12.01.08 GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE …media.officeinsight.com/CurrentIssuezxc/OI120108.hm.pdf · Greenbuild 08 Greenbuild 2008, with its theme, “Revolutionary Green:

CITED:“CONSISTENCY IS THE LAST REFUGE OF THE UNIMAGINATIVE.” —OSCAR WILDE

GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS12.01.08

Gensler Workplace Survey

Want to increase profi tability by 14%? Sure, who wouldn’t. Well, put away the cat o’ nine tails, break out the real estate budget and cut a slice off for human resources and, according to the Gensler 2008 U.S. Workplace Survey, a nationwide study of offi ce workers commissioned by Gensler , you might be well on your way. FULL STORY ON PG.3

Greenbuild 08

Greenbuild 2008, with its theme, “Revolutionary Green: Innovations for Global Sustainability” was held in Boston November 17 to 22. It was big, really big, in almost every way. Nearly 30,000 people, from every state and from 80 countries were in attendance, either in person or by remote hook-up. FULL STORY ON PG.9

Company Profi le: Offi x Systems

Here’s a switch: a dealership extending its presence from Europe to the United States. That’s the strategy of Offi x Systems, a trans-Atlantic contract furniture dealership. Juan Vidal, managing director and hus-band of CEO Adriana M. DeFrancisco, have created a showroom in the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley.FULL STORY ON PG.13

Project Focus: RTKL. Los Angeles and dTank

dTank was a natural choice for RTKL when constructing its new Los Angeles offi ce. Yvonne Colacion of RTKL was already familiar with dTank from her work with Gensler. dTank has a wealth of experience designing for A&D fi rms, with its intimate knowledge of what these fi rms need to facilitate their workfl ow and productivity.FULL STORY ON PG.12

A Minute with Ira Joe: Warm Feet

Pardon my presumption. But, if a fi lmmaker were ever to tell my story in a movie, it might unfold this way: a swirling, frothing December snowstorm for the opening shot as the credits fl utter into focus. The woodsy hills of Western New York. The snow would fi ll the screen as it piles and plugs road and drive.FULL STORY ON PG.14

Compliments of Herman Miller in cooperation with offi ceinsight

12.01.08 GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS PAGE 2 OF 22

Is this how you want future interior designers to be educated?

We are running out of qualified educators. To sustain our profession, we need your help.Call Georgy Olivieri @ 630.346.7923 or IDEC @ 317.328.4437.

says NO!

says NO!

says NO!Kendall College of Art and Design

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research

- Innovation- Superiority in managementcapabilities- Ability to attract and retain talent- Promotion of work/life balance- Responsibility to the community and environment)

One wonders if the results would have changed if the last two attributes had been left off, or more generally, what their role in business performance – as opposed to social value – is.]

Gensler’s research results indicate that 36% of the average offi ce design is

equity, and profi t, with profi t growth up to 14 percentage points greater than those with less effective work environ-ments.

Leveraging Workplace Design to Meet Economic Challenge“As cost control becomes an even greater business priority over the next several years,” said Diane Hoskins, Executive Director at Gensler, “offi ce space reductions will be a common cost-cutting strategy. Companies risk creating ineffi ciencies, however, if they simply shrink space and continue with the same workplace paradigm. Our research indicates that if organizations provide work settings that support today’s dynamic ways of working, they can reduce real estate and improve their company’s performance at the same time; they can do more with less.”

Improving business performance via workplace improvements, the survey indicates, depends on the quality of space functionality and effectiveness, not the quantity of space. The key differentiator between top-performing companies and average companies, it appears, is a workplace design that supports the appropriate proportion of four knowledge work modes:> focus (48% of time)> collaboration (32% of time)> learning (6% of time)> socializing (6% of time)[Top-performing companies for this purpose were those rated by survey respondents as being excellent in at least seven of the following eight at-tributes:- Leadership in their industry- Financial strength- Development and creation of qualityproducts or services

Gensler Workplace Surveyby Brad Powell

Supporting Work Modes Correlates with Cost Cutting & Revenue Increases

Want to increase profi tability by 14%? Sure, who wouldn’t. Well, put away the cat o’ nine tails, break out the real estate budget and cut a slice off for human resources and, according to a recent workplace survey, you might be well on your way.

Workplace design plays a pivotal role in overall business performance by supporting the new work modes of a knowledge economy . . .

this from the Gensler 2008 U.S. Workplace Survey, a nationwide study of offi ce workers commissioned by Gensler and released in October. The gist of the survey is that if you have a highly effective workplace – as measured by the opinion of the related workforce and tied to the workplace’s support of the four factors differentiat-ing the highest performing workplaces from the average (focus, collabora-tion, learning, and socializing) – your employment attraction capability will be 3 times greater, employees will have 3 times as much job satisfaction and your profi tability growth will be double digits better than that of average companies. And there is more good news: Workplace effectiveness relates to quality of space, not quantity.

The Gensler 2008 U.S. Workplace survey indicates that top-performing companies are embracing a funda-mental restructuring of work through workplace design that places as much emphasis on collaboration, learn-ing and socialization as on individual “heads-down” work. The survey results suggest that companies provid-ing workplaces that are more effective for knowledge work are seeing higher levels of employee engagement, brand

DIANE HOSKINS


educationcompany’s attraction/retention capa-bility are almost three times higher when workplace effectiveness rises above 80%. “Businesses are viewing potential and existing talent as internal customers,” said Ms. Hoskins, “and the workplace is a key part of the em-ployment package that brings them in and keeps them working at their best for a company.”

Survey MethodologyGensler commissioned Added Value, a WPP company, to conduct an online survey with a random sample of 900 participants with equal distri-bution across the continental United States. Respondents were full-time, in-offi ce workers, defi ned as workers who spend most of their time work-ing at their primary, assigned loca-tion. All staff levels were represented, from Administration, Staff, Manager, Partner/Vice-President, and C-Suite. A spectrum of industries were repre-sented, including banking, fi nance, insurance, technology, internet, tele-com, consumer products, retail, legal, accounting, consulting, energy, media, creative, entertainment, and not-for-profi t associations. The methodology aligns with Gensler’s ongoing Work-place Performance Index research, which measures workplace effective-ness for corporations.

CommentarySo, what have we really learned from this year’s Gensler Survey? Clearly, no one is issuing a guarantee that a workplace redesign will improve profi ts by 14% or any other number. Nor do the survey results imply such a result. If it did, the interior design business would move to the head of the priority list, regardless of economic times. Remember, we are dealing with corre-lations, which should not be confused with causation. While correlation may alert you to signal potential causal factors, the very nature of the experi-

Gensler survey used its proprietary Workplace Performance Index, which takes into account what people spend their time doing, where they do it in the offi ce, and how effectively work spaces support them. According to this measure, top companies have an average WPI rating of 80%, vs. 64% for average companies. Drilling down to workplace effectiveness for specifi c work modes, 86% of employees of top-performing companies ranked their spaces effective for focus work and for collaboration, versus 78%/72%, respectively, at average companies, and up to 13-14% higher than average companies for, learning (83% v.70%), and socializing (82% v. 68%).

