Puzzle Vol. 5 - Steelcase Partners

PUZZLE ST EELC AS E

PAR TNE R S

OUR LOCATIONS

ABOUT TANGRAM Tangram is an innovator in the design and execution of highly creative interior

SANTA FE SPRINGS 9200 Sorensen Avenue

environments and workspaces. The firm collaborates with clients as a creative partner to create and manage environments that enhance the client’s brand and culture through the expert integration of technology, furniture, floor coverings and service solutions. It creates extraordinary value by providing a remarkable

NEWPORT BEACH

experience throughout each customer’s life cycle of needs. A flagship dealer for

1375 Dove Street, Suite 300

Steelcase, Tangram also represents hundreds of other well-known leading brands.

CONTACT US DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES 527 West 7th Street, Suite 1204

Headquarters: 9200 Sorensen Avenue Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670

BAKERSFIELD 7415 Meany Avenue

FOLLOW US FRESNO 677 West Palmdon Drive, Suite 101

instagram.com/TangramInteriors facebook.com/YourOfficeInspired twitter.com/TangramTweets

RIVERSIDE 1650 Spruce Street, Suite 302

TA NGR A M

I NT E R I OR S

© Puzzle Vol. 5 - Steelcase Partners

562.365.5000 tangraminteriors.com

A LETTER FROM MARKETING Years ago, we all worked in offices. Then we dispersed to cafés before starting to plug-in from home.

And now we’ve come full circle, ready to connect and collaborate in person again, and share space with colleagues who motivate and inspire us. But we got pretty comfy in those cafés and found that some of our best ideas were generated at our kitchen tables. Over the past few years, the contract furniture industry has seen an insurgence of residential furniture into the marketplace as organizations work to recreate those same comfortable and inspiring environments in their own space.

As one of Steelcase’s top furniture dealers, it has been fascinating to witness their ability to predict and react to this trend. As ancillary furniture begins to outpace the needs of workstations and private offices, gone are the days that our organizations could rely on traditional standards to win projects.

The more our customers requested products from hundreds of manufacturers, we ran into quality, procurement and installation issues; as not all furniture is made equal. Quickly, we watched Steelcase develop partnerships with elite brands that expanded their product portfolio while providing the same purchasing experience that had established them as the world’s largest furniture manufacturer.

Today, those partnerships have continued to grow and expand into even the boutique marketplace of creators and makers. This edition of Puzzle was made to celebrate our partnership and share some of the most amazing pieces in their catalog of products.

Paul Smith, Chief Marketing Officer

"Our pa r t ner net work s uppor t s t he c ha nging preferences of people at work— a de ma nd for more inform a l, aut hentic a nd in s piring s paces .

This c a refully c urated collec tion of some of t he world ’s mos t iconic des ign bra nd s of fer s a breadt h of aes t hetic s a nd prices, a ll w it h indu s t r yleading per forma nce a nd t he ea se a nd relia bilit y of t he Steelc a se di s t ribution net work."

-Steelc as e

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For over 105 years, Steelcase has helped create great experiences for the world's leading organizations across industries. Their exploration of the workplace helps them understand how work is changing and how those changes impact people. By applying user-centric research to imagine new possibilities, Steelcase designs and manufactures products for the world’s leading organizations so people have better experiences at work. The company partners with other leading brands to enrich its portfolio, increasing the range of options it offers to help customers work, learn and heal.

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STEELCASE

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STEELCASE PRODUCTS 1. F L E X C O L L E C T I O N 2 . B - F R E E TA B L E 3. SOTO WIRELESS CHARGER 4. BRO DY DESK + LOUNGE

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STEELCASE

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Making Beautiful Desi Choices Easy

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gn An experienced, dedicated team behind-the-scenes makes sure customers and designers have easy access to more choices.

The leaders of a 60-year-old, multi-billion dollar, global company know it takes great people, new ways of thinking and a few reinventions to stay ahead. Right now, they are in the midst of a significant investment to reimagine their workplace for the next generation.

