by Brianna Crandall — June 16, 2014—Global provider of furniture, interior architecture and technology solutions Haworth introduced several products that demonstrate agile workplace solutions and the results of Haworth’s investigation into the future of the work environment at its permanent showroom at the NeoCon contract furnishings show in Chicago, including three winners in the Best of NeoCon Competition. Haworth’s Openest Collection for collaborative spaces by Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola was awarded Best of NeoCon Gold in the Collaborative Collections category, as well as the Holland-based company’s second consecutive Best of Competition.
Haworth’s Suite private office desks and case goods took Gold in the Case Goods category, and its Trivati architectural wall garnered Silver in the Architectural Products category. The Openest Collection is described below, and Suite and Trivati will be detailed in future FMLink articles, along with Intuity global desking and the Haworth Collection’s Dalia seating, Ginger Ale seating, and GranTorino HB high-back lounge seating.
The Openest Collection by Patricia Urquiola of Studio Urquiola is an ensemble of products for collaborative spaces where people can work or relax, reflecting the trends of today’s work environment towards greater mobility and collaboration. It evokes the concept of “nesting”—a secluded place that offers comfort and security. The collection includes sofas, pouf seating, tables and space-dividing screens that offer design flexibility. These inclusive lounge elements function as single pieces with different purposes or integrate in an open plan to create innovative environments that bring furniture and collaborative tools together.
Graceful yet practical, Openest creates an environment of approachable comfort, adapting to people’s needs for interaction or time alone. The soft, friendly elements are a contrast to the mostly linear, systematic shapes in office environments. Curved lines and upholstery stitching invoke the craftsmanship of residential furniture; soft, familiar textiles put the body and mind at ease. Openest presents a look that is neat and uncluttered while providing a refuge of functional furniture for working or relaxing. Screens are made from supportive recyclable material sandwiched between soft, familiar textiles.
Used together or alone, The Openest Collection provides a mix of furniture elements that help organizations customize a space for a variety of activities. Sofas, poufs and screens can be configured in a range of applications that create visual privacy in collaborative areas. The comfortable sofas and poufs invite users to sit and relax while collaborating with others or working alone; three screen configurations provide visual privacy in open spaces.
Openest sofas and poufs carry a 12-year warranty for 24/7 multiple shift use by persons up to 325 lbs.—this includes the framework, mechanisms, seating foam seat, back mesh, seating glides and casters. The tables have a lifetime warranty, and screens offer a one-year warranty. Openest will be BIFMA level 3 certified, and all components will be manufactured in ISO14001 and zero-landfill facilities, notes Haworth.
Sustainability
Underlining the company’s commitment to the environment, Haworth also recently published its ninth annual Sustainability Report, which outlines the company’s goal to remove 56 chemicals of concern from its products, globally, by the end of 2015. The 56 chemicals were selected based on a review of common materials identified by customers, governments or nongovernment organizations as potentially harmful to users’ health or the environment. As of December 2013, Haworth had achieved eight percent of its goal. By the end of 2014, the company expects to reach 40 percent, with a target of 100 percent elimination by the end of 2015.
Haworth improves workplaces globally with award-winning furniture, interior architecture and technology solutions to help customers achieve business goals and transform culture as well as support collaboration and innovation. Research and design reportedly drive a deep understanding of agile workplace needs and are at the center of the company’s strategy. Haworth says it is committed to protecting and restoring the environment, creating economic value, and supporting and strengthening its communities. Founded in 1948, Haworth remains family-owned and privately held, and serves markets in more than 120 countries through a global network of 600 dealers.
