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The ramblings of a man with thinning hair, but with an interest in to creating happier lives throughout the office environment.
Hi, I’m Peter Bowerman, owner of Urban Office Interiors, creator of those fantastic offices you see dotted around the UK. This is my my blogtastic journey in to the venture of all things nice (in the workspace that is). I will be updating my entries monthly, on whats new, whats cool and what works. Why? Because you probably spend a third of you life in an office, so it should be like a second home, and hopefully you appreciate the better things in life such as life. Forget cold, dark dingy office’s. Forget working under pressure sat in sub standard seating, think nice things. It will make your life much better on a Friday night at the after works knees up, when the weeks projects are complete and you don’t feel like crap. I’m here to point out those lovely little workplace items that will get you excited. Well, if not you, then me. I love what I do and yes, I am sad. But if you love your job as I do mine, then we are all on to a happier existence..
May 08
Design Prima is coming up soon, so I will keep any eye open on any new trends and products. Sign up for a free ticket if you just happen to be in the capital in the first week of June. You never know, we might just bump in to each other - that would be my fault though, I will have my eyes on whats hot in the industry. If you see someone with “office monkey” on their badge, then that will be me.
May 08
Relations office furniture
Well, what can I say.. The Relations range from Sedus Stoll really has caught my attention lately. Actually, not just mine, but that of several visitors to my site www.urban-office.com The range seems to be causing somewhat of a stir! Not only with great modern looks that we always try and post, or the great quality you would come to expect from our selected ranges, but Relations has a more completeness about it. How, you ask? Well, let me explain a little more..
Furniture ranges tend to have one or two great ergonomic add-onssuch as CPU holders or wire management etc Don’t get me wrong, there are some really great ranges out there with more accessories and solutions, yet they seem to lack what I am about to hark on about.
The Relations range has what I like to think, everything that one needs for the current climate in the modern office environment. With high quality German engineering, clean lines and some great modern finishes, the Relations range is a pleasure to see and sit at. But there’s more, much more… Sedus Stoll have added some normal attributes often found in the workspace which are usually purchased separately from other manufacturer’s and bolted on. What I mean here, is the norm - CPU holders, cable management, media boxes, sliding tops for cable access, height adjustable desktops, screens, toolbar rails, modesty panels and storage to match. But it doesn’t stop there! They have also added printer shelves, CD storage, castor’s, mobile drawing boards, drink and catering caddies, quirky clip on “Grasshopper” picture and post it notes holders, flexible high and low mobile storage so you can wheel your work around the office and use the top as reference or a laptop perch for quick presentations. More, OK; folding mobile conference / training tables, rounded edges on the desktops, height adjustable meeting tables, team tables and some beautiful sliding door storage. What more could you want? Oh yeah, an extremely versatile range to challenge any task thrown at you in the workspace.
Ladies and gentlemen: Relations..
I thought it looked good on a football pitch too - just think of it in your office. I suppose you could add some fake grass to recreate the effect!!
Height adjustable desk with caddie, CPU holder and funny green Grasshopper thingy (Chair is Open Mind)
Storage, mobile storage, printer shelf and the Grasshopper.
Well, there is more to show like the team table and the folding mobile conference tables, so you best hop over to our website to see more. The Relations range is available to see in the Sedus London showroom - so let me know if you wish to pay them a visit young Grasshopper!
February / March / April 08
To much happened to go in to, but we have been very, very, busy doing what we do best (not blogging!), creating some fantastic offices. Its been so busy, that I think more of my hair has fallen out. But, I think it has been worth it - all our clients seem to be very pleased anyway. Well, apart from one or two who promised to keep their desks tidy. I surprised them with a quick visit only to find that their old ways had creeped slightly back - but hey, thats not my problem - they had been setup to kick these bad habits!!
January 08
Eco start
First off - Happy New Year. Mine was a quiet one, but most enjoyable. I didn’t make any New Years resolutions as I knew I would just break them within the first week of January. But a strange thing has happened! I seem to be going to the Gym, eating better and drinking less - without really any planning. Maybe this is the way forward, no resolutions = subconscious reaction without the knowing you are breaking any of your new rules… Lets see how long this lasts then :)
Any way - back to the matter in hand.. Task seating and the environment.. they will work.
