Systems Furniture: A Study In Design Evolution

By Author: Larry Tang
Total Articles: 512
Comment this article

As the father of the cubicle, designer Robert Propst in 1968 was on to a good idea when he created what was called at the time the Action Office system for Herman Miller. It was the world's first open-plan office system of reconfigurable components. It was a major break from what he termed conventional office layouts that sapped vitality, blocked talent, and frustrated accomplishment.

Propst unleashed a flurry of competition in the contract furniture industry that continues today, says Mark Bassil, vice president and co-founder of MAiSPACE, a modular office furniture system manufacturer based in M. Olive, NJ. We include ourselves in this competitive mix, which over the years has resulted in significant developments in systems furniture design and how it supports the way people work.

MAiSPACE entered the market in 1993 with what Bassil likes to call the second evolution in the systems furniture market. We took a close look at how the industry actually produced furniture components and determined there was a better way, he says. Rather than use traditional manufacturing techniques, we introduced the concept of ...
... global sourcing and supply chain management with a streamlined just-in-time manufacturing and distribution system. This enables us to reduce costs across the board and ensure fast delivery - within 4 to 6 weeks of receiving an order. What's more, he says, our price points average 40% below our leading competitors, enabling us to fully furnish offices from $12 - $15 per square foot and provide a lifetime warranty and guarantee against obsolescence.

Open Offices Not a Total Solution

The early, virtually one-size-fits-all Dilbertesque cubicles of the sixties and seventies have given way to exciting new designs in systems furniture that add color, pizzazz and personality to today's office landscape. But during the evolution it was found that modular open offices were not the total solution. While open offices remain a popular design concept, there are clearly instances where privacy enhances job satisfaction and productivity, Bassil says. Open office designs prove their worth in workspaces that require teamwork and collaboration - such as in a call center or advertising agency - but such is not always the case. Several studies confirm that task-intensive knowledge workers need the privacy offered by full wall offices. Movable wall systems are a key element to knowledge worker satisfaction and productivity he says. MAiSPACE movable full-wall systems solve the privacy issues necessary for thinking and when combined with low-sound-transmission glass panels accomplish this without imparting a feeling of isolation. Properly constructed and installed they provide up to a 39 - 42 STC (sound transmission coefficient) rating.

Modern Construction Techniques - The Evolution Continues

To speed initial installation as well as subsequent Moves, Adds and Changes (MACs) MAiSPACE created an off-module stackable panel system with flexibility and performance unmatched in the industry. We start with a 3-1/2 inch wide frame constructed of 16-gauge cold rolled steel to remain distortion free throughout the life of the installation, Bassil says. Framing components are furnished knocked down and ready to assemble, and are furnished with self-leveling connectors. All this helps speed move in and initial assembly as well as subsequent MACs. The strength of our framing supports load-bearing walls to 14 feet in height while the off-module design enables the placement of bins, shelving and returns where they are needed instead of being dictated by less-flexible designs.

Panel segments are constructed of 24-gauge steel for durability and sound dampening. We offer 18 basic panel options, one of the largest selections in the industry, Bassil says. Our options in fabrics, finishes and colors add to the choice, enabling facility managers and interior decorators to create vibrant, exciting workplaces that help attract and retain qualified personnel and send the message of success to a company's customers.

MAiSPACE LAN Cabling - a Revolution in Evolution

Cabling is the lifeline providing electrical, voice, data and video circuits to the workspace via Local Area Networks (LANs). In static office layouts, cabling for the most part can be straightforward, so long as capacity requirements are achieved and codes met.

Not so in modular office systems where MACs large or small could wreak havoc on LAN performance when cable runs are removed or rerouted. Avoiding such disruption is achieved through the MAiSPACE plug-and-play cable management system, which holds a ‘Best of NeoCon' award, the highest award in the contract furniture industry, Bassil says.

Horizontal voice and data cabling serving workspaces is configured as a zone distribution system employing plug-and-play factory terminated and tested modular cable connectors and assembles in copper or optical fiber. These are laid in behind lift-off panel segments for easy access to simplify adding capacity or rerouting networks. With our standards-compliant system reconfiguring an office floor plan can be accomplished in hours instead of days without disrupting the entire office LAN, Bassil says. Moreover, the work can be done by in-house personnel after a minimum of training.
MAiSPACE.com will help business owners and operators make smart choices in Systems Furniture and Office Cubicles for their offices and selecting the right Systems Furniture: a Study in Design Evolution.