courtesy of Cherryman
Meet idesk, the new Cherryman brand
by Bob Beck
The founder of Cherryman, Frank Lin, is a man of high energy and great expectations. A little more than 10 years ago,
he saw an opportunity to shake up the commercial furniture
industry by offering what he hoped would be a disruptive
value proposition: quality products at a great price and
shipped within 48 hours. In his own words, he intended to
“revolutionize the value market.”
From that beginning Mr. Lin has guided Cherryman to
double-digit sales growth every year and expanded its
footprint to cover the entire U.S. market through the establishment of additional showrooms and distribution centers,
strategically located in or near Los Angeles, Chicago, Indianapolis, Dallas and New York City.
Each facility is stocked with Cherryman products, which
have until now been primarily wood and laminate casegoods
and seating targeting the mid-market. The primary sales
target for the enterprise is the dealer whose client needs a
desk or a workstation quickly or perhaps a whole office to
outfit a newly leased space. With this infrastructure in place,
Cherryman was able to be instrumental in upping the ante
in the value proposition of the mid-market by supporting
commercial furniture dealers with quality, dependability and
nearly immediate delivery.
But several years ago as he was seeing that the strategy
was working, he came to believe that the design charac-
idesk Benching System leg and structure detail
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GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS PAGE 4 OF 35
products
teristics of products in that market
could be reshaped to better satisfy the
demands of customers who wanted
more. Deciding to create another
brand within Cherryman but with
elevated design, he embarked on a
journey to find the right person to help
him execute that vision. He has named
the new brand idesk.
idesk Benching System components
idesk Benching System sample configuration
In February of last year, officeinsight
covered the opening of Cherryman’s
fifth U.S. Distribution Center (http://
www.officeinsight.com/2012). In that
story we revealed that Mr. Lin had
persuaded Carl Gustav Magnusson
to join the firm. In Mr. Magnusson he
had found a person with the unflagging high energy and design creds to
take on a mission of such scope.
Under the design direction of Mr.
Magnusson, idesk’s product strategy
is focused on very selective designs
to cover a large spectrum of furniture
applications. For the launch of the
new brand, the company has chosen
products designed by Claudio Bellini,
Bartoli Design, HanYi Huang, Alexandros Stasinopoulos, and of course,
Mr. Magnusson himself. Several of the
products have already received design
awards from IF, Red Dot and IDEA,
and the impressive product scope includes benching, desking, conference
and height adjustable tables, a media
center, storage, seating for all areas, a
lounge seating system and LED lighting. You will be able to see the broad
range and experience the new brand
at NeoCon in a 3,000 square foot
stand on the 7th floor (7-3130).
Reflecting on the collection, Mr. Lin
said, “These products support the
requirements of our existing and new
customers that demand immediate
availability and an unparalleled value
proposition.” Here we present a rundown on most, but not all of the idesk
opening salvo.
idesk Benching and Desking Systems
Mr. Magnusson himself took on the
design of the most comprehensive and
ambitious product solutions for the new
brand. Recognizing that many of today’s
workplace designs use both benching and desking systems in concert,
Mr. Magnusson used the same design
language for both the idesk Benching
System and the idesk Desking System.
A lean scope of components
comprise the idesk Benching System,
including work surfaces, storage and
privacy options, LED lighting and full
power and data capability. The design
permits any number of configurations,
for open office layouts such as backto-back or single straight runs, 90
degree or 120 degree layouts in fixed
or height adjustable modes.
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products
The main structure of the benching system is composed of frames
and legs of aluminum with cross
members of steel. Its connections
are designed for speed of assembly
and re-assembly when the product
is reconfigured. All components are
shipped ready to assemble and they
can be dis-assembled using common tools. Tops and storage are of
laminate on particleboard with pretapped metal inserts to assure fast
and correct alignment of all connec-
idesk Desking System typical configuration
idesk conference table and storage
tions. The required accessories such
as privacy screens, acoustic treatments, storage options, lighting and
wire/cable management are what you
would expect from the hand of an
experienced “Hall of Fame” designer
such as Mr. Magnusson.
The idesk Desking System is
based on worktops being tied to a
central storage spine that allows for
back-to-back or single row planning
and above work surface storage if
needed.
Idesk Conference Tables and Media
Center
In keeping with the overall idesk
approach of minimal but distinctive
forms, lean materials and surface options in order to make a clear design
statement, the idesk Conference
Tables and Media Center provide a
system that is modular in concept.
Both product lines consist of extruded aluminum legs that connect to
frames of various sizes and shapes as
required. Tops can be ordered in three
idesk Desking System Media Center
GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS PAGE 6 OF 35
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products
standard laminate finishes or a special
tempered white glass that is clear on
the edge but opaque from above.
idesk LED light
Asked to describe his design for the
idesk LED light, Mr. Magnusson said
connected with Magnusson’s signature
M2 stainless steel hex head bolts. The
fixture causes no visible LED pattern
glare due to its acrylic light prism. It is
outfitted with a Passive Infrared (PIR)
on-off sensor that turns it off automatically when the workspace is not occupied, and of course that’s on top of the
very energy efficient LEDs themselves.
idesk Small Work Tables (SWT)
The idesk Small Work Tables are a
clever collection of tables also designed by Carl Magnusson. While the
tables can be spec’d with or without it,
the design is optimized to incorporate
a power/data module as a normal attribute of the tops. The intelligence of
the design is captured in the flexibility
of the extruded aluminum legs and die
cast feet that can be configured with
either three or four legs depending on
the size and shape of the top.
idesk LED light, detail
Seating
Curva, designed by Milan architect
Paolo Bartoli, is intended for the
executive, management, conference
and lounge seating categories. It is a
full range including high back, mid
back and stool-height task chairs plus
a lounge version with a complementary
side table. The precision mechanism
affords a simple tilt and lock, tension control and height adjustment
lever. The structure is available in two
Various idesk Small Work Tables (SWT)
SWT underside detail showing power & data
module housing
it is “…a concise visual solution to a
technically complicated problem.”
The universal under-shelf or pendant light fixture capitalizes on the latest technical advancements. It is made
of high quality anodized aluminum
extrusions with ABS end housings
Curva
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visually distinctive materials: brushed
aluminum or glass reinforced nylon in
matte finish. Upholstery is pewter metallic mesh with optional leather seat
cover. Armless versions are available
as well as an optional headrest for the
high back model.
Curvinna is a handsome side chair
designed by Si Shang Design. It has a
mesh seat and back over a structure of
die cast aluminum, steel, and glassreinforced nylon. It is intended to go
with the Curva collection for use as a
workspace side chair or on its own for
dining or seminar applications.
Oroblanco is a task chair and
companion side chair. The desk chair
comes with all the normal adjustment
bells and whistles, six-way adjustable
arms, aluminum base, leather and
textile options and all for an incredible
starting price of $203 delivered within
48 hours from stock (that price is
dealer net).
Muse, created by designer Alexandros Stasinopoulos, has already won
IDEA, Red Dot and iF awards with its
whimsical approach to cafe, outdoor
dining and seating for casual meeting
areas. The simple concept of two solid
colored shells and three interchangeable but different colored legs allows
for six polychromatic combinations. An
optional seat cushion can be specified
in virtually any Momentum fabric and
a small coffee table completes the line.
Crazy Horse is a beautiful wood
armchair designed by internationally
renowned architect Claudio Bellini.
Offered in solid beech overlaid with
hand-rubbed hardwood veneers in
four finish colors, its design takes full
advantage of the capabilities of multiaxis milling equipment. The seat is
available in Momentum fabrics.
Mr. Bellini also designed the Tikal
group as a spirited addition to idesk’s
seating line. Natural applications are
as desk side chairs, events, reception
areas, small conference, auditorium,
breakout areas and outdoor cafes.