They are tackling all the big issues facing business today driven by digital transformation — a tight labor market, the need for new types of skills, quick changing market conditions and aggressive competition.

They want their new space to be attractive, flexible and support different kinds of work their people do throughout the day. They’re moving from mostly private offices and siloed teams to a more mobile, collaborative culture that includes more social, relaxed and creative spaces away from the traditional desk.

Originally Published on Steelcase.com

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MAKING BEAUTIFUL DESIGN CHOICES EASY

It’s Complicated After working with well-respected global architecture

This is a key question because each company handles the

and design firm Gensler, they landed on a plan everyone

following differently:

is excited to realize. But, in their effort to create different kinds of spaces to support focus work, small and large

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Customer portals

group meetings, social connections and respite, it’s far

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Product catalogs

from simple.

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Order entry process

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Order tracking

For every supplier added to a project, complexity increases.

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Order management tools

So, how could designers still provide a breadth of choices

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List price

while also limiting risk, reducing costs and giving the client

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Discount

peace of mind?

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Packaging

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Freight cost

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Cost of moving

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Warranty

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Lead time

They initially planned to use 128 different kinds of products from 50 different companies.

There are so many factors to consider for packaging alone: dimensions, pick-up location, site information, number of boxes per product, labeling and more. Since most trucks leave the manufacturer carrying partial loads, product needs to go to a distribution warehouse where it is offloaded and then reloaded onto another truck that will head to the project site.

“This is where we are able to help and make it so much easier on the customer and the designer,” says Brian Shapland, Steelcase general manager for ancillary partnerships.

“Our partner network means we can meet the designer’s unique vision, save them time and eliminate unnecessary risks for the customer.”

Added Risk and Cost For each of those 50 manufacturers, that’s added risk

For architects and designers, the complicating factors are

and added cost. There’s a greater potential for freight

different, but in no way lessened. Each company requires

damage. There’s the cost of double-handling product and

due diligence (which often means multiple calls, emails

larger offloading costs. There’s risk the product won’t make

and more time) to determine:

it on time and miss its installation window.

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List price

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Manual input of pricing

On top of everything else, the tight labor market is impacting

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Discount available

construction. If the products don’t make it on time, there’s

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Manual input of discount

no way of knowing how far this could set the project back.

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Fabric rep

It’s added stress and worry about incurring additional costs

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Fabric price

and how it will affect the timeline 50 times over, once for

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Yardage on COM

each company involved in the project.

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Freight

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Overall cost

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MAKING BEAUTIFUL DESIGN CHOICES EASY

An Easier Alternative Since 2016, Steelcase has developed a carefully-curated

Because it all would come from Steelcase, everything would

collection of some of the world’s most iconic design brands

ship together. It would arrive at the same time, be color

to offer a wide variety of aesthetics and prices. Companies

coded by floor and go directly from the truck to where it

like West Elm, FLOS and Bolia are all available with the

would live. The calculated savings in time and money rang

ease and reliability of the Steelcase distribution network.

in at about $1 million.

Steelcase dealer McCoy-Rockford, based in Houston,

“We know choice is key in creating inspiring, informal

came to the project with tremendous experience in the

spaces where people want to work,” says Shapland. “But,

region. They worked closely with Steelcase to offer their

that shouldn’t mean you have to pay more or spend more

client an alternative solution — one that mitigated risk

time tracking down details and logistics.”

and met their design expectations.

“Once the client and design firm realized we could provide everything they needed to keep the design intact down to the very last details and do it all with one family of brands instead of 50, saving them time and money, their decision was clear,” says Ken Beaver, president and CEO, McCoy-Rockford.

"The calculated savings in time and money rang in at about $1 million."

Behind-the-Scenes of Simple What sounds simple has taken years of work behind-thescenes.