One of the most important survey fi ndings seems to be that companies with higher performing workplaces have higher revenue and profi t growth than companies with low to moder-ate workplace effectiveness. At the high end of workplace effectiveness (91-100%), three-year average profi t growth is 28.2%. At the low end of workplace effectiveness (0-40%), three-year average profi t growth is 14.4%, 14 percentage points lower.

With research by the Gallup Organi-zation pointing to higher performance, profi tability and tenure from more engaged employees, Gensler’s survey mapped two measures of employee engagement – workplace and job satisfaction – to understand how the workplace contributes to organizational success. 82% of top company respon-dents reported that they were satisfi ed/highly satisfi ed with their workplace, vs. 43% for respondents from average companies. This correlated with much higher (triple) job satisfaction ratings for highly effective (91-100% ) work-places, compared to that of employees in the 0-40% effective range.

Higher workplace effectiveness is a strong factor in attraction and reten-tion of talented people, according to the survey’s fi ndings. Ratings of a

ineffective or ill-suited for the activi-ties of today’s knowledge workforce. Employees estimated that they could in-crease the quality and quantity of their work by an average of 25% by chang-ing workplace areas to better support all four modes of work.

The Knowledge WorkplaceAccording to Gensler’s interpretation of the Survey results, top-performing companies have certain common char-acteristics regarding the workplace; for example, they:> Consider all work modes more impor-tant than do average companies> Spend more time in those work modes> Provide workplaces that support those modes more effectively. > Consider collaboration twice as criti-cal to job success, compared to aver-age companies (43 % vs. 21%), and top companies spent 23% more time collaborating than average companies (36% vs. 29%)> Socializing – that’s right, don’t lop this off – was viewed as almost three times as critical to employees at top-perform-ing companies who spend 13% more time in that work mode (20% vs. 7% ).

. . . socializing plays a critical

role in fostering social networks, the infrastructure that moves knowledge through an organization to create in-novation.

“The value of focus work is com-monly understood,” said Ms. Hoskins, “but there’s clearly a competitive advantage for companies who see how collaborating, socializing and learning add value to employee and business performance. For example, socializing plays a critical role in fostering social networks, the infrastructure that moves knowledge through an organization to create innovation.”

To measure the ROI (Return on Investment) of workplace design, the


education

24 Gensler 2008 Workplace Survey / United States / The Workplace Performance Index

As WPI scores rise, the three-year average profi t growth of companies increases, hitting 28.2% at the highest levels, almost twice as high as the lowest WPI scores and one-third higher than the next-best set of WPI scores.

Even average companies make better profi ts when their workplace scores go up. Average companies with a WPI of 72% show profi t growth of 18% versus 16% at companies with a 12-point lower WPI.

HIGHER WPI SCORE

DELIVERS

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0

0-40% 41-50% 51-60% 61-70% 71-80% 81-90% 91-100%

(WPI Score)

(Profit increase)

14.4%

28.2%

Three-Year Annual Average Profit Growth vs. WPI Score


education

25Gensler 2008 Workplace Survey / United States / The Workplace Performance Index

BETTER FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

Financial performance is the cornerstone of measuring business success. In the knowledge economy, corporate profi tability and growth are driven more by organizational capabilities than by control over physical assets. This is refl ected in IBM’s 2008 global CEO study in which market

factors and people factors were rated equally as the top drivers aff ecting businesses. Additional factors including market leadership, innovation, brand, and employee engagement create a multi-dimensional bottom line that drives profi t and revenue strength.

72%

18%

25%

Average Companies Top-Performing Companies

(Profit increase)(Profit increase)

(WPI Score) (WPI Score)

60% 64% 82%

0

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

16%

22%

Respondents at the manager level and above were asked to report profi t and revenue growth. Research indicates a high level of confi dence in the accuracy of management responses to questions about the fi nancial performance of their company.


educationment is that the complexity of variables, cost, and practical-ity of conditions precludes the more sanitary experimental conditions needed to isolate causal relationships. Moreover, the direction of the infl uencing factors, that is, the extent to which higher performance of a company affects employee satisfaction with and/or evaluation of the workplace, and so on.

Secondly, one must be careful in interpreting correlation data, especially since the actual data is not available, nor is an explanation of the statistical methods used to interpret the data. While a 14 percentage point difference between effectiveness evaluations of collaborative space of employ-ees in top companies, versus those in average companies (86% vs. 72%), may be statistically signifi cant, a strong case can be made that the data indicates a quite high de-gree of correlation in both cases.

Next, employee estimates of improved profi tability and performance under hypothetically better workspace condi-tions is highly speculative. It would seem that the people in the C-suite would have the overview necessary to consider this question, while the people at the managerial level would be in the best position to observe work process ineffi cien-cies possibly attributable to poor or inappropriate workplace design.

Finally, there was a reasonable sample group 900 people. The diversity of geographic area, industries, and employee levels surveyed at fi ve levels over 16 industries, however, while ostensibly providing broader application of the fi nd-ings, may have had dilutive effect on one or more of the survey results. For example, what different results might appear if the same size sample group had been limited to a single industry in a single part of the company? (For sake of argument, 900 people in 16 industries equates to 56 people/industry, and with fi ve levels of employees, there are only 11-12 employees at a specifi c level in each industry.) The assumptions are that the data applies across industries and work levels. While some of the data support this.)

Nevertheless, correlation data is the best one can do in these macro-studies of the workplace, and the Gensler Surveys provide an important research initiative for the interior design industry, one that we hope we be supported and joined by contract furniture manufacturers. Regardless of how rigorous the Gensler methodology is – and from the available information that cannot be determined by us – and regardless of the somewhat expansive interpretation of the data, certain highlights resonate and strongly suggest direc-tions for workplace design and further inquiry, including:> The correlation between workplace effectiveness and profi tability is a strong attention-getter. It would be particu-larly interesting to measure improvements in the workplace effectiveness of particular companies over time and their

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educationfrom Gensler’s 2005 U.K. Workplace Survey indicated that workplace design is a signifi cant factor to workers, and that nearly 60% of the U.K. workers surveyed felt that their spaces did not refl ect or support their job function or creativity. In addition, the survey discovered the potential for a 19% increase in productiv-ity through higher-performance spaces. This percentage increase translated into roughly £137 billion pounds – about $277 billion in U.S. dollars—in overall lost profi t each year.

The 2006 U.S. Workplace survey indicated that the workplace is a signifi -cant factor to U.S. workers, with 9 in 10 reporting that workplace affects their productivity. Respondents reported a 21% potential increase in productivity if spaces were better designed, translating into $377 billion in lost opportunity each year. The 2006 U.S. survey fi ndings were combined with focus group-based per-spectives of more than 100 real estate and facilities decision-makers, lead-ing to the identifi cation of four primary workplace drivers: diversity, distance, corporate responsibility and work modes.