Curvinna
Oroblanco
Muse
Crazy Horse
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The complementary bar stool works
with high worktables as well as bars
and counters. The shells come in five
vibrant colors mounted on a choice of
three base designs.
idesk Lounge Seating is a seating
system for reception, waiting and
collaborative areas where optional
power/data access are an expected
norm. Arms can be specified upright
Tikal
idesk Lounge Seating System
so as to form a continuation of the
back geometry or flat where they
form a convenient surface for tablets,
etc. A hard surface arm/table is
intended for laptops or snacks. Said
Mr. Magnusson of his design, “The
objective is to give a visual balance
between a contract and club look
while respecting the work place ergonomic requirements.”
The new brand represents an amazing amount of design and development
in a relatively short amount of time.
But given the energy of the company,
that wasn’t enough to fully occupy the
team! In July, Cherryman will be moving out of their original headquarters
and distribution center in Carson, CA,
to new digs in an HLW designed building in the hot tech area of El Segundo.
At about the same time, they will be
relocating the distribution center to a
space roughly double the size of the
Carson facility in Fontana, CA.
The new idesk brand’s products are
well designed, the collection is comprehensive and well curated and if 48hour availability adds value then the
proposition definitely has the potential
to meet Mr. Lin’s wish to be a market
disruptor. At the very least it sets the
competitive bar higher than ever. n
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RT
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June 15 | 16 | 17 | 2015
AD
VE
NeoContent
Featuring nearly 100 accredited seminars,
association forums and keynote presentations
from the best and brightest in the commercial
interiors industry, NeoCon is the premier
one-stop destination for educational growth
and design inspiration.
The Merchandise Mart, Chicago
Register at NeoCon.com
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GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS PAGE 10 OF 35
events
Chemicals Summit attendees participated in robust discussions in every session. Thaddeus Owen, of Herman Miller, poses a question to a speaker.
Photography: courtesy of BIFMA
Untangling the Complex Web of Chemicals: BIFMA’s 2015 Chemicals Summit
by Mallory Jindra
As wellbeing continues to earn increasing attention in
interior design and architecture, the list of standards geared
toward achieving it also grows. LEED, C2C, HPDs, Facts,
level, Reach, Declare, California Prop 65, Pharos, WELL,
GreenScreen – it’s no wonder architects and interior designers take caution in their practices when attempting to adopt
these standards.
Also important to note is that things are complicated for
a very good reason; alignment of these standards is tough
because each standard measures something unique, while
also forming overlap. LEED measures energy and environmental components in buildings, while the WELL Building
Standard measures human wellness within the built environment. BIFMA’s level standard measures sustainability in
furniture products, while GreenScreen and Health Product
Declarations (HPDs) focus on the root level of direct chemical hazard assessment, and so on. Each measure requires
differing components related to its focus, but overlap exists
due to obvious connections in the elements being measured.
The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) recently hosted its second, and
hopefully final, Chemicals Summit to guide the involved
industries’ strategy in chemicals transparency and how it
relates to building and product standards. During the summit, on April 21-22, 75 attendees participated in two days
of presentations and facilitated information sessions at the
Merchandise Mart in Chicago.
Tom Reardon, executive director of BIFMA
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events
Bookended by opening and closing
remarks from BIFMA Executive Director
Tom Reardon was also a selection of
keynote speakers intended to provide
viewpoints from all key stakeholders.
And the thing is, there are many, many
stakeholders in the chemicals transparency issue. Suppliers, manufacturers,
architects, interior designers and end
user clients all have a stake in this
matter, which contributes even more
complexity to the nature of the issue.
In his comments, Mr. Reardon
pointed to the many moving parts involved in furniture creation, lack of an
efficient system in place to gather and
house data, and legitimate supplier
concerns about disclosing confidential
information, as inspiration for reaching
concrete decision points.
“A lot of people have spent a lot of
time thinking about this issue,” said
Mr. Reardon. “Calls for transparency
and development of healthy materials
are not going to stop. But, furniture is
a fairly complex product, and the supply chain is very deep, as you all know
well. We intend to make a decision on
how we’re going to manage our data,
and how to disclose it. We must act
collaboratively in order to move ahead
faster, and whatever we decide to do
will not be a one-and-done; the solution will need to continue to evolve.”
The conversation around chemical
transparency first came into focus at
BIFMA seven or eight years ago when
it began crafting the level standard
for sustainability in furniture. Outside
of BIFMA, a big push for chemicals
knowledge was also occurring in standards across multiple industries. In the
fall of 2012, Declare launched, HPD
launched, Cradle to Cradle v3 was
published, and LEED v4 launched with
new material ingredients credits.
USGBC also received a Google grant
to accelerate the adoption of material health credits. The grant funded
a Harmonization Task Group, which
includes reps from GreenScreen,
Robert Hupe, of Virco, asks GreenBlue Sustainable Materials Director James Ewell a question
regarding the Material IQ (MiQ) Textiles Pilot program, which Mr. Ewell leads.
The Harmonization Task Group, funded by a Google grant, aims to accelerate the adoption of
material ingredients credits.
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events
A comparison in standards: each standard includes a unique makeup of measurements, some of which overlap.
Cradle to Cradle, Pharos, HPD, and
Living Building Challenge. The group
aimed to first compare its members’
product content inventories, list
screening analyses, hazard assessments and states of alignment. The
second phase of the Harmonization
Task Group would focus on developing
solutions for one inventory format, one
list screen protocol, and one hazard
assessment methodology.
In April 2013, BIFMA hosted its first
Chemicals Summit, where ideas came
more into focus, and eventually led
to BIFMA’s joining the Harmonization
Task Group in 2014.
As part of the groups goals, BIFMA
partnered with sustainable materials
nonprofit GreenBlue to create a potential solution for information sharing in
complex supply chains. The resulting
program, called the Material IQ (MiQ)
Pilot intends to help manufacturers:
>Manage chemicals in their supply
chains
>Identify opportunities to optimize
products and manufacturing processes.
As part of the Understanding Harmonization Panel, Roger McFadden, VP and senior scientist at Staples and HPD Collaborative board member,
stressed the importance of incremental improvement in the chemicals transparency effort and noted that safety takes time. “Making an orderly
transition is better than abrupt change.” On left, from L to R: Panel moderator Denise Van Valkenburg, DFE/sustainability engineer at Herman
Miller and BIFMA rep in Harmonization Task Group; James Connelly, International Living Future Institute (ILFI) director of Living Product Challenge; and Sara Cederberg, technical director, LEED, USGBC.
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Machell Apple, director of New Development Initiatives at Victor Group, spoke about Victor
Group’s participation in the Material IQ (MiQ) Textiles Pilot program.
15+ suppliers and 8 OEMs (Original
Equipment Manufacturers)/brands
participated in the BIFMA-funded pilot
project, representing materials and
companies of varying complexity, diversity and level of commitment. A few
early observations of the pilot program
included:
>Clear benefits of a shared data collection platform
>Question of chemistry and transparency as a differentiator
>Each supplier approaches transparency differently
>Reluctance to share hazards with
(or without) context of exposure and risk
>Executive and legal teams contribute to slow progress, and have the
power to stop all progress
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“We need to create a space where
suppliers understand why they need to
disclose these chemicals, and establish a safe way for them to do it,” said
James Ewell, sustainable materials
director at GreenBlue, who provided
an overview of MiQ Pilot at the summit
along with Steve Kooy, global sustain-
ability manager at Haworth.
Setting aside environmental concerns and customer requirements,
one big reason suppliers and manufacturers are embracing chemicals
transparency early on (Read: now) is
competitive advantage. As customers
view health and wellness in the built
The Material IQ (MiQ) Textiles Pilot program is a potential solution to the complex web of customer and furniture manufacturer chemicals knowledge and communication issues.
environment as an increasingly higher
priority, the number of companies who
pay attention to those concerns will
also increase.
Kickoff keynote speaker Michelle
Moore, senior VP of the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI),
sparked discussion around this point
when speaking about the WELL Building Standard’s focus.
“We want to change health and wellness into a decision-swaying position
in specifying that will inspire more
upfront investment,” said Ms. Moore.
“The opportunity for health and wellness as a set of performance standards to help build the market bigger
is huge.”
But roadblocks exist in the form
of knowledge gaps at all levels of the
supply chain. Perhaps one of the most
significant knowledge gaps in the
chemicals transparency effort currently exists in the processes that both
furniture manufacturers and providers
go through to gather materials chemistry data.