“It starts with an infrastructure that allows our dealers to order and schedule partner products just like they do Steelcase products,” says Brad Vernier, vice president, Steelcase global order fulfillment. “Before launching a new partner, teams are busy working with the partner to collect product data so that order entry functions correctly, dealers receive their order acknowledgments and everything else that they expect.”

Before any orders are entered, there needs to be a way to capture key data from all of the partners and their products.

They need packaging information, dimensions and weight in addition to pick-up and delivery information. They also need site information, like is there a loading dock and

“Every single partner has a project manager that’s asking the right questions to find any gaps that might exist in the logistics and fill them. It’s those small gaps that keep us up at night.”

JILL BOUNDS Steelcase Lean-Quality Manager

equipment available? Each piece of data is crucial.

The operations team has daily meetings before launch.

Then, weekly check-ins and monthly reviews. They address anything they didn’t anticipate and continue to monitor

150,000 products daily to 78,000 customers around the

and learn throughout the early phases of ordering.

world. They do it with a near-perfect complete shipment rate of 99.93 percent.

“We learn and test with small shipments to our facilities before launching to all our customers, so we know we’re

Once the customer has what they need, the team isn’t

ready to deliver,” said Bounds.

done. They coordinate any warranty or after sale claims.

Different partners have different agreements. But, the

Following order entry, scheduling and data collection,

Steelcase team makes sure it’s easy to know who to call

there’s logistics planning. More than a century of experience

and how to resolve any questions.

allows operations teams to track weather, traffic, webcams, social media and news events to identify, predict and

Creating something simple is not easy. But, when the goal

solve problems before they happen. Regional distribution

is to help people have a better day at work, it’s essential

centers allow teams to adjust so customers don’t have

because design and delivery go hand-in-hand.

to. They manage 3,000 customer deliveries weekly and 15

S T E E L C A S E PA R T N E R S

Sagegreenlife infuses living design nature into the built environment. Together with nature, they are co-creators of living simply and joyously in a world that respects the environment. They don’t mimic nature, but naturally infuse it into their designs. Living design combines science + design to create spaces for the future, places offering people the choice to incorporate natural elements, to create a healthy life with purpose and bring their offices, schools and hospitals to life: just as nature intended.

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Since 2015, West Elm has committed to bringing its residential sensibility to the modern office space and creating contract-grade furnishings for this market. The brand has grown in large part due to its keen understanding of emerging workplace concepts and commitment to three key values that inform its designs: wellbeing, residential inspiration and choice.

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WEST ELM

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WEST ELM

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WEST ELM PRODUCTS 1. G R E E N P O I N T S TO R A G E 2. LUCAS WIRE CHAIR 3. MESA SECTIONAL 4. JAMES HARRISON XL SET TEE 5 . L I N E A R C TA B L E

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Blu Dot's goal is to bring good design to as many people as possible. That means creating products that are useful, affordable, and desirable. To make that happen, their design process is founded on collaboration. Not just among themselves as they play show-and-tell with concepts, but as a total collaboration from pencil and paper, materials and machines, even packaging and assembly. Blu Dot likes to think that the form is almost inevitable, a by-product of the process. Their job is simply to help it emerge as beautifully and as efficiently as possible.

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BLU DOT

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BLU DOT

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BLU DOT PRODUCTS 1 . H O T M E S H B A R S T O O L + B A R TA B L E 2. BUMPER OT TOMAN 3. DANG 2 DOOR / 2 DR AWER CONSOLE 4. CHIC AGO 8 BOX 5. TURN S TOOL

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"Many teams today are adopting design thinking methodologies and agile behaviors to structure their work.

By understanding their activities and behaviors, we can design spaces to help these te ams work in new ways."

-Steelc as e

S T E E L C A S E PA R T N E R S

Bolia is New Scandinavian Design. They are no ordinary furniture company — they are a design company that puts creativity at the heart of everything they do.

