(MUSCATINE, IA) – Park by Norm Architects, a new collection from Allsteel Inc., a leader in workplace furnishings, combines Danish craftsmanship and Allsteel’s heritage to create a portfolio of products that approaches collaborative environments in a new and innovative way. After extensive evaluation of the traditional open plan, it was concluded that collaborative and social spaces are the first to be reduced or eliminated to make room for organizational growth. Social spaces disappear and products lose their place and ultimately become unused rather than repurposed. Norm Architects has designed a collection of soft seating, tables, storage and accessories that provides the ultimate solution to this ongoing challenge.
“As designers, we have seen a dramatic shift in how people utilize office space,” explains Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen – Co-Founder of Norm Architects. “The lines have been blurred between residential, hospitality and commercial spaces and there is a great need for social and collaborative products that are both comfortable and functional. With this new collection, we were able to offer the warmth and comfort of home with a portfolio that responds to the ever-changing demands of the market.”
Each element of the Park by Norm Architects portfolio has a purposeful design responding to the need for collaboration, privacy, wellness and division of space. Individually or when paired with one another, the products are intended to be long-term solutions that can be repositioned and repurposed as a company’s needs change. The collection offers the ultimate in functionality, flexibility, reconfigurability, and usability utilizing a process that allows Allsteel to achieve the elegant curvature of the seating design while providing maximum comfort for the end-user.
The seating components in the collection derive inspiration from benches in the park where space goes unutilized and passers-by feel unwelcomed when a seat is occupied. Sculptural in design, the Hi and Lo Solo and Settee lounges provide a variety of solutions including space division, collaborative support or a place to relax. Available in a single (Hi/Lo Solo) or a double (Hi/Lo Settee) option, as well as a side chair version, the Park by Norm Architects seating options are as beautiful as they are functional.
Adding to the depth of the portfolio is a selection of casual and meeting tables that are thoughtfully designed for both social and collaborative solutions. The casual tables are available in an array of shapes and sizes offering a wide selection of options depending on the intention and needs of the space. While the meeting tables allow for multiple gatherings at one time with high and low surfaces that provide the ultimate in space maximization and functionality allowing for simultaneous meetings.
Infusing Biophilic philosophies into a space is a trending principle in workplace design. The Plant & Storage Pedestals take this to the next level providing both the physical element of nature with a simple, clean solution for visual clutter and storage needs.
Lastly, the Park by Norm Architects design team recognizes the increasing need for teams to share, create, and capture content in social, collaborative settings, which inspired the final product of the portfolio – a mobile Easel. Monitors up to 66” can be easily wheeled from setting to setting without worry about physical architectural constraints. The Easel aesthetic also provides a more artistic quality to media sharing than conventional methods.
“Working with Norm Architects on the Park collection allowed us to address relevant workplace challenges while taking advantage of the historical heritage of both companies,” explains Jason Heredia, Vice President, Product Design and Marketing for Allsteel. “The ability to design a portfolio of products that are thoughtfully designed for active work, redeployable for successful companies that are constantly growing and changing, and aesthetically unique was our ultimate goal. The end result is a collection that will provide flexibility to designers and functionality to end users for years to come.
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About Allsteel
Since 1912, Allsteel Inc. has offered a world-class, comprehensive range of workplace products and solutions. We simplify the office planning process by helping our customers align their workplace strategy with their business strategy. The result is fit-to-business solutions that deliver meaningful change in a way that works for them today, as well as tomorrow. Headquartered in Muscatine, IA, the company has Resource Centers in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. For additional information, visit www.allsteeloffice.com or follow Allsteel on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube.
About Norm Architects
Much like human well-being, the essence of Norm Architects’ work is found in balance—between richness and restraint, between order and complexity. Since 2008, each project—whether architecture, interiors, design or creative direction—is imbued with the same intrinsic quality: a simplicity that carries bigger ideas. Guided by the body and mind rather than by trends or technology, our projects explore ideas that not only look good but that also feel good: Architecture becomes thoughtful, minimalism acquires softness and visual matter assumes haptic qualities. Our work is sharp and crisp and exudes, tacitly, our focus on quality, details and durability. Situated on one of the oldest streets of Copenhagen, Denmark, we respect our context and build on the traditions of Scandinavian design—of timeless aesthetics, natural materials and upholding Modernist principles of restraint and refinement. http://normcph.com/