Office Furnishing Trends By Maispace

By Author: Mel Joelle
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Collaborative Workspaces, Green and Service Top Office Furnishings Trends
Today's Facility Manager, in its review of 2008 furnishings trends, discussed three key topics - namely collaborative workspaces, green workspaces and the importance of customer service.

In discussing collaborative workspaces, the article by Chad A. Safran reported that while cubicles remain primary workspaces, facility managers are looking to accommodate other ways for staff members to work. The article noted that an International Facility Management Association (IFMA) report revealed a 17% increase in this style office since 2002.
Environmental issues were also high on the list for 2008 as companies began to realize the importance of green and the value of the U.S Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. Studies reported elsewhere indicate that LEED and GREENGUARD® certifications pay dividends in terms of attracting employees, customers and increasing the rentability of facilities.

The furnishing trends section concluded with Safran noting that no matter how innovative ...
... the newest furniture idea is, choosing pieces for office spaces comes down to customer service and the accompanying experience. From the actual buying process to any follow-up needs, furniture manufacturers have tried to become more committed to helping out facility managers in any way possible, he reports.

Mark Bassil, vice president and co-founder of modular office furniture manufacturer MAiSPACE, based in Mt. Olive, NJ, says Properly designed and manufactured systems furniture can be the solution to collaborative and green workspaces. Experience and customer service depend on a furniture manufacturer's history and commitment.
Collaborative Workspaces

Commenting on collaborative environments, Bassil notes that MAiSPACE addresses these requirements through systems furniture ranging from double occupancy cubicles to open and full-walled teaming rooms. The beauty of systems furniture is its flexibility, Bassil says. The MAiSPACE knock down ready to assemble (RTA) framing and off module design enables office floor plan reconfiguration in a matter of hours by on-site personnel after minimum training. This enables the construction of teaming areas to support finite-timed projects or more permanent facilities if so required. Moreover, space size can fluctuate to meet the number of team members and their technology needs.

Further supporting the teaming environment is ergonomic seating exemplified by MAiCHAIR. Workspace seating can be rolled on its 5 urethane casters to the teaming area, Bassil suggests. Once a person adjusts MAiCHAIR to his or her maximum comfort it makes sense to take it along to the teaming area rather than select another seat.

Going Green
Since it was established in 1993 MAiSPACE has incorporated green office guidelines and eco-friendly materials and processes used to manufacture its line of modular office furniture systems. We follow the ‘cradle to cradle' process as described in greenlivingideas.com, Bassil explains. This process focuses on manufacturing products out of parts that can be recycled several times and produced using the least environmentally harmful methods. Component parts can be dismantled and incorporated repeatedly into new versions of the same product while scrap can be returned to manufacturers to make new products.

Bassil notes that MAiSPACE is authorized to display the GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified mark on its modular office furniture system products, indicating that they meet GREENGUARD Emission Standards for indoor air quality. We also subscribe to EPA requirements that work surface substrates are manufactured from non-wood agricultural fiber, that water- or bio-based glues be used, and that manufacturers use non-toxic dyes and recycled materials in tiles and panels, he says. Further environmental and cost-saving benefits accrue when panels and other components are colored using power coating techniques rather than spray painting.
Service

A pillar of the MAiSPACE value proposition is a professional in-house design team to produce the best and most cost-effective layout not only to satisfy customers' current staffing demands, but also to plan ahead. The company's designers understand facility issues and employ the most appropriate product applications and space planning layouts. This entails the use of the latest versions of AutoCAD and GIZA specifying software to achieve furniture and floor plans that are virtually fault free. Related to this are accurate detailed specifications, product lists and installation drawings.

A nationwide team of dealers, distributors and installers supported by warehouses on the East and West Coasts mean that MAiSPACE installations are move-in ready within 4 to 6 weeks of the order being placed.

Delivering what Customers Want at $12 - $15 per Square Foot Installed
MAiSPACE has revolutionized the contract furniture industry with its approach to designing and manufacturing modular office furniture systems. Because it is not saddled with outmoded techniques, its price points average 40% below some of the best known names in the industry. This means our solutions are available and ready to move in starting at $12 to $15 per square foot, Bassil says. Pricing includes our plug-and-play voice, data and power cabling system and is not dependent upon the size of the installation or number of units ordered. Products are backed by a lifetime warranty and guarantee against obsolescence.
Click here to read the rest of Systems Furniture. If you enjoyed this article, you also might like our other stories about >Office Furnishing Trends.