In a “Mapping the Complexity”
session, Jon Smieja, environmental
chemist at Steelcase, and Pat Young,
director of strategic accounts at Byrne
Steve Kooy, global sustainability manager at Haworth, and James Ewell, sustainable materials director at GreenBlue, presented an overview of the Material IQ
(MiQ) Textiles Pilot project with James Ewell, sustainable materials director at GreenBlue.
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events
Michelle Moore, senior VP of the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), spoke to summit attendees about IWBI’s vision and the many
organizational intersections involved in wellbeing and well building.
Jon Smieja, environmental chemist at Steelcase, and Pat Young, director of strategic accounts at Byrne Electrical Specialists, Inc., each mapped out the complex process for materials chemistry data collection.
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Electrical Specialists, each outlined
their processes for materials chemistry
data collection. In short, the evolution of figuring out what is in each
product or part is extremely complex.
Manufacturers must field a seemingly
unlimited range of customer requests
and then engage with suppliers that
also range from sophisticated corporations, to mom-and-pop shops, public
and private.
“Our initial goal was to find out
where chemicals of concern live in our
products and how we could eliminate
and replace them with safer alternatives,” said Mr. Smieja. “Recently, the
market requests the OEMs receive
have become more and more complex
and varied in nature. We need to make
those requests more palatable for the
people who need to fill them.”
A final panel, “The Suppliers’
Perspective” featured a Q&A with
suppliers that showed an optimistic
but cautious outlook. Many suppliers are participating in the discourse
and are open to working toward full
disclosure but concerned about being penalized.
“We have experience with the “big
bads” like formaldehyde, but we’re
now faced with many smaller-range
bad chemicals,” said panel member Paul Davis, of Columbia Forest
Products.
Although the panelists reported
that the Material IQ Pilot process was
cumbersome to work through in this
Mapping the complexity of materials chemistry data collection. Compliments of Steelcase
first version, they supported the thirdparty review feature so as to have
confidence in the data. They also
voiced concerns about the sophistication of data coming from overseas,
particularly East Asia. In addition, the
panelists said that suppliers are looking to the manufacturer for direction
in what materials they approve and
want to work with.
Although the large majority of summit attendees are from the furniture
manufacturer/supplier wheelhouse,
keynote speakers Paul McEvoy, associate principal at Perkins+Will and
sustainable design co-director at AIA,
and Cheryl Durst, IIDA executive VP
and CEO, represented the interior
designer and architect’s point of view.
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The Suppliers’ Perspective panel discussion featured a Q&A with suppliers that showed an optimistic but cautious outlook. Many suppliers are
participating in the discourse and are open to working toward full disclosure but concerned about being penalized. L to R, Jeff Mellgren, Sherwin
Williams; Danielle Cavanaugh, Byrne Electrical Suppliers, Inc.; and Paul Davis, Columbia Forest Products. Mike Wilson, of Omni Plastics, also
served on the panel.
“Interiors are so driven by “the
new,” said Ms. McEvoy. “We’re
always looking for the new thing, but
those things also tend to lack the
science and documentation behind
them. We need to make architects
feel more comfortable asking for
materials information by promoting
transparency, establishing policy,
and then establishing contract language and making any necessary
adjustments.”
Ms. Durst supported Ms. McEvoy’s
statements, noting that designers want
not only more transparency and more
disclosure, but also access to a lexicon
that allows them to explain the information to clients.
Paula McEvoy, associate principal at Perkins+Will and sustainable design co-director at AIA, and Cheryl Durst, executive VP and CEO of IIDA, provided an
architect/interior designer perspective to attendees.
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events
“They want to know what’s relevant
and meaningful in each particular
product, organized in a clear database
of some sort and in a language that
connects with every member of the
design team and with clients,” said
Ms. Durst.
Rather than provide an expected
overview of LEED v4, the newest version of LEED, final keynote speaker
Brendan Owens, chief of engineering
at USGBC, chose to discuss USGBC’s
as yet undisclosed intentions to take
on a larger role in connecting the
bridge between healthy buildings and
healthy people.
“LEED has always been great at
connecting the building with the
place in which its directly located,”
said Mr. Owens. “Where we’re not
as strong is in developing standards
that create buildings which plug into
our [humans’] overall structure well.
We want to have a system of systems
that work together and collaborate
on purpose. It can’t be just about
the buildings. We need to optimize
and pull all of these things together,
and we [USGBC] realize we play a
critical role in this evolving regulatory
environment.”
BIFMA’s Chemicals Summit is
another encouraging step in the path
toward better knowledge, and standard
processes in chemicals transparency. n
Brendan Owens, Chief of Engineering at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
James Connelly, director of the Living Product Challenge at the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), spoke to summit attendees about LP50,
a collaboration of leading manufacturers working to create and build demand for “living products.”
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RSVP: www.nydc.com/firstlook | RSVP is mandatory for admittance
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concurrents
Empathetic Design
by Sally Augustin, Ph.D.
Designers, even those applying research about the people who will use a
space, can lose track of the experience
that a “non-standard” person can have
in the places they’re developing.
Much research focuses on the
experience of average users, but few of
us are actually “typical.” We’re too tall
or too short or too thin or too heavy or
too something else to be “standard.”
Average and usual are in fact scarce
and unusual. Designers must consider
the experience of the full range of
people who will use the spaces they
are developing.
Recently, I was in a lovely green
building packed with staircases ascending majestically from the lobby up
into tenants’ offices. I think staircases
are great ways to burn climbers’ fat
reserves and cut the natural resources
used to move elevators, but I have
asthma. I can’t climb too many stairs.
I followed poorly designed and located
signage far into the structure before
finding a forlorn elevator.
Making elevators less conspicuous has repeatedly been shown to
increase stair use, but people who
need to use them, because they have
respiratory issues, or sprained their
knee, or are pregnant, etc., shouldn’t
feel like they’ve been bad and are
being punished for pushing that magic
button. They should be able to follow
clear signage to a pleasant waiting
space. Designers packing a structure
with staircases should consider the
physical and psychological needs of
people who can’t use them; that’s
empathetic design.
Oversized furniture is a delight for
people like me who are very tall, but
not for those who are short. I’m over
six feet tall and enjoy sitting on a sofa
with deep cushions and higher than
usual armrests. This is the same furniture that makes my five foot tall colleagues feel ill at ease and infantilized.
Anyone selecting this furniture should
consider this.
Colorful artworks, on walls and floors
and elsewhere, are often prominent
features of public spaces. But how do
they look to the colorblind? With proper
forethought the colorblind and the
color seeing can both enjoy a space.
Designers creating a space that will
showcase color need to review how
people who don’t see that color in the
usual way will feel in an area.
Empathetic design requires a careful review of the “standard” and “nonstandard” experiences that can be
expected in spaces being developed.
It entails considering how people
who are mobility-impaired, short,
color blind or something else, will
feel in a space that requires mobility,
height and color vision, for example.
If designers consider assessments,
everyone in a space can enjoy it. That
enjoyment boosts mood, performance,
social experiences, and mental and
physical health. n
Sally Augustin, PhD, a cognitive scientist, is the editor of Research Design
Connections (www.researchdesignconnections.com), a monthly subscription
newsletter and free daily blog, where
recent and classic research in the
social, design, and physical sciences
that can inform designers’ work are
presented in straightforward language.
Readers learn about the latest research findings immediately, before
they’re available elsewhere. Sally, who
is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, is also the author of
Place Advantage: Applied Psychology
for Interior Architecture (Wiley, 2009)
and, with Cindy Coleman, The Designer’s Guide to Doing Research: Applying Knowledge to Inform Design (Wiley,
2012). She is a principal at Design
With Science (www.designwithscience.
com) and can be reached at sallyaugustin@designwithscience.com.
GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS PAGE 22 OF 35
05.04.15
r-d connection
RESEARCH-DESIGN CONNECTION
Supporting Creative Employees
by Sally Augustin, Ph.D.
