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A Different Kind of Office Cubicle Design

Monday, May 16th, 2011

The coolest artists and architects always seem to be the ones who can take everyday objects and materials and help you see them in a new light. Francesca Bonesio and Nicolas Guirad do just that with their 37.2 collection. Here’s a “production cube” or cube office that is made entirely of steel and plywood. The wood is applied layer upon layer in a meta version of the method used to create plywood in the first place.

The name of the design “Le Petit Oiseau Va Sortir” adds a final layer of complexity. It translates roughly as “The Small Bird will Leave”. Anyone who has ever felt cooped up or caged in an office or cubicle can probably resonate with that sentiment. The artists claim their purpose is to stimulate the imagination rather than shaping it with this micro-architecture. This piece certainly provides food for thought. Share yours in the comments!

Tags: office cubicle design
Posted in New Cubicles | 4 Comments »

Check Out These Office Furniture Textiles from HON

Friday, May 13th, 2011

Like most high-end cubicle and office chair manufacturers, HON offers several categories of fabric choices for customers. There’s a “core” set of textiles including 180 options for seating and 90 fabrics for systems furniture. Beyond this, there are 200 additional options provided with standard lead times (and HON’s limited lifetime warranty) in the “Select” line.

For the most trendy and exotic textiles, HON is partnering with Maharam and Momentum Group in its Smart Textiles program. These fabrics are considered COM (customer’s own material), so they are warranted only by the fabric manufacturer. On the plus side, there are over 2000 gorgeous options available from these “Smart” partners. The blend of patterns, colors, and textures you can use to outfit your office environment is almost unlimited.

Special Fabric Features

Various HON textiles boast characteristics that make them suitable for specific applications. For example, the Crypton fabrics incorporate a moisture barrier. This helps prevent stains, odors, and microbes from penetrating the surface and taking up residence in the fibers. Permablock takes this imperviousness to the next level. It’s abrasion-resistant vinyl that can be readily cleaned. This textile is a favorite in healthcare and educational settings where germs abound.

Office Chair Upholstery

Next generation fabrics feature Nano-Tex spill and stain protection embedded in the textile fibers for long lasting protection of seating fabrics. Solution-dyed nylon is another workhorse for seating upholstery that is designed for continuous use. Unlike most other fabrics, it can be cleaned with bleach and carries a 10 year warranty for wear and tear.

Eco-Friendly Options

Green options like Terratex are made from 100% recycled or compostable materials that are green from the beginning through the end of their life cycle. Repreve is another eco-friendly choice made from 100% recycled polyester. The Greenshield finish added to certain seating textiles repels water and stains with less harmful chemicals than traditional stain protectants.

Tags: HON, office furniture textiles
Posted in New Cubicles, Office Chairs, Office Furniture | No Comments »

Maxon: Parallel Cubicles Cut Costs While Keeping You Green

Monday, May 9th, 2011

Our culture has reached the point where eco-friendly options no longer place an extra strain on the average business owner’s budget. The relevant technology and manufacturing processes/supply chains have become mature enough that sustainable office furniture is now within the reach of every employer. Maxon’s Parallel cubicles are an example of value priced panel systems that are still good for the planet.

Green Features:

Wilsonart® laminates are IAQ certified by GREENGUARD so they don’t contribute to an unhealthy office environment for workers. Many other products in the Maxon line also support healthier indoor air.
Terratex® fabrics are made of 100% recycled materials.
Particle board is sourced from suppliers who use post-consumer waste and reclaimed manufacturing byproducts responsibly.
Steel and aluminum components contain post-consumer metal and are recyclable.
Paint is applied using powder coating in a closed chamber that collects and reuses overspray.
Products are shipped using reduced amounts of packing materials. Packaging contains post-consumer materials and is recyclable.

Of course, Maxon is far from cornering the market on green cubicles that are cost efficient. San Diego Cubicles Office Environments specializes in consulting with clients to find the most eco-friendly solutions at the best price.

Tags: cubicles
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Cool Workstation Accessories from Steelcase

Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011

Here’s a short video on cubiclefilms.com that features some functional and attractive cube accessories. Steelcase consultant Chondra Turner clearly explains and demonstrates the usefulness of each tool. There’s a fully articulated monitor arm that lets workers move their flat screen about at will without taking up worksurface space.

The whiteboard hidden inside the cubicle wall is especially innovative. It pulls out to create an extra privacy panel and encloses the cube to turn it into an instant meeting pod. The vertically oriented storage bin is another nice touch if you don’t like too much bulk overhead. Another item you can see in the video that isn’t specifically mentioned is the rail system that can hold additional tools like pencil cups and letter trays.