Bolia's team of award-winning designers put all of their soul into the design of their unique collections, which are filled with personality. They hand-make each and every design for you and your style, and have thousands of options. Bolia has no big warehouses and no old stock.

They have only perfectly customized products which suit your preferences, hand-made and delivered directly to your front door.

Bolia's European and Danish suppliers hand make every single design from the finest materials such as solid wood, wool, metallics, marble and leather.

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BOLIA

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BOLIA

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BOLIA PRODUCTS 1. V I E N N A S I D E B O A R D 2. COMB ELLIPSE 3. B E AV ER H I G H B A R S TO O L 4 . P H I L I P PA A R M C H A I R 5 . M E R A S I D E TA B L E

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Good Design is Sustainable Design

By Signe Jost Originally Published on Bolia.com

G O O D D E S I G N I S S U S TA I N A B L E D E S I G N

At Bolia, our Scandinavian design heritage is a natural and significant part of our identity. And so is our creativity. We always try to push the boundaries of the expected, and we have high expectations and demands of ourselves and our designs. Therefore, we naturally also have high demands about the way our designs are brought to life and with our new collection, we have enhanced our focus on sustainability.

G O O D D E S I G N I S S U S TA I N A B L E D E S I G N

S U S TA I N A B L E U P H O L S T E R Y FA B R I C S

S U S TA I N A B L E F R O M T H E I N S I D E O U T A N D F R O M S TA R T T O F I N I S H

Our new collection welcomes two new upholstery fabrics – Axus and Bergo. Axus is produced from recycled cotton, and

Most people know that all our sofas are handmade and customized

the weaving mill uses solar power for a large proportion of its

exactly to your needs and wishes, but very few know that they

production to reduce CO2 emissions. Bergo is made from recycled

are also sustainable from the inside out. The wood we use in our

and reusable plastic bottles and is 100% free of heavy metals.

sofa frames is sustainable and comes from European forestry,

Bergo is also certified according to the EU Ecolabel and Oeko-tex

and our 276-page design catalogue, or lookbook, is made from

standards. This means Bergo is a fabric with 100% pure conscience.

100% recycled paper, making it sustainable from start to finish.

And it goes without saying that both furniture fabrics are dyed

Our product packaging is also made from recycled materials,

with natural and biodegradable dyes – in fact, the same applies

and we expect to replace all plastic materials with recycled

to all of our upholstery fabrics. For just as we take care of our

materials in 2019.

design heritage, we also take care of the environment.

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G O O D D E S I G N I S S U S TA I N A B L E D E S I G N

"We always try to push the boundaries of the expected, and we have high expectations and demands of ourselves and our designs."

QUALIT Y CONTROL ENSURES GOOD DESIGN To ensure optimal quality, all our designs are controlled and tested in collaboration with the world's leading quality and certification bureau, the German Bureau Veritas, which sets the highest standards of quality control. All designs are put through tough abrasion- and strength tests, they are tested for harmful chemicals and thoroughly checked from top to bottom, right down to the tiniest stitch and joint. All designs go through this meticulous control process before they are launched in stores or sent to you. This ensures that all our designs live up to our high standards – and yours. Because we know that only the best is good enough, and this attitude represents our sustainable beacon.

S T E E L C A S E PA R T N E R S

The Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams story began in 1989, when they created a small upholstery company in the rural town of Taylorsville, North Carolina. The brand began with the seed of an idea: comfort for all. That idea quickly grew, guiding and uniting them in everything they stand (and sit) for.

Often referred to as the masters of modern home furnishings, co-founders Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams bring the perfect blend of business and creative energy to their brand.

Together, they create products with the guiding principle of producing only furnishings they would want in their own homes.