Hoff and Oberg interviewed officeworking digital artists to learn more
about how they believe the physical
work environment can support their
creative work. The researchers found
that “The physical work environment
was considered to offer three types
of support for creative work for the
participants: functional, psychosocial
and inspirational. Creative processes
would find better breeding ground if
functional support, such as adequate
lighting and tools, and psychosocial
support, such as spatial possibilities
for both privacy and communication,
were provided. Without inspirational
support, such as brainstorming rooms,
dynamic planning and imaginative
interior design, the work outcome was
believed to become less creative.” n
Eva Hoff and Natalie Oberg. 2015.
“The Role of the Physical Work Environment for Creative Employees – A
Case Study of Digital Artists.” The
International Journal of Human Resource Management, vol. 26, no. 14,
pp. 1889-1906.
Sally Augustin, PhD, a cognitive scientist, is the editor of Research Design
MATERIAL OF THE WEEK
MC# 5135-05
Dekton®: This solid surfacing material by Cosentino USA is
composed of inorganic materials and pigments. The proprietary
process used to create this material is comparable to the metamorphic process of creating volcanic rock and results in a material with zero porosity and one which is dimensionally stable,
has a high flexural strength, and is resistant to heat, freezing,
impact, abrasion, scratching, stains, microbes, weathering and
discoloration. In addition, the material has a 25 year warranty
and requires little maintenance. Applications include interior
and exterior vertical or horizontal surfaces such as counter and
tabletops, backsplashes, wall paneling, cladding, flooring and
building façades.
This column is published in collaboration with Material
ConneXion. For more information regarding the material
previewed, please contact Michael LaGreca at
mlagreca@materialconnexion.com. T: 212.842.2050.
Connections (www.researchdesignconnections.com), a monthly subscription
newsletter and free daily blog, where
recent and classic research in the
social, design, and physical sciences
that can inform designers’ work are
presented in straightforward language.
Readers learn about the latest research findings immediately, before
they’re available elsewhere. Sally, who
is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, is also the author
of Place Advantage: Applied Psychology for Interior Architecture (Wiley,
2009) and, with Cindy Coleman, The
Designer’s Guide to Doing Research:
Applying Knowledge to Inform Design
(Wiley, 2012). She is a principal at
Design With Science (www.designwithscience.com) and can be reached at
sallyaugustin@designwithscience.com.
GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS PAGE 23 OF 35
05.04.15
For complete releases, visit www.officenewswire.com.
Keep current with the RSS feed.
officenewswire.com
PRODUCT INTROS
>AGATI Furniture’s newest product, The POD, is
inspired by years of research
about students’ preferred
study environments. Users
enter The POD at the side
and sit in a comfortable,
integrated seat surrounded by
sound-absorbing upholstered
panels. The side entrance allows for the surrounding wall
to completely cover the user’s
back, preventing wandering
eyes from seeing laptop or
tablet screens. While it may
appear to be just an aesthetic
feature, this creates a sense
of safety, allowing one to
worry less about the surroundings and more about
the task at hand. Looking
forward when seated in The
POD, the user’s line of sight
is directed toward the desk
table and the front surround
wall, minimizing distractions
caught in the corner of one’s
eyes. A slight backward leaning motion, however, allows
one to easily see out of the
side entrance and enjoy the
macro environment.
officenewswire.com/16422
Eko Contract: Powwow by Jess Sorel
Encore: Particles
>Eko Contract’s new Powwow
collaborative lounge seating
collection by Jess Sorel is
designed to create dynamic
gathering spaces for corporate and higher education settings. The collection
integrates seating, tables,
and technology to create rich,
social experiences, whether
spontaneous or planned.
officenewswire.com/16421
>Encore’s new Particles collection of modular benches
and tables designed by
Christopher Panichella was inspired by the fractal geometry
that occurs in nature. With an
organic triangular shape, Particles can stand alone for individual use or be combined with
multiple components to create
collaborative arrangements
ranging from small clusters
to large groupings. As space
requirements or preferences
change, benches and tables
can be easily reconfigured for
multi-use spaces, touchdown
areas, lobbies, hospitality settings, and non-traditional work
environments. Benches and
tables are available in 20”, 28”
and 36” widths and in varying
heights to provide a functional work surface, a place for
refreshments, or in the case of
benches, a convenient place
to perch. Power ports can be
specified on bench and table
side panels or table-tops for
multiple users.
officenewswire.com/16418
Falcon Carnegie: Anchor
>Falcon Products formed a
strategic partnership with
Carnegie to increase the
number of high-design fabric
options available to clients.
This alliance brings together
the modular seating and
booth products of Falcon with
the vibrant, high performance
textiles of Carnegie, to provide products that are both
aesthetically pleasing and
functional for a variety of settings. The partnership spans
three brands in the CFGroup
portfolio, including Falcon
Products, Shelby Williams,
and Thonet. Six patterns
will be included in the initial
partnership:
-Anchor—a small-scale geometric pattern representing
origami sailing vessels that
symbolize a journey in Japanese culture (pictured).
-Edge—A high performance,
high quality polyurethane
with intense color and just a
hint of metallic and deeply
embossed surface.
-Herald—Carnegie’s take on
the iconic “zig-zag” pattern
made famous in the Art Deco
era, with a soft dry hand that
lends a natural texture to the
graphic pattern.
-Maxwell Street—A take on the
traditional tapestry technique,
as its structure allows for color
crispness and clarity, with
clusters of hexagons in beautiful color combinations contrast
with a silvery background.
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officenewswire.com
-Camden—A retro-chic
pattern, featuring geometric
shapes and changing color
combinations that evoke cherished memories from our past.
-Fresco—Inspired by one of
the most intricate Renaissance painting techniques,
Fresco features painterly
texture with high performance
abrasion resistance and
Nanotex finish.
officenewswire.com/16427
>Graham & Brown announced its third collaboration with style icon Barbara
Hulanicki. This new collection
coincides with the Victoria and
Albert Museum’s new book,
The Biba Years, celebrating
the 50th anniversary of Ms.
Hulanicki’s fashion brand,
Biba. Her latest, exclusive
wallpaper collection with Graham & Brown is inspired by
dress prints used in the early
Biba decade, 1964-1974. Two
new wallpaper designs, The
Hypnotist and Funky Flora are
reflective of Barbara’s passion
for creating iconic designs.
The Hypnotist is inspired by
the monochrome geometric
prints of Op Art and recreated
from an original Biba jumpsuit. Funky Flora is inspired
by an original Biba fabric,
featured on pieces including
dresses, hats and jumpsuits.
officenewswire.com/16412
>The HON Company’s
Soothe™ collection for
healthcare environments
maximizes comfort along the
patient’s journey to recovery
and enhances functionality for the caregiver. It was
designed by award winner
Conrad Marini, founder and
director of CMM Design Associates. Features of the Soothe
patient recliner include a
patent-pending pivoting arm
designed to make patient
transfers easier, a convenient
footrest, and infinite recline.
The collection also includes
benches, guest chairs, tables,
and high-back patient chairs,
all designed with a rounded
triangular frame, said to be
much stronger than the standard square or round tube
within most chairs.
officenewswire.com/16424
>Karndean Designflooring’s
new Art Select Stones collection of premium LVT tiles
features stunning designs
inspired by travertine,
marble, slate, and limestone.
It includes 16 new stones in
Karndean Design Flooring: Art
Select Stones, Gallatin
a variety of sizes and formats,
including Karndean’s new
FreeLengths, which replicate
popular stone plank visuals through 6” wide tiles in
varying lengths. The collection also features large format
tiles in 16”x16” and 18”x24”
sizes, as well as random
Versailles patterns. Art Select
Stones have a heavy duty 30
mil wear layer, making them
suitable for both commercial
and residential spaces.
officenewswire.com/16416
>Mayline expanded its Aberdeen® casegoods line, now
available for immediate shipment in the company’s popular Gray Steel finish. The
Aberdeen series is a complete
product line that balances
the look of wood with the
performance and affordability
of laminate. Textured glass
and brushed nickel accents
further enhance the upscale
appeal, while technologysupportive features boost
functionality. Aberdeen is still
available in Cherry, Mocha,
and Maple laminates as well
as the new Gray Steel.
officenewswire.com/16414
05.04.15
GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS PAGE 25 OF 35
officenewswire.com
>Mayline also expanded its
popular Medina™ laminate casegood line. It now
includes straight line desks
(as shown in photo), reception stations, and also 12’
and 14’ conference tables.