Of course, the thing that’s the most fun about this video is counting how many times the spokesperson says “If you will” over the course of 2 minutes and 30 seconds. It’s probably the most sophisticated nervous verbal tick you’ve ever heard!

Tags: workstation accessories
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Buy Cubicles Designed With Your Fabric

Wednesday, April 13th, 2011

Fabric customization is a perk that you might think is out of reach for something like office cubicles, but it’s really a service that’s offered by most of the name brand manufacturers. When you buy cubicles, you can do more than just specify fabrics from the collections provided by the seller. You can also choose your own materials from any textile supplier. The industry term for this is COM (Customer’s Own Material). Each manufacturer has its own program, but they try to make it as easy as possible for you to figure out what types of textile are suitable. For example, something that would work fine for seating might not be right for a cubicle panel – and vice versa.

Teknion

When you fill out a COM form with Teknion, they will look at the supplier’s name, color name, and pattern name. Based on this information, they let you know if the fabric is already approved for a specific application. If it needs to be tested, they will ask for a few yards of the fabric and some sample swatches. Once the textile is approved, your Teknion dealer will order the appropriate amount for you and send it to the manufacturer.

Steelcase

This company has thousands of fabrics on its approved COM list. They also provide testing services for new fabrics as needed. Steelcase recommends that customers take into consideration whether the textile will be applied horizontally or vertically – some fabrics can only be applied in one direction and this can impact the yardage you need.

Haworth

With the Haworth COM program, fabric testing for systems furniture is free (you just pay to send them the samples). After approval, Haworth handles ordering your fabric so that it goes to the right production plant and there aren’t any unnecessary delays. The company is careful to point out that even if a fabric passes testing this doesn’t mean they warrant it beyond normal quality standards. So, would you need to determine for yourself if a fabric is resistant to wear, staining, or fire if those characteristics are important to you.

Refurbished cubicles can also be fitted with your own fabric at our shop. This means you can get customization at an even better price.

Tags: buy cubicles
Posted in New Cubicles, Refurbished Cubicles | No Comments »

An Indestructible Call Center Cubicle?

Monday, April 11th, 2011

We all know that the average call center cubicle gets a lot of use. In many companies, sixteen or even full twenty four hour usage per day isn’t uncommon. EQA (Easy, Quick, Affordable) Office Furniture is marketing a new series of telemarketing cubicles as practically “indestructible”. They’ve designed the panels and workstations with metal and wood laminate tiles. This eliminates the issue of fabric wear and staining that can make high-use cubicles look old before their time.

Apparently, people don’t stop writing on their desks when they graduate from grade school. One of the benefits touted by EQA is that the hard surfaces featured in the Segment line are ink resistant. This limits the damage from employee graffiti. The fact that no fabric is used does make it simpler to wipe down and disinfect surfaces. However, this systems furniture has only a 5 year warranty. That’s not the longest or most comprehensive warranty by a long shot. So, time will tell how indestructible these cubicles really are.

Tags: call center cubicles
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Another Reason To Lease Office Furniture

Friday, April 8th, 2011

Mike over at cubicles.com has a really eye opening white paper about space planning for optimum workflow. It tells a story about an executive who decided to jump on the anti-cubicle bandwagon and do away with assigned workstations altogether. The problem is that he didn’t figure out if this was the right solution for how employees performed their work within his organization.

Plus, he didn’t fund the initiative properly. He figured since some people would be telecommuting he could skimp on the number of computers he made available on-site. This led to the predictable hoarding and conflict among coworkers fighting to get the basic tools they needed to do their jobs. That’s not even the worst part. With no fixed work places, people couldn’t collaborate on company projects – because they couldn’t find each other. What a nightmare! To discover how the whole debacle turned out, go check out the free white paper.

What’s The Moral of This Story?

One takeaway point might be to ‘try before you buy’. If you want to completely redesign your office layout based on the latest trends, consider leasing the furniture you think you will need. You can use it to test out your idea and see if it helps or hinders workflow in your particular company. (Hint: figure out in advance how you will measure the results or you could still make the wrong decision).

When your desk or cubicle lease is up, you can trade the furniture in for something different. With a month to month lease, you’re not stuck with anything you don’t want. It’s a good idea to limit the major changes you make in the office environment to keep disruption to a minimum. But it’s much cheaper to find out that your cool new office layout isn’t going to work when you can easily return the furniture. Don’t forget to get a no-charge space planning consultation too. At Cubicles Office Environments, we can help you avoid common mistakes and make the right leasing and purchasing decisions.