We recommend reading the full survey, it contains much information in addition to the material published here, and we found it very worth our time. For the full survey, go to http://www.gensler.com/#aboutus/news/pressreleases/61

the number of variables, as is appropri-ate given the relatively primitive state of research in this area. Yet, because of its signifi cant fi ndings regarding the importance of collaboration, learning and socializing, we are getting a glimpse of the potential value of studying the organization as a whole, perhaps even as a system.

In explaining the role of Socialization in the workplace, Gensler wrote:

In today’s knowledge economy, the fl ow of information between and among people is at a premium. The sense of community developed through building a social collective creates the pathways of information sharing and establishes the common values, culture and mission of an organization.Culture and information fl ow (com-

munication) are essential attributes of any system, the essence of which is that the whole is more than the sum of its parts; the system’s emergent character-istics make it something fundamentally different from any or the aggregate of its parts, in the same way that a live human being is different from a collection of that body’s dismembered parts. (Pardon the analogy if you are reading this before breakfast.)

The Gensler Workplace Survey program is an ongoing series of inves-tigations that began in 2005. Findings

correlation with profi tability.> Quality, not quantity of space should be the focus> Various work modes, including the Gensler Four, should be taken into ac-count. (One notable omission is the de-sirability of providing restorative spaces to balance the effects of concentrated focus work, although Socializing may also fulfi ll this function.)> The value of the social aspects of work is becoming clearer. In fact, in post-survey client roundtables, Gensler concluded:

Perhaps the strongest client response was around the increasing importance of socializing in the workplace. Clients cited staff retention, communication and innovation as critical outcomes of this work mode.

> Training is of central importance and requires various supporting interior environments

Roundtable participants agreed that learning at work has to move from an isolated, abstract activity to an inher-ent part of everyday work life, and that design plays a key role in enabling this improvement.We will also add another aspect of

work that is suggested to us, but was not directly addressed in the Gensler presentation of its 2008 Survey. By and large, the Gensler approach uses a reductive approach to research, limiting

“Buildings designed to pass inspection sometimes challenge occupants’ religious or spiritual beliefs,” writes author Jeffrey Rosenfeld, Ph.D., in the September issue of Implications, entitled “Senior Housing Globalized.” The author explores areas of conflict between Western codes and regulations and traditional Eastern belief systems when designing senior housing in China, Japan, and India.


events

and all manner of interior design, ar-chitecture & urban planning concerns.

Traditional interior design interests, although dwarfed by a preponderance of other topics, were well represented. One session, moderated by Penny Bonda, Environmental Communica-tions, with panelists: Anne Jackson of Perkins + Will, Rachelle Scholessler Ly of Studio 2030 and Kendall Wilson of Envision Design described some of their recent projects that illustrated cutting edge interior design approach-es.

Ms. Jackson presented the 420,000 sq.-ft. Bank of America headquarters in Charlotte, NC, describing how the use of low-cost readily available, local materials were fi nished in unique ways yielding sophisticated results. She also presented a creative approach to HVAC, a “chill beam” system, serving as an example of how the collaboration with engineers can result in elegantly simple solutions.

Ms. Scholessler Ly described a lo-cal organic restaurant in Minneapolis that was executed using, as 50% of all building materials, casework and

archbishop also told the audience, “There is enough for everyone’s need but not for anyone’s greed. Green is-sues have become part of the texture of our morality. On behalf of God and the world, I thank the American people for the green movement.” A big, auspi-cious beginning, indeed.

To say the USGBC (United States Green Building Council) and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environ-mental Design) were at the core of the event is true, but dwarfed by the enormity of the intent of the confer-ence. It was all about thinking big and understanding that the part each one of us plays, with our individual exper-tise and interest, is but a mere snippet within a vast confl ation of knowledge and skill-sets. The conference focused on keeping the big picture in mind and working in tandem to employ all of our abilities to achieve a better, sustainable future.

The massive exhibit hall was fi lled with more than 1400 displays and booths, including everything from acoustical systems to waste manage-ment. More than 100 educational ses-sions and master speaker venues were offered, including and entire “Interiors Matter” track, with many qualifying for CEU’s.

The range of topics presented ran the gamut and included: bio-mimicry, global warming and the concentra-tion of poverty, water conservation, nutrition, environmental action and social justice, healthcare initiatives, public policy and green legislation, green jobs, transportation infrastruc-ture and diversity. There were also the usual-cast-of-characters topics: LEED certifi cation and accreditation, carbon offsets and clean energy programs, showcases for LEED certifi ed projects

Greenbuild 08by Kathleen Vick

Greenbuild, with its theme, “Revolu-tionary Green: Innovations for Global Sustainability” was held in Boston No-vember 17 to 22. It was big, really big, in almost every way. Nearly 30,000 people, from every state and from 80 countries were in attendance, either in person or by remote hook-up.

Boston’s Mayor, Tom Menino, welcomed the attendees to his city and described the new amendments to Boston’s building code that require all large projects to meet LEED guidelines and to create green jobs.

Nick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chairman of the USUBC, introduced the conference by likening the 15 year old USGBC to a 15 year old human: “full of idealism, energy and on the verge of a bright future.” He acknowledged that the “bad deci-sions and greed of others have to be overcome and it is time to do better by doing good. We are changing peoples’ minds about what matters. If we each do our part well, we can shift from do-ing less harm to doing more good. We must shift from a ‘thing’ to a ‘person’ oriented society.”

Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu deliv-ered opening keynote address by ref-erencing Genesis. “And God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth grass…the waters bring forth abundantly…and fowl that may fl y about the earth… and every living creature.’ And God said, ‘Let us make man in our image and give him dominion over the fi sh of the sea and over the fowl of the air and over every creeping animal.’ And God saw every-thing he had made; and it was very good. And He rested.” With this very big thought, the Arch Bishop made his point: we are the caregivers of every-thing there is; everything that happens to the earth is all on our watch. The

ARCH BISHOP DESMOND TUTU


eventsHaworth decided to push the limits

of design and construction by explor-ing the possibility of executing this project by adding absolutely nothing into the landfi ll. They also asked the next question: Was it possible to de-sign this new space while envisioning its future demolition, one with as close to zero landfi ll waste as possible? To that end, 97.4% of everything that was removed from the site in the demoli-tion phase, 11,886 tons of materials, was reused, recycled or donated.

The most stunning aspect of the donation process was the invitational deconstruction. Haworth employees personally delivered invitations to the local churches, schools and not-for-profi t organizations, asking them to visit the existing building on a specifi c date and to remove whatever materi-als they wanted. This included doors, windows, light fi xtures, carpet tiles, ceiling tiles and all manner of related items. When questioned about con-cerns with liability issues, Mr. Bouch-er simply said, “We trusted people; everyone was there by invitation; our employees knew all the parties and we operated in an old fashioned, small town way. There were no problems at all.” (A virtual tour of the facility can be made by visiting: www.organicworkspaces.com.)

interior designers must expand their scope of action and play a more active and creative role with engineering and other disciplines to create unique solu-tions for the built environment and for modifying users’ habits.

Another presentation was by Mitch Boucher of Haworth. He described the new Global Headquarters in Michigan, the winner of BusinessWeek and Archi-tectural Record’s “Good Design is Good Business” award, designed by Perkins + Will/Eva Maddox Branded Environ-ments and built by Turner.

