by Brianna Crandall — July 3, 2013—Geiger International , a provider of architectural furniture for private offices and commercial interiors and a wholly owned subsidiary of global furniture company Herman Miller, recently announced that it was honored with a Gold Award in the Case Goods category of this year’s Best of NeoCon Awards, announced at NeoCon 2013 in Chicago. The awards jury of architecture, interior design and facilities management professionals acknowledged Geiger with a Gold Award in the Case Goods category for its Geiger Catalyst Phase II casegoods, designed by Colin Nourie.
Other Geiger Best of NeoCon entrants were: MP Flex Tables (described below) in the Tables: Training and Work category, and Brabo lounge seating and tables in the Seating: Sofas and Lounge, and Tables: Occasional categories. Additional products introduced were: Bumper Seating, Domino Storage, EcoHide Textiles, and Landmark Guest Seating.
Catalyst is a furniture-based system designed to equip open-plan and private-office vistas with equal ease. Named for the role played by mission-critical teams in law firms, financial services companies and other professional organizations, Catalyst creates constructive settings for those who provoke action and keep workflows moving. Catalyst anticipates a user’s access needs—to colleagues, storage, other activity areas, daylight, technology—intuitively and unobtrusively, says Geiger.
Catalyst offers storage and technology access specifically tailored to the professions, such as law firms and financial services organizations. Lower storage accommodates Redweld folders, Pendaflex files and Bankers Boxes, as well as standard legal binders; overhead storage likewise provides room for Redweld folders and standard binders.
According to Geiger, power and data access is within easy reach on Catalyst worksurfaces, via an integrated, UL-approved power module with connections for electric, USB power and voice/data. A deep, continuous wire chase in the back of storage units and pass-throughs within cabinets provide easy access to wall and floor outlets. LED task lights were chosen to provide even, energy-efficient lighting, with cords concealed in the loop support structure.
Catalyst is reportedly the first to offer a free-standing overhead shelf supported only by metal loops: the shelf provides a ledge for conducting casual interactions or a support for overhead storage. In space plans where individual private offices are less common, Catalyst is designed to maintain the personal comfort and high material standards of executive offices for those managers and executives now joining open-plan or collaborative settings.
MP Flex Tables, designed by Amir Paknya, are tables that are designed to move, fold, nest and gang to form new shapes. Part of the MP Tables collection , MP Flex Tables come in five shapes: Rectangular, Trapezoid, Half Round, Video Conference End, and Rounded Corner. Materials available include wood or laminate tops, eight base metal finishes, and three power bezel metal finishes.
According to Geiger, MP Flex Tables are UL Environment GREENGUARD certified and produced at an ISO 14001-certified facility powered entirely by Green-e certified renewable energy. The wood substrate is reportedly FSC certified for recycled content, with optional FSC-certified veneer. Geiger offers a 12-year warranty on the products, which are made in the USA.