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MITCHELL GOLD + BOB WILLIAMS

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MITCHELL GOLD + BOB WILLIAMS PRODUCTS 1. M A J O R C H A I R 2 . S O L E I L C O C K TA I L TA B L E 3 . M A R B L E D E C O R AT I V E O B J E C T 4. JACK POLISHED ALUMINUM SCULPTURE 5. FI L M O R E BO O KC A SE

MITCHELL GOLD + BOB WILLIAMS

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Coalesse was born from a passionate belief that great spaces inspire great work. They envision workplaces around the world that build better social connections and empower creative collaboration, while caring for your focus and rejuvenation throughout each day. They instill spaces with a natural warmth and soul— destinations, both indoors and out, that enliven your wellbeing and always welcome your return. That’s why they are devoted to creating furnishings that blend beauty and utility, comfort and vitality, and insights with inspiration. Led by intuition, backed by research, and driven by design—they help you make great spaces by bringing new life to work.

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COALESSE

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COALESSE PRODUCTS 1 . M A S S A U D C O N F E R E N C E S E AT I N G 2 . H O S U L O U N G E S E AT I N G 3 . S W _ 1 C O N F E R E N C E TA B L E 4 . L A G U N I TA S L O U N G E S Y S T E M 5 . M O N TA R A 6 5 0 R O C K E R

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"The bes t work places s uppor t t he ac ti v ities of t he tea m w hile nur turing t he need s of indi v idua l s, t hink ing a bout t he 'Me w it hin We.'"Â -Steelc as e

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Turnstone believes space matters. They believe doing great work depends on great inspiration, and that uncomfortable chairs and beige walls do little to spark the kind of innovation you’ve dreamed of. Instead, you deserve an environment that puts your personality on display; a place that nods to the individual while elevating the team; a place where distinct parts can play together. Turnstone is here to help you create that meaningful space. They want you to work somewhere that reflects who you are – not who you used to be.

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TURNSTONE

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TURNSTONE PRODUCTS 1. C A M P F I R E P O U F 2 . C A M P F I R E S TA N D I N G S L I M TA B L E 3. C AMPFIRE LOUNGE SYS TEM 4 . B A S S L I N E O C C A S I O N A L TA B L E 5 . C A M P F I R E P E R S O N A L TA B L E

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S T E E L C A S E PA R T N E R S

Extremis is a renowned Belgian furniture design group with a collection of products that focus on togetherness and celebrating life outdoors.

Founded by Dirk Wynants in 1994, Extremis is on a mission to combine intelligent design based on Flemish common sense with a famous Burgundian lifestyle. With headquarters and manufacturing in Poperinge, Belgium, the company’s design ethos is derived from a Shaker quote: “Don’t make anything, unless it is both necessary and useful… and if it is, don’t hesitate to make it beautiful.” With that in mind, Extremis began making furniture suited for the outdoors and indoors in completely non-standard ways.

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EXTREMIS

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EXTREMIS

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EXTREMIS PRODUCTS 1 . P A N TA G R U E L TA B L E 2 . H O P P E R TA B L E 3. STICKS DIVIDER 4 . P O N T S U N TA B L E + C A P TA I N ' S C H A I R 5 . P I C N I K TA B L E

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Find Your Fre Perspective DESIGN Q+A The founder of Extremis shares his expertise for designing outdoor furniture his company calls “tools for togetherness.”

With headquarters in Poperinge, Belgium, Extremis has been designing and making furniture for 25 years. Their design ethos is derived from a Shaker quote: “Don’t make anything, unless it is both necessary and useful… and if it is, don’t hesitate to make it beautiful.” Recently, Extremis announced a new collaboration with Steelcase to bring its outdoor designs to more workplaces in North America.

Extremis founder, owner, head designer and big boss Dirk Wynants leads the company he began decades ago in his garage as a labor of love where he built a table for his wife. His designs stand the test of time. Many have remained in his collection for 20 years. Wynants is still very hands-on at Extremis. In fact, the day 360 spoke to him, he had just helped his team load a truck full of designs bound for a New York show. We asked him to share his expertise for designing outdoor furniture Extremis calls “tools for togetherness.”