Having outgrown its existing space, Haworth explored its options for expan-sion and realized that the renovation/expansion of its current building appeared to make the most fi nancial sense. Initially, indications were they could achieve a 30% construction cost savings by renovating instead of build-ing new. Although the 308,000 sq ft project for 825 occupants was planned and designed with state-of-the-art green practices (a 45,000 sq.-ft. vegetated roof, 35,000 sq. ft. glass atrium, maxi-mum use of daylighting, low water and energy use, using a raised fl oor as ple-num space and employing every other trick in their design book they ultimately achieved 46 out of 69 possible points for a LEED-NC Gold Certifi cation), the real innovation was still to come.

furnishings, salvage from other proj-ects and employing only LED lighting. The owner also created a composting program for food waste and began a carbon footprint analysis that included not only the employees’ commuting data but that of the patrons.

Mr. Wilson showcased the USGBC headquarters project in Washington, D.C., that, among other strategies, employed cutting edge carbon fi ber reinforced structural materials that enabled the designers to minimize interstitial space requirements, used “buffer zone” space planning to mitigate HVAC temperature differences and used convenience outlets on oc-cupancy sensors at work stations to reduce “vampire” energy use.

Each of the panelists stressed the need for interior designers to expand their traditional purview and become involved with the project during leas-ing, employing creative team ap-proaches to programming, reducing and rethinking spatial allocations and working closely with engineers and other consultants to devise creative strategies for water and energy use. Additionally, interior designers must understand that employing traditional interior design solutions alone can achieve, at best, a gold certifi cation. If projects are to venture beyond gold,

EXHIBIT HALL


eventsprocess together. Programming and conceptualization should be a multi-disciplined team effort and should take into consideration as many aspects of a project as possible, including human behavior. The point? Old ways will not work anymore.

Feedback from a variety of interior designer attendees indicated they were beginning to develop an insight, appreciation and understanding for the enormity of the green movement; they were beginning to see their role from a new perspective; they were thinking bigger and they were becom-ing re-inspired. And they were glad they attended the event.

And that was what the week was about; thinking big, on a grand and green scale and re-considering what each one of us does, how we do it and how we could do it better. We were cautioned against green-tweaking existing means and methods. We were asked to fi gure out what’s the right thing to do and do it. After all, Al Gore once said, “If not now, when? If not us, who?” By the way, Greenbuild will be held in Phoenix next November.

down or diminished, reducing energy loads. Lighting scenes can be modi-fi ed by time of day, time of year or weather conditions (cloudy/sunny).

SHW Architects in Dallas has been installing the system in its projects for K-12 schools and Southern California Edison has installed it in its 10,000 sq.-ft. “Offi ce of the Future” project. Initial feedback from the fi rst projects indicates a minimum savings of 20% for lighting energy/cost alone because users report little difference between lighting levels at 100% vs 80%; addi-tional data is being collected as more projects come on line. When queried about the cost of installing the system we were told that (in round fi gures) simply wiring a conventional system is approximately $.75/ sq. ft.; traditional control systems are approximately $2.25 and Convia weighs in at ap-proximately $1.75.

Nearly every seminar and discus-sion stressed the importance of teamwork; and contended that it is absolutely critical for every disci-pline to come together at the outset of a project and begin the planning

Down on the exhibit hall, Herman Miller showcased its Convia control system (which received UL approval in September 2007). Herman Miller, one of the pioneers of the fl exible offi ce landscape (1960’s era), noticed an un-settling trend in the 1990’s: the prob-lem of dramatic fl exibility. Although systems furniture could be readily reconfi gured, the infrastructure of a building (lighting, data & communica-tions, energy and HVAC) that provided support to those systems could not.

Hence, Herman Miller contracted Danny Hillis of Applied Minds to develop a system of that could make specifi c adjustments to the infrastruc-ture; and Convia was born. The system works through a network of low voltage sensors that are tied into electrical de-vices, data and communications ports, HVAC dampers and light fi xtures. By the touch of a fi nger on a remote control wand, light level settings for as specifi c as an individual fi xture can be modifi ed (dimmed, shut off, etc); HVAC systems can be rebalanced and devices can be turned off. Unused or underused areas can be virtually shut

CONVIA (L-R): PDM HUB RELAY, SWITCH, SMART CONNECT


add a couple of digital-camera shots of the installed product. (Give us the information; we’ll write it up.)

It is helpful to have a quote from the designer stating why the particular product(s) were chosen. It is not necessary to name the client, if that is a problem; a description is suffi cient, e.g., a large fi nancial institution located in the Northwest. Names of the related design fi rm and the lead designer, and similar data for the related dealership should also be included.

project focus

<The Project>RTKL wanted to preserve the open feel of itslayout, while designing a workstation with somevisual privacy. The firm’s space is dotted withsupport columns, so each workstation clusterwas design in relation to the size and position ofthe columns nearby. Most workstations were tobe installed next to a column, with the powerand data feed coming from the ceiling.

<The Product>A&D firms have to handle both full- and half-size sets of plans, so the designed worktops arenecessarily large and deep. In order to keep thecomputer monitor and keyboard out of the way,RTKL designed a freestanding movable returnthat would accommodate the density of theoffice and leave plenty of aisle space.

Privacy is provided with partially tackable panelsand a shared overhead storage space. The reddivider panel inside the overhead reflectsRTKL’s corporate color, and adds a bold visualelement to the design. A flat file storage islandat the end of each workstation cluster provides alayout area; an additional island with integratedstorage accommodates a large laser printer.

project focus dTankA&D Firm: RTKL, Los AngelesClient: RTKL, Los Angeles

dTank was a natural choice for RTKL when constructing its new Los Angeles office. Yvonne Colacionof RTKL was already familiar with dTank from her work with Gensler.

dTank has a wealth of experience designing for A&D firms, with its intimate knowledge of what thesefirms need to facilitate their workflow and productivity. This combination of expertise and familiaritywith design firms translates into unique, but functional, workstations at RTKL.

*offi ceinsight’s project focus column is open to everyone, at no charge. Please participate, but keep it simple.

Project Focus is a special treatment of information relating to part of a project and is intended to focus on the use of particular prod-ucts in the context of solving a design problem. The format, which can be varied, is to state a design problem in the context of a par-ticular project, state the solution, state the manufacturer’s product chosen to provide the solution and why this product was chosen,


companies

room and warehouse for more serious customers.

Actually, Offi x Systems’s European roots are a bit obscured at this point. The company has been doing busi-ness in the Lehigh Valley since 2002, when Ms. DeFrancisco, together with husband, brother and father, spun a division off of a troubled existing com-pany that was moving to New York. In the interim, the company has done work for some of the biggest corporate employers in the region as well as some of the most recognized names in healthcare, bio/pharma and education in the Lehigh Valley. Through its affi li-ate, Offi x Systems Iberica, opened last year, the company became the exclu-sive Teknion dealership in the Iberian Peninsula and installed the Bank of New York Mellon offi ces in Madrid.

jcvidal@offi xsystems.com; the website is www.offi xsystems.com, but there is not much there other than a couple of addresses.

