by Ann Withanee — June 15, 2012—NeoCon was the venue for announcing the formation of e2e Office, a spinoff of Cornell University, and the introduction of its TransFORM Workstation, the first commercially available product from e2e made from biocomposites. The workstation garnered two awards in the Best of NeoCon 2012 product competition: a Gold Award and an Innovation Award.
Jurors lauded the TransFORM Workstation for its “environmentally friendly” work surface, made from proprietary biocomposites comprised of soy flour and soy flax fibers; formaldehyde is not off-gassed, and the biocomposites are free from hazardous “red list” chemicals as defined by the Living Building Challenge. TransFORM was displayed during NeoCon 2012 at The Merchandise Mart, Chicago.
“The formation of e2e Office is in direct response to accelerating demand from global customers for innovative products that are sustainable, free of toxins, more durable than conventional wood-based alternatives, and highly affordable,” said Pat Govang, CEO of e2e Materials. “We’re responding to this global market with a series of in-demand products that will fulfill the needs of leading office furniture OEMs and channel partners.”
The TransFORM Workstation has a versatile work surface and a series of privacy/communication panels both made from e2e’s proprietary biocomposite material. Optional re-used and refurbished leg systems are readily configurable and contribute additional points for the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.
e2e Office products have been fully tested and validated to meet BIFMA standards from The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers’ Association, and use only 19 percent of the embodied energy of traditional wood composites. By using e2e biocomposites, the TransFORM Workstation utilizes annually renewable feedstocks and is 100 percent bio-based and completely free of fossil fuel. Offering a full five-year warranty, the TransFORM work surface leverages e2e’s patent-pending i-core open architecture construction for a lighter and more durable office furniture.
Aided by the design expertise of Carl Gustav Magnusson, e2e Office has products currently under development, including mobile whiteboards, mobile acoustics, unique storage and group communication products. All these are specifically designed to meet today’s open space and mobile workforce needs that emphasize greater collaboration for improved productivity and creativity, explains the innovative company.
All products made with e2e Materials’ proprietary biocomposites far exceed the requirements of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM), and offer LEED points across multiple categories. Comments e2e, the biocomposites rank higher than any other material when measured against the stringent Living Building Challenge and Pharos Project criteria.
For more information visit the e2e Office Web site. See also the list of the Best of NeoCon winners on FMLink.