Originally Published on Steelcase.com

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sh Outdoors:

360: You have always been drawn to making things. How did you start up Extremis?

DW: I’ve been making stuff since I was a very small kid. I worked in my father’s shed with all kinds of tools, my father complained every evening about the damage I did to his fine woodworking materials. From the time I was a child, it was automatic to create things.

I decided that I would start my own company at the age of 30. So, as I approached 30, I was thinking, “What kind of furniture do I want to make?” Looking at the competition, there was a big gap in outdoor design. You could find classical or plastic things, but nothing like I was looking for. In fact, my wife asked me to buy an outdoor table and I couldn’t find anything that pleased me. So, I designed it myself. That was the start. Today, we consider ourselves a design furniture company that happens to make a lot of stuff for the outdoors.

"What we want to do is we want to take away barriers between inside and outside and between work and play."

360: How has your business changed as people have begun seeking a more residential vibe at work?

360: What benefits do you see for people who spend time working outside?

DW: When we started, we mainly focused on residential

estimate 30 percent ends up indoors. That’s perfectly

— people who wanted something different for nice,

fine by us. What we want to do is we want to take away

contemporary houses and couldn’t find anything that fit.

barriers between inside and outside and between work and

We didn’t change ourselves to the corporate market, it was

play. It’s about working in a different environment, which

the corporate market that changed in our direction. We

provides you different mindset. Sometimes a different

can’t take any credit as visionaries. The corporate market

mindset is absolutely necessary to work on a specific kind

evolved to place a higher importance on buying good

of job. If you want to have a creative meeting, you have

furniture, and the reason for that is quite simple. For every

to create a creative setting to find the right mindset to do

company today, the biggest asset is the people that work

that kind of work.

DW: Most of what we make ends up outdoors, but we

in it. The importance of good quality working environments

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has increased exponentially and will continue to increase.

Our furniture helps people do that because you’re using

Of course, it’s not only about adding extra furniture, we

furniture that was designed to provide better interaction

have to offer a lot more. But, making a nice environment

between people – the starting point of our designs. We

to work in, to spend time in, to feel good and to feel

never think, “Let’s make a new chair.” No. We go back

safe is super important. We have to make spaces where

further and say, “Let’s observe how people interact and

people feel good.

see what designs come from that.”

360: Besides collaboration, what do you observe about the benefits of getting outside?

usually more expensive. At the same time, the product

DW: The comfort level in buildings has become so good

value. That makes it extra difficult. But, we don’t mind. The

you often don’t know whether you’re inside or outside, or if it’s winter or summer. We are completely detached from seasons for a big part of our lives. At Extremis, we

value of an outdoor piece is less than an indoor piece in general. So, we have to be super creative to cope with seasonality, a higher cost of materials and a lower product more restrictions you have, the more we can differentiate ourselves. We have an opportunity to offer stuff nobody else has. If it were simple, everybody could do it.

use outdoor spaces for meetings all the time. It gives you fresh air. Even if the weather is not perfect, we go sit outside under the shelter and it’s still better than spending the whole day inside. But, if you don’t have the outside space, you can create the perfect setting indoors as well, which can provide you with almost the same feeling. Because people want to feel at home nowadays when they’re at

360: How do you recommend making the most out of the limited outdoor spaces we see in many urban workplaces?

work. Jobs didn’t become easier in last few decades and

DW: Expectations are that about 70 percent of people

jobs will keep asking more of people in the near future,

will live in cities by 2050, meaning that living spaces are

so we need to give our minds a way of regenerating to

even getting smaller and smaller. So, we have to be clever

cope with the stress of our lives.

how to use these spaces. In the last few years, we’ve really focused on providing solutions for smaller spaces. Multi-

360: How do you design differently for the outdoors?

functionality is one of the solutions. We make things that can be used for more than one, often many, purposes.