Company Profi le: Offi x Systems

Teknion image. Whether the residential gloss of the showroom constitutes the best of dealership showrooms would seem to be a matter of context, market and related strategy, and perhaps even opinion, as we are sure Mr. Magnusson would agree. We can only hope that Mr. Vidal and his colleague show some re-straint in bringing European practices to our shores less receive some sharp lessons on how the design community in America thinks that dealerships should operate. (Not that our opinions are necessarily completely aligned with those of the design community.)

Offi x’s new showroom was previously a high-end men’s clothing store, Nau-tica, located in an upscale mall; it ap-pears that Offi x got off to a jump start with the fi xtures left behind. To this, the latest Teknion products fi t quite naturally and attractively, presenting also a clear picture of the company’s direction. The snazzy public face is accompanied by a larger remote show-

Teknion, From the Iberian Peninsula To Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley

Here’s a switch: a dealership extend-ing its presence from Europe to the United States. That’s the strategy of Offi x Systems, a trans-Atlantic contract furniture dealership. Juan Vidal, managing director and husband of CEO Adriana M. DeFrancisco, has brought some very nice European light to the North American shores by creating a showroom in the Prom-enade Shops at Saucon Valley, near Allentown, PA, its second in the Lehigh Valley. None other than Carl Gustav Magnusson, former SVP and Direc-tor of Design for Knoll, now working closely with Teknion, has called Offi x’s new showroom the best looking dealer showroom that I have seen in NA.

From the few photographs we have seen, the small showroom, 2,500 sq. ft., is, indeed attractive, and well carries forward the elegance of the

OFFIX SYSTEMS SOUCON VALLEY INTERIOR OFFIX SYSTEMS SOUCON VALLEY


a minute with ira joe

really earns the adjective “wistful.” For me, though, my movie declares that December is when I break out the hot water bottle…that pink rubber miracle.

Oh, I do so love those other Decem-ber delights. The Christmas music – to which I begin listening around Hallowe’en – really jingles into my heart and mood by the twelfth month. Mit-tens, hot cider, socks hanging on the mantle (rather than my exercise bike)? Nice. And December is always night in my thoughts. Always glowing with col-ored lights, the snow is eternally falling. My childhood Decembers were lived in a sweet little valley just a thirty-mile snowball toss from Lake Erie. And a lake effect storm was a frequent adven-ture in late autumn and early winter. Before Erie and Ontario had fully frozen and chilled. Those lakes (and Huron, Michigan and Superior off to the west) were still moist and mischievous enough to feed their damp into air, making a wind-whipped bust-out from Canada. Oh, those snows were something. And I am forever fi lling the squeaky hot water bottle with …well, hot water. Steaming hot water. Can you see it roiling on the screen suggesting turbulence and the passing of time? I can. Icon.

The hot water bottle. Glorious. Giving. Unsung. A fl oppy carrier of comfort the color of a nice porterhouse steak. Or the sunset over Gary, Indiana. The hot water bottle. Sitting, no! emanating, radiating, transmitting its holiday heat between fl annel sheets at the bottom of the bed. Keeping the star-sparkled cold beyond the bedroom wall by seeping its warming wonder into my sock-soft feet. As day and my movie slowly darken in a diminishing circle that – in rubbery pink letters – fi nally declares, “The End.” Excuse me. The teakettle is whistling. Time to fi ll the bottle.

J. S. Bach. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Alvin and the Chipmunks. None of the great Christmas composers ever cele-brated this gift: the hot water bottle. But, they could lay down the soundtrack. December’s the month of holiday and it would be large in the movie of me. The December of gathering. Of remember-ing. The time of year for sledding back in memory. Zooming down the snowy hills, through the egg-nogged air and coming to rest beneath a tree in – of all places – the living room.

Think of the cinematic metaphor: the one gift that always arrived way ahead of Christmas and stayed well beyond the breaking of the plastic gas station and the all-colored-out coloring book …the hot water bottle. This is the month of holly and mistletoe and lights. Cinematic magic, carols, gifts, roasting chestnuts (actually, I never roasted a chestnut because I’m nervous…in this age of smoke alarms). December waits to be the movie of me …Santa and sleigh bells and ho ho snow. Wrapping, shopping, stopping (close-up here) …at a store window, to the sound of a once-sung song, to smile a smile that

A Minute with Ira Joe: Warm Feetby Ira Joe Fisher

Pardon my presumption. But, if a fi lmmaker were ever to tell my story in a movie, it might unfold this way: a swirling, frothing December snowstorm for the opening shot as the credits fl utter into focus. The woodsy hills of Western New York. The snow would fi ll the screen as it piles and plugs road and drive. Cut to a dew-eyed deer seen through the falling fl akes, shivering in the chill; but, glad the hunters are housed and out of the storm, out of the hunt.

The quieted farms and their blue shadows of pines and barns and fence posts lengthen in the dim, departing day. Children thick with snowsuits, scarves and stocking hats slog their way to the yellow-eyed windows of home. Inside, the fi lm of my life would fi nd cinnamon buns and ginger cookies from my mother’s oven sitting warm on the counter. The movie moves from panora-ma to close-up; from slow, wide sweep to small focus. And on to the screen in a rack-focus …slowly …dramatically (as the opening score climbs to crescendo) appears this small, unobtrusive icon: a hot water bottle.


MATERIAL OF THE WEEK

MC# 6315-01Thermoformable thermoplastic polyolefi n (TPO) that offers a high gloss surface. This series of durable polyolefi n materials with molded-in color has been designed to exhibit excellent resistance to scratch and mar, reducing damage both during processing and in the fi eld. This material provides the fl exural modulus, tensile strength and impact resistance needed in au-tomotive applications and features no fl ow or weld lines in spite of vent holes. It is mainly used in automotive applications but is suitable for many uses where a complex molded part is needed that is normally painted, be that home appliances, electronics or other consumer products.

This column is published in collaboration with Material Con-neXion. For more information regarding the material pre-viewed, please contact Michael LaGreca at [email protected]. T: 212.842.2050.

