by Brianna Crandall — July 15, 2015—In addition to the technology-integrated Exclave conference solution and Chadwick modular lounge seating previously covered on FMLink, major furniture manufacturer Herman Miller also introduced its Renew Link for sit-to-stand benching at the NeoCon 2015 contract furnishings show in June.
Furthering the company’s holistic Living Office concept and applications, Herman Miller is bringing the functionality of multiple postures to high-density workspaces with the introduction of Renew Link for sit-to-stand benching.
In settings where people engage in individual work activities within close proximity to colleagues, there is often a need to balance each individual’s desire for variety and choice in their working posture with the organization’s need for efficiency and scalability, notes the company. Renew Link achieves this balance by providing individualized work surface height adjustability and reduced distraction in high-density benching environments.
Renew Link is an extension of the freestanding Renew Sit-to-Stand Table line, also designed by Brian Alexander. It offers the same intuitive controls, fluid motion between seated or standing heights, top-to-bottom ergonomic design, and integrated cable management.
Renew Link also provides shared infrastructure for power and data. A covered central power and data trough, hinged for easy access, supports four-circuit power, has separate channels for power and data, and houses cables and cords for multiple work surfaces to create an adaptable and highly effective system.
Beyond offering height adjustability, Renew Link improves the benching solution with the option of angled work surfaces. In a traditional grid layout, people often find themselves seated directly across from each other. Eye contact, while seemingly an innocent distraction, has serious cognitive impact; estimates of the average time it takes to get back into the flow of work after even a small disruption range as high as 25 minutes, notes Herman Miller.
Alexander designed the angled work surfaces of Renew Link to reduce distractions by shifting the shape of the benching layout to a subtle sawtooth pattern. This offsets the seated (or standing) orientation of people working in close proximity and creates individual comfort zones that feel generous and private. Individuals are turned at a shallow angle so they have open sight lines for concentrating on their work; turning slightly allows them to check in with colleagues nearby. They can choose to orient their attention while varying their postures naturally.
Organizations often select high-density workspace applications for their efficient operation and cost-effective quality. They choose sit-to-stand work surfaces to offer postural variety and individual control. Organizations looking for the best of both can turn to Renew Link for an ergonomic and productive benching solution.