Kosmos is a perfect example as it is intended to be multifunctional. It was inspired by the versatility and comfort of

DW: Designing for outdoors is much more difficult. The

yacht furniture and can serve as a gathering place within

limitations are bigger. When you design stuff for the outdoors,

a cocoon-like environment. It can also transform into a

you are limited in the kind of materials you can use because

lounge sofa piece by pushing the tabletop down to the

they have to be able to cope with the elements. They are

same level as the benches.

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Born in 2002, UK-brand Orangebox created a concept they call “Smartworking” – solutions designed to foster collaboration and change cultures, while improving efficiency. The company’s portfolio offers a pluralism of design choices and diverse functions with alternatives to traditional seating, architectural pods for visual and acoustical privacy solutions and collaboration settings — all based on a deep study of how people need to be oriented toward technology and one another.

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OR ANGEBOX PRODUCTS 1 . S U L LY S T O O L 2. AIR 3 POD 3. A SPEC T S O FA S Y S T EM 4. CUBB CHAIR 5. SKO M ER A R M CH A I R

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"Com pa nies t hat promote colla boration in t he work place a re f ive times more likely to be high per forming a nd a re more prof it a ble."

-Steelc as e

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Viccarbe is a contemporary furniture manufacturer based in Beniparrell, a small town a few minutes away from the city of Valencia, Spain. Their aim is to inspire Mediterranean experiences in unique collaborative spaces through the creation of multi-faceted, warm and timeless pieces, perfect for integrating well into many different spaces. The Viccarbe collection is the result of years of work in partnership with the most prestigious international designers. These major designers have all interpreted the Mediterranean lifestyle as a distinguishing value, and follow the highest standards of quality throughout the creation process.

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VICCARBE PRODUCTS 1. B U R I N M I N I 2. SE ASON MINI 3. SI S T EM A S O FA 4. SE A S O N S O FA 5. ACE LOUNGE CHAIR

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S T E E L C A S E PA R T N E R S

In 1962, the Italian lighting company FLOS made its entry onto the modern lighting landscape with the introduction of a full-fledged instant icon: the Arco Floor Lamp, designed

by Achille Castiglioni, and now a staple of Mid Centuryinspired interiors. Since then, the FLOS modern lighting collection has included collaborations with celebrated contemporary designers—partnerships that have resulted in a broad range of innovative modern lamps that define FLOS as a leading name on the contemporary design scene.

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FLOS PRODUCTS 1 . K T R I B E T TA B L E L A M P 2 . TA B T TA B L E L A M P 3. IC LIGHTS F FLOOR L AMP 4 . G L O B A L L T TA B L E L A M P 5. ARCO FLOOR L AMP

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"Organizations around the world aren’t just fighting to attract top talent. They’re struggling to keep them."

THE FUTURE BY THE FUTURE

The Future by the Future

How do future generations want to work? Ask these students.

Millennials – and how they want to work – have been making headlines for years. But, as Gen Z starts entering the workforce and the war for talent tops the list of what keeps leaders up at night, the question becomes: How does the workforce of tomorrow envision the future of work?

Organizations around the world aren’t just fighting to attract top talent.

Their user-centered approach led them to create flexible

They’re struggling to keep them. Research shows that patterns in work

spaces that empowered users to decide where and when

tenure are changing. Just last year in France, 20 percent of employees

to work. Meanwhile, digital and analog devices in all four

said they planned to stay with their employer for life, down from 30

areas facilitated individual work, learning and networking.

percent just two years prior. In Germany, the drop was 15 percent (from 40 percent to 25 percent).

“We want to be able to work from anywhere and easily integrate family life with our professional life”, said Nicola

So, how does the next generation want to work? And, how can the

Voss, a student involved in the project. “Communication

workplace support those desires?

was also key to allow for exchange and learning.”

