Monthly Archives : August 2013

Sometimes, the mechanics of workstation privacy aren’t as important as the social aspects. That’s the point Chris at the LockerGnome makes in his response to a question about cubicle etiquette. Loretta asks what she can do (other than screaming at or killing her coworkers) to gain some respect for her personal space at work. When everyone works together to create a polite and considerate atmosphere, even thin or low cubicle walls can be bearable. The basics are simple. Don’t barge in to someone else’s cube, keep your voice down, stay tidy, avoid smelly foods.

What Chris doesn’t address is how to help your coworkers follow these guidelines. Setting an example is a good start. But you may also find it necessary to have a few awkward but frank discussions with top offenders as well. Yes, that’s one key to workstation privacy. Simply say, “Hey, Fred. I like to make sure I keep in touch with my coworkers. But I’ve been having trouble staying focused on work lately when people drop by my cubicle to talk. Maybe we can catch up around the water cooler instead?”

How do you set good boundaries or teach coworkers good manners? Let us know in the comments.

Charles Pollock was more than an industrial designer. He was an office furniture artist. A contemporary of Charles Eames, George Nelson and Florence Knoll, Pollock was fortunate to actually collaborate with each of these famous designers during his career. His most famous chair isn’t known by some cute marketing name. It is simply called the “Pollock”. He describes the inspiration to create a design based on a single line this way, “Everything has an edge and everything is a line…I experimented with wire and curved the edge…I developed the idea of ‘rim technology’ and hit on the design.” After much refinement with the guidance and encouragement of Florence Knoll, the chair came into being and quickly caught on as a favorite for swanky executive offices.

What’s in a Rim?

The iconic rim is more than an aesthetic detail. It’s actually the piece that holds the whole chair together. Besides offering structural support, the rim is protective. “It doesn’t rust, it doesn’t tarnish, it doesn’t fade. It keeps its visual appearance almost forever. In other words you have a visually pleasing color or texture or chrome finish articulated in a fashion that goes around the edge of the chair, which is beautiful and acts as a guard against destructing the chair no matter where you hit it….up, down, front, side, back, whatever.” This chrome and leather dream has been featured on hit TV shows like Mad Men, occupied collections in several major museums (including the Smithsonian), and is still available from Knoll.

What Happened to Pollock?

It would be incorrect to think of Pollock as a one-hit wonder. He actually worked hard throughout his career. Sadly, he did not regain commercial success for many decades. After a long hiatus from the public eye, Pollock was commissioned recently by Jerry Helling, president of Bernhardt Design to create another great seating option. The CP Lounge chair shows how Pollock’s great taste and sense of the classic hasn’t changed since the 1960s. Pollock passed away in a fire this month at the age of 83. His designs will continue to bring his memory to mind for many decades to come.

Our new feature on the OBEX cubicle panel extender blog is the “Friday Fan Club”. Each week, we’ll post a tidbit from around the web about how to increase privacy in your cubicle. These tips will range from silly to sensible and everything in between. We want to start this series off with a bang, so click on over to I Am Bored to see one innovative way to screen yourself off from the rest of your coworkers.

Does hanging cardboard saloon doors in front of your cube let everyone know you’re a straight shooter? Or do they think you’re secretly hiding in your cubicle doing shots? Would an opera stage curtain be more appropriate and dramatic? Would your boss like it better if you created a movable wall with a lovely mural on it painted in dry erase markers? What would you use to craft your own makeshift cubicle doors? Let us know in the comments.

In April, Knoll introduced a new set of office furniture by OMA. The collection debuted in Milan, Italy, and features the provocative designs of Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. This assortment of office “Tools for Life” features items that support both work and socialization. The underlying ethos of the project is unpredictable functionality. The pieces have obvious purpose yet can also be configured in unexpected ways to deliver surprising results. It’s the interface between people and object that makes the furniture come alive – like kinetic sculpture.

Spinnable Stack

The 04 Counter is an example of this animated furniture style. It starts as a solid stack of three horizontal beams. With a few quick movements, the stack can be twisted and separated to turn this monolithic wall into a space divider with all manner of angles. Each piece can rotate smoothly through 360 degrees to create a communal architecture for people to sit on, lean against, or gather around. We imagine the exposed beam surfaces would make a great place to set a file folder or a cup of coffee – until someone moves the beams again and knocks everything to the floor!

Sleek Styling

Additional items in the collection include height adjustable work/meeting tables, stacked swiveling coffee tables, bench and work/lounge seating. The materials featured throughout the set are simple yet diverse, ranging from natural elements like wood, leather and travertine to more sterile substances such as acrylic, aluminum and even concrete. You won’t find a lot of vibrant color (other than red) or 100 textile options, but the collection makes up for not being totally fashionable by being very capable. It’s all designed for a fairly mobile workforce that flits from spot to spot depending on the task at hand.

Sweet Silence

Naturally, there’s also an “ancillary” tool that serves as a privacy and acoustic screen. Here’s the product description: “A base of clear acrylic supports panels of foamed aluminum, travertine or wood grain laminate that can be cantilevered off-center.” No office toolbox is complete without some way to cut down on distractions and increase productivity.  These are floor-based models, so if you want something that’s desk-mounted, you can check out our OBEX privacy panels. The aluminum and clear polycarbonate would be a seamless match for the OMA collection.

Steelcase correctly predicted the rise of the “collaborative” workspace. And we think they’re probably right about the pendulum swinging back in the other direction. No, we’re not going back to the era of private offices. Many businesses aren’t even going back to separate cubicles with higher walls. But they are realizing that a completely open office design hasn’t created an optimal work environment for most workers. In fact, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that employees need separation as much as they need togetherness. It’s a matter of finding the right balance.

According to an article published in CIRE magazine, Steelcase says that the idea of private enclaves is definitely catching on in the coming years. These tiny rooms are just large enough for a couple of pieces of lounge furniture and a table. It’s a cozy meeting space for a small team, a private phone booth for employees juggling work and personal life, or a “do not disturb” area for occasional bouts of intense focus.

Making Space for Concentration

Steelcase reports that one of their clients actually had an entire wall of these tiny enclaves with a sofa, desk, chair, and data/electricity ports installed. In other words, the private office is making a sneaky reappearance. But instead of being allocated to specific employees, these spaces are being allocated to certain activities. It’s an approach that makes sense if you have the cash to remodel your layout. Using architectural walls instead of drywall can cut costs, of course.

But the least expensive way to create this type of enclave is probably by converting some larger cubicles. A 12×12 “manager” cubicle would definitely be big enough to create a small getaway space. Even an 8 x 10 would be sufficient for two person team efforts. Simply add cubicle panel extenders to raise the walls above head height and create the sense of visual and acoustic privacy that employees still need. You could also add panels to a couple of tables in a corner, attach desk mounted privacy panels and put in some lounge seating to complete the space.

Last week, we looked at some strange office furniture. But at least most of it looked like something you would want to use. This next collection is a little creepy. Mati Karmin from Estonia has taken “upcycling” to a whole new level with steel naval mines from an old Soviet fortress. This modern sculptor used ancient ordnance to serve as the skeleton for office furniture that is anything but ordinary. The decommissioned radio on the writing desk probably doesn’t actually work as an intercom, but it would be funny if it did. We’re sure the steampunk fans in the audience will get all kinds of cool ideas from this odd collection. The rust and bolts give it that old-time feel – and the curving shells have a certain cold elegance.

Does this office furniture make you feel uncomfortable, or do you think it’s the bomb? Let us know in the comments.