Medina uses a smartly edited
array of components allowing for a tremendous range
of workplace configurations
from traditional U-shaped
to trendier open concepts.
Italian design influences are
reflected by the floating work
surfaces and beveled edges.
Mayline also announced two
new laminate colors that will
be available Jul. 15: Textured
Sea Salt and Textured Brown
Sugar. This will result in five
standard finishes for Medina.
officenewswire.com/16415
>Rockfon® Contour™ frameless, stone wool acoustic
baffles provide an alternative acoustic solution for
commercial interiors where
suspended ceilings are not
suitable. Especially suited
for acoustical corrections in
renovations and retrofits, they
also offer acoustic comfort
and visual interest as a design
feature in new restaurants and
cafés, museums, call centers,
manufacturing facilities, and
open-plan offices. “With a
sharp, minimalistic edge and
a subtle, elegant bevel, Rockfon Contour frameless baffles
hang vertically to create an
aesthetically pleasing acoustic
solution in challenging
spaces,” said Chris Marshall,
ROCKFON’s vice president
of marketing and business
development. “In historic
buildings, baffles can be installed around high windows,
structural beams, pillars, and
other obstacles to maintain
the existing architecture, while
improving acoustic performance. For a contemporary,
linear look, baffle systems also
can be used in open plenum
ceiling designs to mask the
structure above it.”
officenewswire.com/16413
>Soelberg Industries added
four new texture panel and
divider patterns to its Natura
Collection. The collection
now consists of 14 different
texture panels and dividers.
officenewswire.com/16426
>Wolf-Gordon and Dutch
designer Frank Tjepkema of
Tjep. unveiled Tjep.Cubism.
This collection of interior surfacing materials includes four
wallcoverings, an upholstery
textile, and a sheer drapery
05.04.15
GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS PAGE 26 OF 35
officenewswire.com
textile. The collection, which
makes a playful reference to
the early 20th century cultural
phenomenon, Czech Cubism,
features a series of striking
geometric patterns - “variations on a theme” - that use
the cube as the point of departure. It debuted last month
at the Salone Internazionale
del Mobile in Milan - a first for
Wolf-Gordon. It is also the first
time that an exclusive design
collection comprises items
from three of the company’s
product categories. The patterns are:
-Basis upholstery textile: The
cube, the fundamental point
of departure for the collection,
repeated in a mosaic of colors
and weave textures.
-Metamorphosis textile
wallcovering: Presents the
process of structural develop-
ment, from emptiness to a
form, and vice versa.
-Osmosis type II vinyl wallcovering: A large-scale pattern
that reveals the gradual
process of transformation
and assimilation of the cube,
from 2-D to 3D, enhanced
by an ombre tone behind the
primary pattern.
-Connections type II vinyl
wallcovering: A dense network
of disconnected lines defining
space and pattern.
-Fragmentation sheer drapery
textile: Moves from a regular
column of cubes to a scattered, light-filled array of the
cube’s planar components.
-Baroque digital print wallcovering: A study in a traditional
damask and more contemporary, cube-based geometric
cohabiting a pattern.
officenewswire.com/16417
NOTEWORTHY
>James D. Williamson, FIIDA, LEED AP ID + C, Principal, Gensler, was appointed
Chair of the IIDA College of
Fellows. Additionally, Felice
Silverman, FIIDA, LEED AP
ID+C, Founder, President
and Principal of Silverman
Trykowski Associates, Inc.,
was named IIDA Foundation
Chair, and Patricia Rotondo,
IIDA,Assoc. AIA, Design
Principal, Chipman Design
Architecture, was appointed to
the IIDA President’s Council.
IIDA also named new members to the Foundation Board
of Trustees: David Fridlund,
IIDA, Principal, Wirt Design
Group; and Carmen Wooten Preston, IIDA, Contract
Specialist A&D Market, Shaw
Contract Group.
officenewswire.com/16433
>ASID named Heemyung
Yang of California State University, Long Beach, winner
of the annual ASID student
design competition. This
year’s contest, aiming to meet
the needs of a global society
in continuous transit, challenged design students to create a space within an airport
that offers business travelers
a private, comfortable and
secure place to work, connect
and recharge while en route
to their destinations. Eightysix students from 24 schools
answered the challenge of the
“Touchdown” design competition to create this space.
Ms. Yang’s winning proposal
incorporated the concept of
“dream catcher” into both the
design and the theme.
“San Francisco has been a
dreamer’s city; 49ers came
to San Francisco looking for
fortunes, Chinese immigrants
settled in San Francisco with
dreams for better lives,” said
Ms. Yang, who immigrated
to the United States from the
Republic of Korea in 2000.
“Based on the city’s historical
background, the concept of
my design is the ‘dream catcher’ – a place for people who
work to catch their dreams.”
“The concept ‘dream catcher’
itself was intriguing, and the
manifestation of it was lovely,”
said Rachelle Schoessler
Lynn, FASID, CID, LEED Fellow, ASID Past National Chair,
and one of the award judges.
“The organic forms surround
the traveler with warmth and
ASID Student Design Competition Winner: Dreamcatcher by
Heemyung Yang
05.04.15
GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS PAGE 27 OF 35
officenewswire.com
calmness. The floor plan,
lighting plan and furnishing
selections were well designed,
functional and efficient, yet
comfy and program compliant.”
As the competition winner, Ms. Yang will receive a
$2,000 cash prize and a trip
to Boston, where she will be
honored at the annual ASID
Awards Gala, Celebration, on
July 18.
Honorable mention winner in
the ASID Touchdown competition, Morgan Nestegard,
a senior at West Virginia University, found inspiration for
her design in San Francisco’s
warehouse and wharf district.
She included glass and steel
wall panels that allow the
space to be customized according to user needs.
officenewswire.com/16431
North American architects
and designers who use Italian
ceramic tiles in residential,
commercial and institutional
projects. Three winners, one
from each category, receive
a cash prize and five-day trip
to Bologna, Italy to attend
Cersaie, the world’s largest
bathroom and furnishings
show. The contractors and
distributors involved in each
winning project were also
honored. The winners were: A
Contemporary Moody Home,
DKOR Interiors; Target Northern Campus, RSP Architects
(pictured); and Carlos Rosario
International Culinary School,
Shinberg.Levinas. Four other
projects were given honorable mentions. Please see the
officenewswire post for more
details.
officenewswire.com/16419
>The Ceramics of Italy Tile
Competition, sponsored by
Confindustria Ceramica and
the Italian Trade Commission, announced this year’s
winning projects last month
at Coverings in Orlando, FL.
In its 22nd year, the contest
was established to recognize
>IIDA announced the winners of its 3rd annual Best
Interiors of Latin America &
the Caribbean Competition.
The competition was established in 2012 to recognize
and celebrate interior design/
architecture projects that
reflect the highest level of cre-
IIDA Latin America Winner, Corporate Space Large
ativity, originality, and design
excellence from Latin America
and the Caribbean Islands.
Winners in the Corporate
Space Large category were
Standard and Poor’s Corporate Offices, Mexico City, by
ZVA Group of Puebla, Mexico
(pictured); and Bridgestone,
Mexico City, by Space of
Mexico City. Corporate Space
Small winners were CM2
Offices, Mexico City, by Taller
Leticia Serrano of Mexico City;
and Globant, Bogotá, Colombia, by AEI – Arquitectura
e Interiores SAS of Bogotá.