That’s exactly what 23 students from the AMD Academy of Fashion & Design in Hamburg set out to define. In an initiative driven by AITDialog, brandhem + krumery interior architecture and Steelcase, the

Guiding Principles

students were tasked with conceptualizing and creating a common

During several workshops, the students defined the guiding

vision of the future of work.

principles around what their ideal work experience would look and feel like:

The Concept

-- Flexibility and freedom

Once they defined the principles, they got to work.

-- Creativity, fun and wellbeing at work

“We started by thinking about the different areas we spend our time

-- Good work-life balance

throughout the day and how they’re changing in a dynamic way,” said Pia Schwarz, a student involved in the project. “All three areas – home, work and free time – are equally important in our life, so we wanted to represent them using three equally sized areas.”

They imagined a future where everyday life dictates where and how

-- Networking within hierarchies and disciplines -- Working independently within existing work structures -- Tolerant and open working styles, free of rigidity

people work. Their final “Work To Go” concept combines three individual spaces – “Office”, “Home” and “Free Space” – all connected by an area they called “Mindroom”.

Originally Published on Steelcase.com

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THE FUTURE BY THE FUTURE

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Concept To Creation The students worked with brandhem + krumery interior designer Anja Rosenberg, AIT Dialog and Steelcase’s Joachim Müeller Wedekind to bring their concept to life at Orgatec, a biennial international trade fair in Cologne.

Here’s a look at their work:

1/ Office

2/ Home

A place for rejuvenation, eating and sleeping, the cozy living

This space is designed to encourage communication, structure,

area encourages people to relax. But, it’s also a place where

information and focus. With individual and group workspaces,

they can get work done.

as well as mobile furniture, it’s built to support a variety of workstyles.

3/ Free Space

4/ Mindroom

This area inspires movement, nature, and vitality. The relaxed

Situated in the middle, this space connects the others and

and natural atmosphere enables people to move freely,

supports networking, information exchange and communication.

similar to a café-like environment.

Whether in workshops or discussions, people can touch base while sitting on the spontaneously arranged stools.

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THE FUTURE BY THE FUTURE

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The “Work To Go” stand was one of the most visited places at Orgatec 2018.

“It was great to get a lot of positive feedback,” said Rosenberg. “The students’ work gave visitors an opportunity to reflect about the future of work from a completely new perspective.”

This initiative was a cooperation between: AIT-Dialog, brandherm + krumrey interior architecture, Steelcase, Bolia, Interface, Polyvision, Coalesse, Viccarbe, Creation bauman, Zumtobel, Sodexo, Pfleiderer, Microsoft and Gira.

Photo Credit: Joachim Grothus

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S T E E L C A S E PA R T N E R S

Founded in 1983, SnapCab got their start building elevator interiors. Their innovative mindset lead to the development of the SnapCab Pod— stand-alone office pods that are simple to install, easy to relocate and offer plenty of room to spread out and tackle the tasks ahead.

The demand for noise and distraction prevention in the open plan environment is high. Leaders looking to incorporate private and enclosed spaces quickly and affordably can do so with SnapCab.

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Since 2004, Uhuru's studio in Red Hook, Brooklyn has established itself as one of America’s most innovative design firms producing furniture for the home and workplace that call out to the past while pushing the boundaries of the future. From reclaimed Coney Island boardwalk to teak salvaged from a decommissioned battleship, Uhuru finds inspiration in materials steeped in historical significance.

With work appearing in both the Smithsonian and the Brooklyn Museum and an influential client list that spans the globe, it’s clear that Uhuru has built their own piece of history.

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CHOICE IS K IN CRE ATING INSPIRING, INFORMAL SPACES WHE PEOPLE WAN WORK. "Choice is key in c reating in s piring, inform a l s paces w here people wa nt to work."

-Steelc as e

KEY G

ERE NT TO

Tangram was founded in 1963. Today, we are the leading interiors solutions provider in Southern California with offices in Downtown Los Angeles, Newport Beach, Santa Fe Springs, Fresno, Bakersfield and Riverside.

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