Tags: lease office furniture
Posted in New Cubicles, Office Furniture | No Comments »

Cubicle Sales Numbers Mixed For 2010

Monday, March 28th, 2011

2009 was a really rough year in the office furniture industry. According to BIFMA (Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association), sales were down by almost 30%. That’s the biggest dip office furniture and cubicle sales have ever seen since the Association started keeping track in the early nineties. The good news is that 2010 saw the first signs of recovery with numbers rising up 7% and total sales topping 8.3 billion dollars. BIFMA expects the industry to more than make up the full 30% drop by the end of 2012.

The future for cubicles is looking a little less sunny. In 2010, systems furniture made up only 25.9% of the total production of office furniture in the United States. That’s the lowest percentage ever recorded (the highest is 36.6% ten years ago). It’s still a substantial category, but it appears that alternative desking solutions may be gaining ground as employers explore the use of collaborative workspaces. The good news for our customers is that the market for used and refurbished cubicles is still strong. So, no matter what happens, you can still get your cubicles from us!

Tags: cubicle sales
Posted in New Cubicles, Used Cubicles | No Comments »

How To Customize Wholesale Cubicles For Your Office

Monday, March 21st, 2011

Buying wholesale cubicles to outfit a mid to large-sized office space is simplest if you specify every unit to be exactly the same. But there’s a limit to how useful this approach can be. For example, sometimes having all the workstations structured alike means you can’t fit as many into your available space. A careful evaluation of your office layout might reveal that some customization will allow you to create more workspaces.

Variation Can Capture Space Savings

For example, in one area it might make sense for two desks to be facing each other with a cubicle panel between them. In another area, having employees share a central open space with desks facing outward makes more sense. You may also be able to incorporate existing walls into your cubicle layout instead of using all free-standing panel systems (depending on how you plan to handle wiring/cabling).

So, you may want to mix and match different sizes (standard vs. manager), different panel heights, different shapes (U shaped vs. L shaped), and other basic elements within the same cubicle setup. Sometimes, it’s possible to do this even with used cubicles. Additional components for the more popular brands can still be readily procured.

Employee-Specific Customization

Another way to differentiate wholesale cubicles is to provide an array of tools and accessories for employees. Installing these in every cubicle from the start is one way to go (that’s best for ergonomic items like task lighting and keyboard trays).

But giving employees the chance to ask for what they want can be a good option as well. That way, they have the satisfaction of “designing” their cube interior and you get to be the nice employer who listens and gives them what they want. This works best with items that can be readily added or taken off whenever the cubicle has a new resident. Here are a few examples to get you started:

Tool Racks (to hold trays and organizers)
Under Desk Pencil Drawer
White Board or Cork Board
Cubicle Door

Tags: wholesale cubicles
Posted in New Cubicles, Used Cubicles | 2 Comments »

How NOT To Buy Office Cubicles

Friday, March 18th, 2011

There’s a right way and a wrong way to go about making any kind of purchase for your business. If you’re having an off day (or going through caffeine withdrawal), you might make a mistake that could cost you dearly. So, just to be on the safe side, here are some scenarios to avoid when you buy cubicles:

Bring the Whole Gang: You decide to take the whole office on a field trip to look at cubicles. Then, you promise to buy each employee a cubicle in their favorite style and color.

Try Before You Buy: You take a cup of coffee with you to the showroom and spill it on the nearest fabric panel or seat cushion to “test the stain resistance properties of the textiles”.

Change Isn’t Always Good: You place your order for cubicles with custom paint, laminate, and fabrics. Then, you change your mind two weeks later and ask for a different color scheme. When you find out your furniture is already in production, complain that the order you placed wasn’t really a “firm decision” and that you assumed they’d give you some time to figure out what you really wanted.

Ask an “I Love Lucy” Question: You see two cubicles – the cheapest one is 6’x6’ and the most expensive one is 8’x10’. Wonder aloud why the larger one isn’t cheaper. Isn’t there a discount for buying more square footage? Surely the dealer can make up for it in volume!

Keep it Vague: You show up at the dealership with only the foggiest notion of what you require. You think you might have 30 employees, or is it 50? You know you want some of those “cube things and some stuff for people to sit on”. Other than that, you’re open to suggestions.

OK, so you would never actually do any of those things. But customers do occasionally make space-planning decisions that they regret later. That’s why we offer a no-obligation, free consultation that’s worth as much as $1000. And that’s no mistake!

Tags: buy office cubicles
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