PRODUCT INTRO> Gunlocke introduced Space Planner. Space Plan-ner is a sales tool for dealers, interior design and architec-tural professionals to design and specify Gunlocke’s casegoods, seating and table offerings for their clients. Space Planner provides users with the ability to shorten the sales cycles and ultimately increase profi ts and stream-lines the process of creating detailed quotes, specifi ca-tion sheets and professional presentations – all while using specifi c settings and plat-forms. Located at http://www.gunlocke.com/spaceplanner, the free Space Planner soft-ware asks users to answer four lead-in questions that help formulate a custom-ized solution. Once these four lead-in questions are answered, within a matter of seconds, Space Planner


- No more than 10 high-resolution renderings and/or professional digital photo-graphs (JPEG and TIFF fi les are preferred and must be 300 dpi in resolution.)- Digital fl oorplans, if available www.contractmagazine.com

> Daroff Design + DDI Architects received a higher ranking from Interior Design. The October issue moved Daroff Design from eighth to seventh place on the annual list of Hospitality Giants. The fi rm was cited for the Comcast Center, which opened in 2008 and is the city’s tallest build-ing and the nation’s tallest green building. The Phila-delphia International Airport, Loew’s Royal Pacifi c Resort at Universal Studios and Land Pavilion at Epcot in Orlando, FL, were also cited. http://www.daroffdesign.com

> EMCOR Group an-nounced that two subsid-iaries received the 2008 Construction Industry Safety Excellence (CISE) Constructor Safety Awards. University Mechanical & Engineering Contractors (UMEC), a mechanical contracting company based in Tempe, AZ, and Perfor-mance Mechanical, Inc. (PMI), a full-service indus-trial mechanical contractor based in Pittsburg, CA, were recognized by the Con-struction Users Roundtable (CURT) for safety records eight times the industry average and for their in-novative approach to safety. UMEC and PMI received

of the Builder’s Ball. The coronation for Mr. Perry, Director of Interiors at Wis-newski Blair & Associates and Ms. Magistro, Principal at GTM Architects was held on November 8 at the National Building Museum. The Builders’ Ball occurs every two years and brings together the talents of the construction, design and real estate industries in the Washington, DC, metropoli-tan area. In addition to din-ner, dancing and networking opportunities, the event raises money for local chari-ties through sponsorships and donations. Mr. Perry, Ms. Magistro and the seven other members of the royal court campaigned for their title by requesting donations where one dollar equated to one vote. Together, all of the candidates raised $32,000.

> Contract magazine is ac-cepting submissions for its inaugural Future of Design challenge. All entries must be received by January 15, 2009, at Contract Maga-zine. Winning entrants will be announced in an online showcase on February 17, 2009. Any conceptual interior design project focusing on classrooms for the K-12 markets will be accepted. No offi cial entry form is needed, but each submission must include:- A brief project description, addressing how the design concept enhances the learn-ing process. - The submitting fi rm name, a contact person with contact information

NOTEWORTHY> Wayne Gonzalez, of Gonzalez Offi ce Products, Austin, TX, was the winner of a contest sponsored by The HON Company. Mr. Gonzalez won a 2008 Jeep Wrangler in a random drawing at Elevate 2008, the TriMega National Conven-tion and Tradeshow held in Las Vegas, NV, in October.

> Carlo Guglielmi was named the new president of Cosmit. Cosmit is a Federlegno-Arredo company responsible for organizing the Salone Internazionale del Mobile. Mr. Guglielmi will take over from Rosario Messina, who has been president of Cosmit since 1999 and President of Federlegno-Arredo since July, 2008. Although Mr. Guglielmi takes over a healthy company, he also faces tricky fi nancial times with the credit crunch that has hit world markets. Mr. Guglielmi is President of In-dicam, founded to fi ght the counterfeiting in Italy, and Vice President of Altagam-ma, an association of Italian manufacturers who promote Italian style and culture.

> Terry L. Perry and Barbara S. Magistro were elected King and Queen

creates a professional-looking custom Power Point presen-tation that can be branded with the user’s company logo. [Note: They better look out for Florida, where regulators are hunting for scalps of those (other than architects and interior designers) who are doing space planning, appar-ently however minimally.]

> Workrite Ergonomics, Petaluma, CA, introduced Poise. Poise is a monitor arm in a parallel linkage design with an adjustable pneumat-ic counter balance that fl oats the monitor about the work surface. Poise adds a range of adjustments for better viewing and individual pref-erences. Features include: - a 360° rotation at the mounting based- 180° rotation at the monitor connection for positioning and collaboration - 12” vertical height range to meet individual users height requirements - Monitor rotates from portrait to landscape with rotary stops to prevent cable damage - Monitor tilt of 180° to sup-port touch screen application and special needs for users with disabilities and reclined usage.www.workriteergo.com

WORKRITE ERGONOMICS: POISE

WAYNE GONZALEZ AND HON


> Publick Occurrences, the fi rst newspaper in America, appeared in Boston in 1690. Published without authority, it was immediately suppressed, its publisher arrested, and all copies were destroyed. Indeed, it remained forgotten until 1845 when the only known surviving example was discovered in the British Library. The fi rst successful newspaper was the Bos-ton News-Letter, begun by postmaster John Campbell in 1704. By the eve of the Revolutionary War, some two dozen papers were issued at all the colonies, although Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania would remain the centers of American printing for many years. Articles in colonial pa-pers, brilliantly conceived by revolutionary propagandists, were a major force that infl uenced public opinion in America from reconciliation with England to full political independence.

> Rockwell Group an-nounced the opening of the fi rm’s second satellite offi ce, Rockwell Group Middle East. It is located in the Jumeirah Lakes Towers district of Dubai, U.A.E., a waterfront community sur-rounded by new offi ce, hotel and retail towers, as well as atmospheric bodies of water and green space. Charles Wood will be the Managing Director, while continuing to serve as Rockwell Group’s Director of Operations, a position he has held since 2004. The offi ce will focus

shore Advantage and Right Place, are part of an alliance with Design West Michigan, a developing organization of the design profession-als representing design disciplines in West Michi-gan. The role of DWM is to generate opportunities to interact, develop a stronger economic building block, and build the branding of West Michigan as Design Centric. DWM is being built by John R. Berry, founder of the Society of environmental Graphic Designers. www.kcad.edu

> Knoll Muskegon was awarded a 2008 Best Prac-tice Award by the United Way of the Lakeshore. United Way of the Lake-shore, Muskegon, MI, is an organization that unites the public by assessing com-munity needs, raising funds, allocating resources and en-couraging voluntarism. Knoll Muskegon was recognized for its generous contribu-tion and support, which, in 2008, with 60% par-ticipation, amounted to over $122,000 for the Lakeshore chapter. United Way also commended Knoll for its 42 Leadership level givers this year, giving $500 per year, and 86 Everyday Heroes, giving $365 per year.

introduction at the NeoCon World Trade Fair in June, Scala has won two indus-try awards, with a Best of NeoCon Silver Award and a Silver Innovation award at II-DEX/NeoCon Canada. www.inscapesolutions.com

> Interior Design magazine will induct six new members of the design community into the Interior Design Hall of Fame. This year’s honorees include: - Steven Harris and Lucien Rees Roberts, co-partners of Steven Harris Architects and Rees Roberts + Partners, a New York fi rm that works extensively in residential and hospitality markets.- Gwynne Pugh and Lawrence Scarpa, founder of Pugh + Scarpa, known for designing offi ces for studio production companies in the Los Angeles area.- Takashi Sugimoto, founder and principal of Super Potato, Tokyo, and known as Japan’s fi rst commercial interior design fi rm.- Edwin Hauer, Hall of Fame Special Award winner, archi-tectural sculptor and founder of Erwin Hauer Studios and a teacher at Yale University for 33 years. 2008 Hall of Fame in-ductees will be honored at a black tie affair hosted by Interior Design at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on December 3.

