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Herman Miller’s Living Office

Winning best showroom of Neocon 2013, Herman Miller displayed its new furniture which is an integral part of the Living Office: A concept evolved from the idea that a healthy, prosperous organization thrives on passion, purpose and growth.  In Herman Miller’s newest collection of work systems, the office becomes a place you want to be instead of a place you have to be.

Herman Miller "Best Largest Showroom" Winner. Neocon 2013

Herman Miller’s 2013 Neocon showroom wins “Best of Competition” and “Large Showroom Winner” for the year.

 

There are different Living Office themes and one of  our favorites is  “Living Beats Dying.”  As your workspace experts, we strive to create spaces that will give life, purpose and passion to every day-in and out of the office.  That’s why we are so excited to introduce to you Herman Miller’s newest furniture that will help us do just that!

HermanMiller-OpenShowroom

Herman Miller Showroom. Neocon 2013.

The first new office system Herman Miller has introduced is Locale, designed by Sam Hecht and Kim Colin.  It starts with a bottom Workbase that acts as the foundation for a variety of work settings to be placed upon, whether a social table, individual work desk, or shelving.  It’s a vision similar to that of a bustling farmer’s market with a variety of activity and services all along one street.

Locale1

Sit-to-Stand tables attached to the base of the Locale system.

Locale3

Shelving attached to the base of the Locale system.

Locale’s design comes from the idea that spontaneous interaction is relevant to both productivity and pleasure.  When an idea strikes and you can easily turn to a colleague to help process that idea, productivity increases.  Similarly, when a funny thought comes to mind that can easily be shared, pleasure increases.  The ease of working together and conversing together boosts work enjoyment and productivity all at once.

Locale15

The Locale system allows for a diverse work setting in close quarters to provide workers with higher enjoyment and production all at once.

“The offices we visited during our research — places where people want to work — are open-plan, transparent, and buzzing,”  said Hecht and Colin.  “Locale brings different parts of the office in proximity so you shouldn’t have to go away to talk to a colleague in a more conducive setting.”

ModesofWork-Divide&Conquer

A picture of one of the ten modes of work researched by Herman Miller: Divide & Conquer. The picture gives an example of how Locale would help teams work separately or together all within close proximity.

The second newly introduced Herman Miller office is Public Office Landscape, designed by Yves Behar.  After 18 months of research and design, Public Office has adapted into a landscape that encourages fluid interactions and spontaneous conversations with seating elements that flow into desks, and with soft fabrics that flow into hard surfaces. 

Social Office Landscape.

Social Office Landscape.

One of the main attractions with this system is the Social Chair –the first of its kind to introduce ergonomics into shared seating.

The Social Chair.

The Social Chair.

“With research showing that 70 percent of collaboration happens at a workstation, I saw a clear need for desks that support interaction,”  said Behar.  “Public is designed with collaboration spread evenly throughout the space, while the system’s modular components can evolve with the neeeds of the groups and individuals.”

Public Office Landscape - group space.

Public Office Landscape – group space.

The final collaborative system introduced at Herman Miller’s showroom this year was Metaform Portfolio, designed by Studio 7.5 with the goal of empowering individuals to work most intuitively and naturally in the evolving workplace.  While still undergoing developments, the Metaform system starts with a 4-tier foundational wall to build upon.  The structured wall can be ordered with either a straight or curved edge, giving it the flexbility to be used for different settings and purposes including bookshelves, space dividers, enclosed meeting rooms, and collaborative work spaces.

Metaform system, designed by Studio 7.5

Metaform system, designed by Studio 7.5

Metaform system, designed by Studio 7.5.

Metaform system, designed by Studio 7.5.

The remaining components are all modular, so as to be easily adjusted or moved between tiers as needed.  These components range all the way from adjustable-height tables down to coffe cup holders!  The whole idea is that you are the craftsman in your own shop with the choice of surrounding yourself with the tools most helpful to you in your work.

Metaform system, designed by Studio 7.5

Metaform system, designed by Studio 7.5

Metaform system, designed by Studio 7.5

Metaform system, designed by Studio 7.5

“As trends toward self-determination and individual responsbility increase, and technology becomes ever more mobile, so too does the expectation that everything a person encounters throughout the workday be as approachable and intuitive as his devices,” said Studio 7.5.

Metaform system, designed by Studio 7.5

Metaform system, designed by Studio 7.5

Metaform system, designed by Studio 7.5

Metaform system, designed by Studio 7.5

This is just the beginning of Herman Miller’s two-year unveiling of The Living Office, with these new systems being available for sale over that time frame.  Widmer is excited to be a part of the start of Living Office and will continue to keep you updated as more research, materials, and product information is released.

Make sure to keep an eye out for more Living Office blogs!