Please see the officenewswire
post for the complete list of all
category winners and a link
to IIDA’s photo gallery of the
winners.
officenewswire.com/16432
>IIDA entered into a collaboration agreement with
three renowned Italian
design organizations: ADI
- Asociazione Per Il Disegno
Industriale (Association for
Industrial Design); OAPPC
- Ordine Architetti, Pianificatori, Paesaggisti e Conservatori della Provincia di
Milano (Order of Architects
of Milan and its Province);
and CNAPPC - Consiglio
Nazionale Architetti, Pianificatori, Paeggisti e Conservatori
(National Council of Architects, Planners, Landscape
Architects and Conservationists). The agreement aims to
develop a mutually beneficial
working relationship between
Italy and the U.S. through the
networking of its members
and by facilitating discussions and the exchange of
information between the
organizations in areas such
as design and planning,
project management, and
project financing. It will also
offer professional training and
workshop opportunities to
members in both Italy and the
US, while seeking to promote
greater collaboration between
the organizations on projects,
exhibitions, and research.
officenewswire.com/16429
>Kimball Office completed
the redesign and renovation
of its Washington, DC, showroom. Located at 1130 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite
1150, the showroom was
designed by Perkins+Will. It
features functional private
and collaborative spaces, lush
and textured upholsteries with
pops of color, and minimal
05.04.15
GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS PAGE 28 OF 35
officenewswire.com
use of partitions that allow
and encourage views through
the space while also maximizing the flexibility offered by
the Kimball Office product
line. LEED certification is
pending. An open house is
scheduled for Thursday, May
14, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.,
including a cocktail reception
4:00-7:00 p.m.
officenewswire.com/16434
>Landscape Forms products
received five separate design
awards recently. MultipliCITY (designer Yves Behar
and fuseproject) received the
2015 Green GOOD DESIGN™
Award, 2014 International
Design Awards (IDA) Silver
in Urban Sustainable Design,
and 2014 IDA Bronze in
Patio/Garden Furniture and
Accessories. Central Park
Conservancy Recycling
System (designer Landor)
received the 2014 IDA Gold
in Urban Sustainable Design.
STRATA (designer Jess Sorel)
received the 2014 IDA Silver
in Patio/Garden Furniture and
Accessories.
officenewswire.com/16420
>Taylor & Francis will release
a new book by J. Michael
Welton, Drawing from
Practice: Architects and
the Meaning of Freehand,
on May 5. This generously
illustrated book explores and
illuminates the ways that 26
diverse and reputable architects use freehand drawing
to shape the built environment. It features drawings
and architecture from every
generation practicing today,
including Aidlin Darling Design, Alberto Alfonso, Deborah Berke, Marlon Blackwell,
Peter Bohlin, Warren Byrd,
Ellen Cassilly, Jim Cutler,
Chad Everhart, Formwork,
Phil Freelon, Michael Graves,
Frank Harmon, Eric Höweler
and Meejin Yoon, Leon Krier,
Tom Kundig, Daniel Libeskind, Brian McKay Lyons,
Richard Meier, Bill Pedersen,
Suchi Reddy, Witold Rybczynski, in situ studio, Laurinda
Spear, Stanley Tigerman,
and Tod Williams Billie Tsien
Architects. Included is a
foreword by Robert McCarter,
a practicing architect who has
been the Ruth and Norman
Moore Professor of Architecture at Washington University
in St. Louis since 2007.
officenewswire.com/16411
ENVIRONMENT
>Second-Look® Recycled
Wallcovering celebrated a
milestone – recycling 6.5
million pounds or 3,250
tons of material since it
started in 2007. That’s
the weight of about 2,000
Honda Accords, enough
to fill multiple parking lots.
The program recycles vinyl
wallcovering of any make into
new wallcoverings for Versa
Wallcovering and other major
brands. Louisville-based LSI
Wallcovering manages the
program and produces the
wallcoverings, which contain
20% total recycled content including 10% post-consumer
material.
“We’re making it easy and
cost-effective to recycle
wallcovering,” said Beth Rich,
Second-Look Marketing Director. “Second-Look sends
GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS PAGE 29 OF 35
05.04.15
officenewswire.com
reclamation bins to the demolition site and coordinates
retrieval. For those placing
new orders, we’ll cover the
reclamation freight, saving the
end user hauling and landfill
fees. More and more specifiers are requesting wallcovering with recycled content,
and we need partners in the
field to help us reclaim postconsumer material.”
Second-Look recycled wallcoverings are certified to the
NSF 342 Sustainability Standard for Wallcovering. They
are made of Type II, low-VOC
vinyl and use water-based
inks and adhesives.
officenewswire.com/16423
PROJECTS
>Goettsch Partners designed
the 445m tall mixed-use
Nanning Resources Center
Tower now under construction in Nanning, capital of
China’s Guangxi Province.
The 255,000-sm tower is
linked to public transportation
through underground con-
nections at the B1 level, and
to adjacent buildings via indoor and outdoor pedestrian
corridors at the ground and
sixth floors respectively. It will
include 170,000 sm of Class
A office space, 5,000 sm of
boutique retail, and a 45,000sm luxury Shangri-La hotel.
The massing of the building
steps and tapers to accommodate the changing floor
plates of the various program
types. The angled geometries
of the facades are designed
to reinforce the crystalline
form while celebrating the
tower’s verticality. Entirely encased in floor to ceiling high
performance glass, the skin
design features integrated
ceramic shading elements
that offer added solar control
while maintaining ample
natural light without obstructing views. The building is
designed to LEED-NC Gold
standards. Upon completion,
scheduled for 2019, the NRC
Tower will be the tallest building in Nanning.
officenewswire.com/16410
EVENTS
>CetraRuddy’s new Lincoln
Square Synagogue in New
York City will be among the
projects receiving this year’s
Religious Art and Architecture Awards during the
AIA Convention in Atlanta.
The AIA Interfaith Forum on
Religion, Art and Architecture
will recognize “outstanding
global designs” for worship
facilities at a reception May
15 at 6:00 p.m. The lead
architects on the Lincoln
Square Synagogue project,
John Cetra, AIA, and Theresa
M. Genovese, AIA, LEED AP,
will be at the awards event
and available to discuss the
project, which won a 2014
Faith & Form Award.
officenewswire.com/16409
>IIDA NY Buffalo City Center
invites design professionals
to the Buffalo State Speed
Critique of 500 Block Project on Thursday, May 14,
6:30-9:00 p.m. Participants
can become mentors to Buffalo State design students in a
“race” to provide professional
criticism of this downtown revitalization project. Wine and
cheese will be served.
officenewswire.com/16430
>RA Projects Architects
will design the lobby and
exhibition spaces for the
New York debut of 1:54
Contemporary African Art
Fair at Pioneer Works |
Center for Art + Innovation
in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The
fair will take place May 15-17,
with press and VIP previews
on Thursday, May 14. RA
Projects’ design will integrate
the exhibition space into the
reclaimed iron works factory
that houses Pioneer Works,
as well as transform the building’s lobby to accommodate a
cafe and areas for reception
and special events. These different spaces will be defined
by sculptural interventions in
rich colors that create contrasting but sensitive temporary additions to the building’s
existing brick structure. RA
Projects previously designed
the second edition of the 1:54
fair in London, which was
held at the historic Somerset
House in October 2014.
officenewswire.com/16407
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05.04.15
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reclaimed wood and steel,
>thread collective, an emergand a high-efficiency building
ing design firm based in
envelope. There’s also on-site
Brooklyn, NY, is offering a
vermicomposting, rainwater
rare glimpse inside Troutharvesting, and modular
House on Saturday, May 9
systems. The building tour on
as part of the Dwell Home
May 9 will be open from 10
Tour during BKLN DESIGNS.
a.m. to 4:00 p.m. In addition,
TroutHouse is a new ubergreen, stylish mixed-use build- leaders from thread collective
will be featured at the “Meet
ing in Bushwick, Brooklyn,
The Architects Night” sponthe neighborhood’s first LEED
sored by Dwell magazine and
Gold certified project. The
BKLYN DESIGNS at Freehold
building’s multiple sustainin Brooklyn on Thursday, May
able strategies include a 5.5
Print7:00
Sudoku
to fill later
p.m.
kW solar array, low-flowSudoku
bathShack :: 7,
officenewswire.com/16425
and kitchen fixtures, recycled/
4/28/15, 11:42 AMC
SudokuShack.com
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GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS PAGE 31 OF 35
05.04.15
business
BUSINESS AFFAIRS
>HNI Corp. will webcast its May 5 Annual Shareholders’
Meeting. It will be held at 10:30 a.m. (Central) at the Allsteel
Inc. headquarters building located at 2210 Second Avenue
in Muscatine, IA. The webcast can be accessed via a link on
the Investor Information section of the corporation’s website at
www.hnicorp.com. Replay of the webcast and related materials
will be posted on the Corporation’s website following the Annual
Shareholders’ Meeting. http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.
zhtml?c=98627&p=irol-irhome
>Interface, Inc.’s Board of Directors declared a regular
quarterly cash dividend of $0.04 per share. The dividend is
payable May 29 to shareholders of record as of May 15. www.
interfaceglobal.com/Investor-Relations.aspx
>Interface, Inc. on Apr. 29 announced its first-quarter 2015
results (dollars in thousands except EPS):
3 Mos. Ended
Net Sales
Gross Profit
SG&A
Op. Inc.