> Kendall College of Art and Design joined two economic development organizations. Kendall Col-lege, together with Lake-

two of the six CISE awards that were given to construc-tion fi rms based in the U.S. and Canada. http://www.EMCORGroup.com

> GLOBAL and Washington Workplace, Washington, DC, hosted 21 indepen-dent designers, healthcare end-users and sales staff at GLOBAL headquarters in Toronto. Highlights of the November 19&20 gathering included a tour of GLOBAL’s Group Center, lunch with founder and CEO, Saul Feldberg, a presentation by Michael Fishman, Director of Design and Marketing, a discussion with Joel Feld-berg, president and COO, dinner atop the CN Tower, and facing the rigors of an early winter storm.

> Inscape’s Scala panel-based system is now available for order. Scala offers strong visual appeal, easy scalability and broad planning fl exibility while raising the bar for systems products in the mid-priced category. Utilizing tiles that measure up to 96” wide within a light scale 2.5” thin panel, the system incorpo-rates mid-panel support to allow continuous expanses of worksurface without the need for legs. Since its

INSCAPE: SCALA KNOLL UNITED WAY


> Al D’Elia joined Butler Rogers Baskett as Partner. He will focus on promot-ing the interiors practice through business develop-ment. Prior to joining BRB, Mr. D’Elia was Project Archi-tect, VP Design & Stan-dards, for JP Morgan Chase. Mr. D’Elia began his career at Gensler and has been principal at Mancini Duffy (where he was president), IA Interior Architects and Hillier. http://www.brb.com

> Scott Nelson became a healthcare principal for HDR Architecture, Inc., Chicago, IL. He will be responsible for operational, strategic and business development planning in the Midwest. Mr. Nelson joins HDR with more than 22 years experience in the healthcare design fi eld, most recently as the director of healthcare for OWP/P’s Greater Western Mountain Region. http://www.hdrarchi-tecture.com

provide fi nancial support for education and healthcare programs for disadvan-taged children. In addition to helping fund education programs in the U.S., The Wilson Foundation also supports nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in rural South Africa that focus on education, healthcare and other services for at-risk children. www.thewilson-foundation.org

> Woodland Furniture showroom will open at the Merchandise Mart Design Center in Chicago. The showroom will be located on the 18th fl oor, suite 1866, and will encompass more than 4000 sq. ft. Woodland Furniture was founded in 1996 by Lynn and Patricia Harker in Idaho Falls, ID, and since its inception, has been recognized nationally, including the Shingo Prize. Woodland Furniture recently acquired the lighting, furni-ture and accessories from Bruce Eicher, Inc. and will offer this collection, now known as the Eicher Collec-tion, in the showroom.

RE-SITED> Richard Daly joined the Phoenix offi ce of Gensler. With 26 years of experience, he will help to lead Gensler’s workplace practice. Mr. Daly previously was in the Washing-ton, DC, offi ce of Gensler and most recently was the founder and owner of a design-build fi rm focused on renovation. http://www.gensler.com

between the Rensselaer cam-pus and the CASE offi ces, working alongside building professionals and post-doctoral researchers as they develop projects and thesis topics tied to specifi c building challenges. http://www.case.rpi.edu/whatwedo.html

> Vista System Interna-tional supplied a digital menu board for installation at Johnny Rockets restau-rant. The restaurant, located at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut, required a sleek sign to fi t with the franchise’s retro 1960’s style. A fl exible design also was required to fi t with different LCD screen sizes and be mounted at differ-ent locations. http://www.vistasystem.com

> Wilson Associates held its annual Point of Excel-lence Awards Luncheon in Dallas, TX. The award recognizes vendors and service providers in the design industry who provide exemplary service and perform above and beyond expectations. This year’s awards were presented to Andrea Pickens of Donghia, Inc. and Art Dallas Inc. All proceeds from the luncheon benefi t The Wilson Founda-tion whose mission is to

on business development in Asia, India and Africa. http://www.rockwellgroup.com

> Service West will of-fer full-service furniture installation in Las Vegas, NV, starting Dec. 1. The new Service West Branch results from the re-branding of Nevada Installation Services. The company will offer contract furniture installation, warehousing, and commercial moving for the greater Las Vegas area. The Service West-Las Vegas staff will operate under the direction of Guy Casciola. Prior to joining Service West, he was an account man-ager for over fi ve years with Blue Ribbon Relocation in North Las Vegas. http://www.servicewest.com

> Skidmore, Owings & Mer-rill and Rensselaer Poly-technic Institute launched the Center for Architec-ture Science and Ecology (CASE). Headquartered at SOM’s offi ces on Wall Street in lower Manhattan, CASE is a collaboration that engages scientists, engineers, and architects from the profes-sional and academic worlds toward redefi ning how we build sustainable cities and environments. The idea is to tap and cultivate the talents of a new generation of archi-tects, thinkers, and planners to turn out sustainable and energy-effi cient solutions to environmental challenges in the global building sector. Approximately 15 mas-ter’s and doctoral degree candidates share residency TRISHA WILSON & JOHN SPANGLER SCOTT NELSON


EVENTS> Atlas Ergonomics will give three presentations at the Na-tional Ergonomics Conference and Exposition. The schedule for the conference, which runs December 2-5, at Caesar’s Pal-ace, Las Vegas, NV, includes:December 2 - Drew Bossen, Atlas founder and David Brodie, Atlas services director will give an introductory-to-intermediate ½-day workshop titled “Industrial Ergonomics: A Comprehensive System for Minimizing Cost and Optimizing Performance.”December 3 - Drew Bossen and Jennifer Ryan, ES&H Engineer/Ergonomics Coordinator for Rockwell Collins will co-present a session titled “Rockwell Col-lins’ Approach to Continuous Improvement.”December 4 - David Brodie will present an in-depth discus-sion of “Proven Ergonomics Risk Assessment Techniques.” http://www.atlasergo.com

> MAKE IT WORK, a new exhibition on engineering methods and concepts, will open in January. The Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuar-dia Place, NYC, will host the exhibition that features cutting-edge building projects and new research from January 23-April 25. Four areas of innovation will be highlighted through the subjects presented - materi-als, information technology, structural systems, and form. These topics will be expressed through a variety of mediums aimed at encouraging public participation. An exhibition Opening Party will be held January 22 from 6-8:00 pm.

PROJECTS> EMCOR Group subsid-iary, MSI, received a me-chanical service contract for Winter Park Memorial Hospital, Winter Park, FL. Mechanical Services of Central Florida, Inc. will be responsible for mechanical system upgrades and the installation of new heating boiler units, in support of the anticipated addition of the Dr. Phillips Baby Place Birthing Center. http://www.EMCOR.com

> The Shanghai Tower, designed by Gensler, was offi cially launched. The Shanghai Tower Construc-tion & Development Co., Ltd. is the project’s devel-oper. Thornton Tomasetti, Cosentini Associates and the Architectural Design and Research Institute of Tongji University will support Gensler. The development is slated for completion in 2014. Shanghai Tower will house offi ce space, retail, a luxury hotel and cultural venues. The uppermost fl oors will feature the world’s highest non-enclosed observation deck. Shanghai Tower is organized as nine cylindrical buildings stacked one atop another. The inner layer of the double-skin façade encloses the stacked buildings, while a triangular exterior layer creates the second skin, or building envelope, which rotates as it rises. The spaces between the two façade layers create nine atrium sky gardens. http://www.gensler.com

ENVIRONMENT> Kyu Sung Woo, architect, designed a graduate hous-ing complex for Harvard University. The project includes student suites, a fi tness room, study lounge spaces and a multipur-pose room. In keeping with Harvard’s university-wide commitment to sustain-able building and campus operations, the project was designed to achieve a high level LEED certifi cation. Among the green features will be renewable bamboo fl ooring and wall paneling and low VOC fi nishes.