The business world and environment generally do not go hand in hand. I thought I would post a little information this month (as everyone is on a New Year high) with some information about task seating with strong environmental credentials. Its a good start in the direction of helping the environment without loosing any benefits or features that you would expect from your office chair or the users comfort.
Lets see the eco•start™ chair from Connection seating.
eco•start™ is 98% recyclable by weight, making it one of the most recyclable task chairs available.
eco•start™ is designed to last longer, it is easy to reconfigure and upgrade using the unique interchangeable upholstery units.
The chair itself doesn’t lose any of the normal operations you would expect from a task chair, in fact, it comes with a synchro mechanism, forward tilt and (yes, and) seat slide as standard. Connection Seating have really come out trumps with this chair with a solid modern design (changeable by fabric options), ergonomic operations as standard, comfort and all at a really good price point.
Conclusion: If you want to start changing your office with the environment in mind, keeping a modern feel, great ergonomic features and without going over your budget threshold, then eco•start™ is the ideal solution. These are available to see, sit in and touch up in the London showroom. Contact Urban Office Interiors for more information.
December 07
Fifty-Fifty
We just had to post this little beauty. Style, form and, well, just so much more style from this cleverly crafted range. 50:50… read on.
Text from Allermuir / Designer: Jonathan Harvey
The `split personality’ 50:50 range comprises of a side chair and a high and low stool, available in two contrasting materials, anodised aluminium or oak veneer.
The cleverly formed aluminium version features brushed anodised aluminium seat shells with tubular steel frames. As a distinct contrast the design is elegantly translated into a formed ply shape using rich and sophisticated oak veneer.
The stricking aesthetic of both materials work equally well together or individually, with the aluminium version featuring a central fold, which is mirrored on the oak option by the directional control or the veneers, a visual detail, which harmonises the two diverse materials.
50:50 is compact and offers extreme comfort, with both the chairs and low stools stackable.
Versatile and functional, the design is suitable for a wide range of environments including contemporary bars, cafes, bristos and corporate dining, with the aluminium option perfect for both indoor and outdoor applications.
Contact Urban Office Interiors for more details of the 50:50
November 2007
Bench desks - Talk to me!
So, bench desks - what are they and what is all the hype about?
Many offices and studios opt for bench desking these days not only for what they offer, but because they are nice to look at. What’s nice to look at, is nice to be around, which is a bonus in today’s office environment. A large portion of our lives are spent in the workplace, so why not enjoy work with furniture designed to make work easier and feel right.
Bench desks are clusters of desks that use shared components as support. They are usually setup back to back, from two desks up to, well, however long your office is. Sounds boring doesn’t it? Well, many are - but not ours. But add a touch of flair, cleverly designed aspects and you end up with an office masterpiece. What if you could have all the wires for your I.T. hidden, yet easily accessible. What if you could have your monitor raised off of the desktop allowing you to use the additional desk space for paperwork, or a design layout. What if you didn’t have to have your opposite co-workers paperwork or pens rolling on to your desk area. No more what ifs, what bench desk!
Different:
Bench desk ranges offer different solutions for different work environments. The main design idea around the bench desk system is the flexibility and ergonomic setup of the desks. Architects and designers like to use large flat spaces for plans, designs and 3D models. This can be achieved by using un-congested desktop space, mobile return desks, end of desk extension tops and hovering flat screen monitors. Sliding desktops or flip panel cable management will enable the user to quickly remove their phone charger and laptop / computer wires from the surface to create an increased surface area for their project. Call centres, touch down areas and hot desking companies like the flexibility to create private work zones for their staff or hot desk user to work proficiently and un-hounded by other sounds. Screens and return screens help reduce travelling noise and can be setup in various configurations. Third level storage (cupboards or shelves above the screens) can be used for additional close to hand filing or reference library and reduce sound even more. These are just a few of the ideas that bench desks offer. The possibilities are now becoming endless.
Bench desking is a great way forward in today’s work environments. Designs, finishes and colours vary, so the sky is the limit.