Net Inc.
EPS (dil)
Orders
4.5.15
$236,904
$85,432
$64,032
$21,400
$12,322
$0.19
$259,400
3.30.14
$218,992
$74,686
$62,659
$12,027
$4,025
$0.06
$239,000
%Ch.
8.2%
14.4%
2.2%
77.9%
206.1%
216.7%
8.5%
“The first quarter was a strong start to the year, with improvements across virtually all financial metrics, including sales,
gross margin, operating income, interest expense and earnings
per share,” said Interface Chairman and CEO Daniel T. Hendrix. “The growth was fueled mostly by our Americas business,
with contributions in local currencies coming from our Europe
and Asia-Pacific divisions, and we also benefited from an extra
week this quarter compared with the prior year period. As
expected, however, we faced a substantial currency headwind,
which negatively impacted our top line by approximately $19
million. We made up a lot of that ground through a much
improved gross margin, and we kept SG&A expenses in check.
Bottom line, even after the negative currency impacts, we delivered our best first quarter in the past seven years.”
With foreign currency held constant, sales in the 2015 first
quarter increased 17% to $256 million, versus $219 million in
the prior year period.
In the Americas, first quarter sales were up 17% year over
year. Most of the revenue growth came from non-office segments (up 20% in the aggregate), led by the hospitality,
government and education segments. The corporate office segment continued its recovery, with sales up 13% despite poor
weather in Boston and New York during the early part of the
quarter. FLOR sales increased 13% year over year, attributed
Industry Stock Prices
5.1.15
3.27.15
12.26.14
9.26.14
6.27.14
3.28.14
%frYrHi
%fr50DayMA
HMiller
27.6
27.4
29.6
30.4
30.7
31.2
-15.7%
-2.5%
HNI
48.1
53.8
51.5
37.0
39.0
35.4
-16.7%
-10.9%
Inscape
3.2
3.2
2.6
2.5
2.3
2.2
-2.2%
3.4%
Interface
21.6
20.6
16.6
16.3
18.9
19.6
-5.1%
4.0%
Kimball*
10.4
10.2
9.9
15.4
16.7
18.0
-29.0%
-0.9%
Knoll
23.2
22.7
21.4
17.9
17.4
17.8
-4.9%
2.3%
Leggett
45.9
45.4
42.6
35.5
34.1
32.2
-2.2%
1.7%
Mohawk
177.7
181.2
155.3
136.6
136.9
134.7
-5.6%
-1.6%
Steelcase
17.7
18.9
18.5
16.7
15.5
16.3
-13.4%
-5.8%
USG
27.1
25.9
27.9
28.3
29.9
32.1
-15.8%
2.0%
-30.9%
-0.8%
Virco
2.7
2.7
2.5
2.7
2.3
2.5
SUM
405.1
412.0
378.4
339.2
343.5
342.0
18,024
17,713
18,054
17,113
16,852
16,323
DJIndust
-1.5%
*Kimball historical stock prices for 9.26.14 and earlier include both Kimball Furniture and Kimball Electronics earnings prior to
the spin-off of the company’s Electronics segment on 10.31.14. On 11.3.14, Kimball International, Inc. began trading on NASDAQ
under the ticker symbol :”KBAL” and the previous ticker symbol “KBALB” was retired.
05.04.15
GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS PAGE 32 OF 35
business
to both improved store business and increased crossover sales
by the company’s commercial salesforce. Currency fluctuations
negatively impacted sales in the Americas by approximately
$2.5 million.
Sales in Europe were up 12% in local currency compared with
the prior year period, with success in the majority of Interface’s markets including the U.K., Ireland and Germany. The
corporate office segment accounted for the growth (up 21% in
local currency), somewhat offset by a decline of 14% (in local
currency) in non-office segments. The European division bore a
$14 million negative currency impact on its sales, resulting in a
decline of 8% as reported in U.S. dollars.
In the Asia-Pacific region, sales were up 13%, primarily due
to strength in Australia versus the first quarter last year, which
was the bottom of its post-fire recovery, and after a negative currency impact of approximately $2.5 million due to the
weakening of the Australian dollar. Sales in China also surged
upward, while the rest of the region saw a modest decline.
Fluctuations in currencies negatively impacted first quarter
2015 operating income by approximately $2.3 million compared with the prior year period.
“Gross margin improved 200 basis points compared with
the first quarter last year, mostly due to better manufacturing throughput, enhanced efficiencies and lower raw material
costs,” said Senior Vice President and CFO Patrick C. Lynch.
“SG&A expenses rose $1.4 million, but as a percentage of
sales dropped over 150 basis points versus the first quarter last
year as a result of our restructuring and cost-cutting initiatives
implemented in the second half of 2014. We also realized the
first full quarter of benefits from our recent debt refinancing,
saving $3.6 million in interest expense year over year. This
contributed to our strong cash flow during the quarter, as we
increased our cash position in a period that typically requires a
heavy cash use.”
Mr. Hendrix concluded, “Our first quarter orders were up 9%,
or 17% on a currency neutral basis, which points to further
sales growth next quarter and throughout the year. For the first
three weeks of April, our orders activity remained strong, with
orders up nearly 10%, or 19% on a currency-neutral basis. Our
gross profit margin should be sustainable at these higher sales
levels.
“Our Americas business has a lot of momentum and appears
to be outperforming our competitors, while the sentiment in
our European business is upbeat but understandably cautious.
Our Asia-Pacific division should benefit from our continuing
recapture of market share and improved manufacturing profile
in Australia, coupled with more modest growth in the rest of the
region. Our improvement in gross margin should be sustain-
able, and we will remain focused on controlling SG&A expenses
during this growth cycle.
“Our greatest challenge will be the currency headwinds, which
are expected to continue for the balance of the year, somewhat
offset by further declining raw material costs. Overall, our outlook for the full year remains very positive.”
The full text of Interface’s 1Q15 earnings release, including
all tables, and an archived replay of the company’s Apr. 30
conference call, are available at www.interfaceglobal.com/
Investor-Relations.aspx.
>Michael A. Dunlap & Associates, LLC reported that the April
2015 Overall Survey Index from its 43rd quarterly MADA/
OFI Trends Survey was 56.80. The survey, started during
the summer of 2004, measures the current business activity of the commercial furniture industry and its suppliers; any
score above 50 means that the manufacturers and suppliers
surveyed perceive business conditions as improving. The April
score is the third best since July 2007 (58.49) and compares
to January 2015 (57.26) and October 2014 (57.58). The highest recorded Index was 59.72 in July 2005; the lowest was
41.45 in April 2009. The average overall index is 54.56.
“The industry continues to move on a very steady and a solidly
improving trend line,” Mike Dunlap commented. “This is very
good news! The Overall Index continues to remain strong and
is well above “50”. It is definitely above the 43-survey average.
We re-affirm our prediction that the industry remains on course
to achieve its best year in more than a decade.”
The April 2015 survey highlights are:
-Gross Shipments Index of 58.48 is higher than the 43-survey
average of 57.65. The Order Backlog Index of 55.45 is slightly
lower than the 43-survey average of 56.69.
-Employment Index of 53.03 is well above the 43-survey
average of 52.18. The Hours Worked Index was 55.00, nearly
equal to the 43-survey average of 55.37.
-Capital Expenditures slipped to 57.88 compared to 58.06 in
January, and Tooling Expenditures were steady at 57.57 compared to 57.78 in January. These compare to the 43-survey
averages of 55.44 and 55.79, respectively
-New Product Development soared to 69.70 compared to the
previous all-time high of 66.41 in October 2014, well above the
43-survey average of 63.58.
-Raw Material Costs improved to a neutral 50.00 compared to
49.71 in January and 45.13 in October, well above the 43-survey average of 44.47. Employee Costs improved to 48.94 compared to 45.28 in January 2015 and 44.25 in October 2014.
The 43-survey average is 46.72.
05.04.15
GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS PAGE 33 OF 35
business
-The Personal Outlook Index is 64.85. The January 2015
index was 66.32; the highest recorded since the survey started
in 2004. This compares to 64.15 in October and is well above
the 43-survey average of 57.48.
“The declines in several index values are not very significant,”
said Mr. Dunlap. “All have been improving since the first half
of 2013, and the large increases during the third quarter
of 2014 are not a common occurrence. The fourth quarter
remained strong and the strength of the first quarter of 2015
reflects a pattern of solid improvement. The Employment Levels
and Hours Worked index values remain very steady and are
indicative signs that hiring new employees is keeping up with
demand with overtime. New Product Development is extraordinary at 69.70! Both manufacturers and suppliers continue to
report similar experiences.
“Three out of ten Index values have improved and seven
declined and those that went down were minor adjustments.
Only Employee costs are below the ‘50’ level and Material
Costs were neutral at 50.00. We maintain the opinion that the
industry will continue to accelerate during the second and third
quarters of 2015 and that 2015 will finish strong into 2016.”
He added that the most frequently cited perceived threats to
the industry’s success are healthcare costs and the costs of
materials, which are the most commonly cited concerns from
respondents since the survey process was started in August
2004.
Dunlap again thanked the respondents with this comment:
“Over 58% of the responses came from executives who are the
Chairman, CEO, COO or President of their organizations. I am
always extremely grateful for their participation and support.
Their suggestions and recommendations are crucial to the
performance and improvement to this unique survey.”
The April 2015 MADA / OFI Trends survey was sent to more
than 800 individuals involved with office furniture manufacturing and suppliers from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North
and South America and from companies ranging from more
than $1 billion in sales to less than $10 million in sales. The
survey repeats in July 2015. www.officenewswire.com/16428
TECHNOLOGY
>Optoma’s new EH415ST high resolution full HD 1080p
projector is designed to deliver superior quality imagery to
small meeting rooms or training rooms. The short throw lens
gives a super-sized 100-inch picture on a screen or wall from
just over a meter away. The projector also boasts a brightness
rating of 3,500 ANSI lumens, which is ideal for use without
dimming the lights. It also has a powerful built-in speaker.
The projector can be managed and monitored remotely with
Crestron RoomView®, Telnet, Extron IP Link, AMX and PJ-Link,
which allow almost all aspects of the EH415ST to be controlled
across a network. It has extensive connectivity supporting a
wide number of computer and video inputs including VGA and
two HDMI ports. It also has audio inputs, which remove the
need for additional costly audio hardware and cabling. www.
officenewswire.com/16408
05.04.15
JOB SITE
To place ads or for billing
information, email
Bob@officeinsight.com
Or, call
T 972 293 9186
Find the rest of our ads on
our online job site.
GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS PAGE 34 OF 35
Regional Manager/Account Executive - Chicago
Contract magazine is
the leading publication
for commercial interior
design and architecture,
connecting professionals
and covering projects,
products, and practice
issues that set the standards
in the industry. Contract
elevates the relevance and
value of commercial design
by focusing on the power
of designers to transform
business and institutional
environments.
Established in 1960,
Contract publishes features
on outstanding workplace,
retail, educational,
hospitality, healthcare,
civic, and performing arts
environments; coverage of
commercial interior products
and product development
trends; as well as in-depth
stories on emerging business
and technical trends
impacting design. Industry
news, profiles of leading
designers, and coverage of
major industry events are
also key elements of our
content tailored for design
professionals. We are
looking for an experienced
advertising sales professional
with a documented history of
accomplishment and design
flair needed to manage a
premier territory.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS/
JOB DUTIES
>> Exceed territory revenue
objectives through sales
and promotion of all brand
platforms
>> Develop and cultivate long
lasting client relationships
to a level where Contract
is the requested strategic
partner
>> Aggressively prospect for
new business/opportunities
>> Maintain meticulous client
records through the TMM
software
SKILLS/ABILITIES:
>> Passionate
>> Imaginative
>> Razor sharp organization
skills
>> Multi-tasker
>> Knowledge of contact management software
>> Demonstrated sales results
>> Well-versed in digital
platform
EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:
>> College degree required;
Design degree a plus
>> Advertising/Sales experience preferred
Send Resume to: careers@
emeraldexpositions.com
GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS PAGE 35 OF 35
05.04.15
JOB SITE
Sales Representative - Seattle/Portland
To place ads:
Bob@officeinsight.com
Billing information:
brad@officeinsight.com
Or, call or fax:
T 203 966 5008
F 203 972 6512
Luna Textiles, an innovative,
international contract textile
company based in San
Francisco currently has an
excellent opportunity for a
dynamic and highly motivated
sales professional.
The individual will have
responsibility for the sales
and service of the Greater
Seattle region plus the city
of Portland. The candidate
must be based in Seattle. No
relocation will be considered.
Find the rest of our ads
on our online job site.
The ideal candidate will
have strong relationships
with A & D, furniture
manufacturers, dealerships
and end-users, along with
considerable knowledge
of the consultative and
strategic selling process in the
contract textiles & furniture
industry. Must be sales
goal driven, self-motivated,
well organized, and have
excellent communication and
interpersonal skills. Previous
sales experience with textiles
and knowledge of the contract
furniture industry is required.
Interested candidates should
submit their resume along with
a cover letter to Carl Blando,
Vice President of Sales,
cblando@lunatextiles.com
Contract Sales Representative - New York, NY
Business Development Manager - New York City
Koleksiyon, a European Office
furniture manufacturer is
opening a showroom in New
York City and looking for a
Contract Sales Representative
with an established network
of A&D contacts to:
You’re ready, but are you
HON Ready? The HON
Company, North America’s
leader in providing workplace
furniture solutions, may be
ready for you…
>> Develop and produce a
sales plan to achieve revenue targets
>> Maintain and enhance
product knowledge
>> Professionally present the
Company and products both
on-site and in showroom
>> Ensure customer satisfaction
www.officeinsight.com
www.officenewswire.com
© 2015 officeinsight,LLC
Requirements
>> Bachelor’s Degree
>> +5 years of experience in
furniture contract business
>> Wide network within the
New York A&D Community
>> Experience in using inhouse CRM software
>> Experience in building
and maintaining client
relationships
>> Proven track record of sales
Please send CVs to info@
koleksiyon.us
PO Box 967
Cedar Hill, TX 75106
As a pivotal component of
the sales team, the Business
Development Manager will
have the opportunity to drive
sustainable sales volumes
within a focused regional
customer base. The Vice
President, Regional Sales
currently seeks a Business
Development Manager in the
New York, NY area to serve
a dynamic customer base,
delivering furniture solutions
within a diverse customer
marketplace.
Robert Beck
bob@officeinsight.com
T 972 293 9186
Mallory Jindra
mallory@officeinsight.com
T 219 263 9006
What’s in it for you?
The HON Company offers a
competitive compensation
and benefits program for our
members. The individual
selected will become a part
of an organization with a rich
history and organizational
stability with visibility to
customer-facing strategy and
communication with executive
leadership. The position
offers an opportunity for new
experiences, developmental
opportunities and future
career opportunities within
HNI Corporation.
Interested? Apply today at
hnicareers.com.
Bradford J. Powell, Hon. FASID
brad@officeinsight.com
T 203 966 5008