> HDR, Omaha, NE, released its Corporate Sustainability Report. The report covers the fi rm’s accomplishments, goals and initiatives in the years leading up to and including 2008. Available at the com-pany’s web site, http://www.hdrgreen.com, the report includes:- Conserving Natural Re-sources- Connecting with Our People and Communities- Our Economic StabilityEarlier this year, HDR released a Sustainability Vi-sion Document, which was developed by the sustain-able leadership team, to describe its commitment to sustainability and the factors infl uencing the company’s strategic direction.

> Kurt Topp was named Vice President of Com-mercial Carpet Business at Mannington Commercial. Mr. Topp comes to Man-nington Commercial from The Mohawk Group, where he most recently was the Senior Vice President of Sales. http://www.manning-toncommercial.com

> RSP Architects formed a new planning group. Eight experts from the Arizona-based Geospatial, Institu-tional Planning Group will specialize in institutional planning and geospatial information programming. The members of the new team include: Geospatial Technology Manager and Associate, James Fee, GISP; Planner and Associate, Bob Rebeka; Planner, Will Hawking; Project Coordina-tor, Administrative Assistant Suzanne Kirk; Planner and Associate, Jolie Lucas, and GIS Mapping Technician, Derek Weatherly, RSP, for operations in Phoenix, San Diego and Minneapolis, is headed by Senior Associate, Chuck Aldini, an authority in natural resources planning and management, land use compatibility and fl eet service optimization. The San Diego operation will be lead by Senior Associate, Cheryl Coffman. http://www.rsparch.com

12.01.08 GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS PAGE 20 OF 2200.00.00

JOB SITETo place ads:ad@offi ceinsight.com Billing information:brad@offi ceinsight.comOr, call or fax:T 203 966 5008F 203 972 6512

Area Representative South/Midwest Territory

dTank Seeks Area Representa-tive This is a great time to join the dTank organization as it deepens and broadens its brand. dTank is a leading virtual manufacturer in North America that signifi cantly expands tra-ditional custom- and millwork offi ce furnishings by taking A&D-designed products, in a broad range of materials, from conception to installation.

dTank is looking for a staff Area Representative to continue the development of its South/Mid-west territory: Texas, Colorado, and other south Midwestern states. Currently, dTank’s dealer network in the area market-ing and selling the company’s services and products includes dealerships in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Austin and Albu-querque.

Responsibilities for this Area Representative include develop-ing business and projects for dTank and expanding and maintaining the network of exclusive or semi exclusive dealers for dTank in each of the Area’s markets. Specifi cally, the Area Representative will help

the dTank dealers achieve suc-cess and profi tability from their dTank-related efforts through marketing support, training, joint A&D project calls and related activities.

This is a hands-on position that requires business development and an ability to close transac-tions and to build a strong dealer network in the Area. This individual selected will be self-starting and energetic and enthusiastic about the develop-ment of custom products for the A& D community. They will also enjoy traveling, have a manu-facture/dealer background and be able to bring knowledge to the Area dealerships and their sales people and clients.

Compensation includes a base salary, commission on all the bookings from his territory, T&E expenses and health insurance. This is a wonderful opportunity for a young person that wants to grow and take on a challenge with career and signifi cant-earnings potential.

For additional insight, please visit www.dTank.com

Interested persons should send their resume to [email protected]

© 2008 offi cesite, inc.24 East Avenue (#1299)New Canaan, CT 06840

Bradford J. Powellbrad@offi ceinsight.comT 203 966 5008F 203 972 6512

Jean Linjean@offi ceinsight.comT 203 912 7423

www.offi ceinsight.com


business

11.28.08 9.26.08 6.27.08 3.28.08 12.28.07 9.28.07 6.29.07 %frYrHi%fr50-DayMA

ChromC 0.6 1.7 3.3 4.7 4.9 4.7 7.5 -90.1% -6.9%

CompX 7.3 5.8 5.2 9.3 14.8 19.6 18.5 -60.7% 30.0%

HMiller 14.7 25.1 25.2 24.5 28.8 27.1 31.6 -56.6% -16.5%

HNI 13.4 25.6 18.4 27.7 35.7 36 41 -66.0% -15.3%

Inscape 2.2 3 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.7 3.5 -52.2% -9.9%

Interface 5.5 11.9 12.9 14.3 17.5 18.1 18.9 -69.7% -12.3%

Kimball 6.7 11.2 8.6 10.8 14 11.4 14 -56.4% 5.4%

Knoll 10.8 15.2 12.4 11.6 16.6 17.7 22.4 -42.3% -7.6%

Leggett 14.6 22.3 17.2 14.9 18.7 19.2 22.1 -40.7% -8.0%

Mohawk 30.7 69.9 64.8 71.5 75.5 81.3 100.8 -63.3% -23.3%

OffDepot 2.0 5.8 11 11.1 14.4 20.6 30.3 -89.0% -18.5%

Staples 17.4 23.1 24 11.4 22.6 21.5 23.7 -34.7% 2.6%

Steelcase 6.5 10.4 9.9 3.1 15.3 18 18.5 -65.1% -17.5%20-20 Tech 2.5 3.4 5 6.1 6.4 6.6 7.1 N/A% N/A%

UntdStat 31.8 49.4 36.6 47.7 47.4 55.5 66.6 -47.2% -2.7%

USG 9.5 28.7 30.1 35.2 36.6 37.6 49 -91.8% -33.8%

Virco 2.2 3.6 4.7 5.4 5.9 7.8 - -74.7% -22.3%

SUM 178.1 315.9 292.9 335.5 378.6 406.4 475.5 - -

DJIndust 8,829 11,143 11,346 12,216 13,339 13,895 13,408 - -

be withdrawn at any time prior to 5:00 p.m. Eastern on Dec. 9, 2008. http://www.interfaceinc.com/Investor-Relations/Press-Releases.aspx

> Steelcase is scheduled to host Alabama Governor Bob Ri-ley at its Athens, AL, plant on Dec. 1 for a ribbon-cutting to offi cially open Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The new ac-cess road was funded through a $1 million industrial access grant awarded in connection with the company’s expansion, reports the Huntsville Times: http://www.al.com/business/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/business/122778094022030.xml&coll=1

> USG Corp. on Nov. 26 fi led form 8-K, Entry into a Material Defi nitive Agreement, regarding the previously announced private placement of $400 million aggregate principal amount of its 10% Contingent Convertible Senior Notes due 2018 to Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited. http://biz.yahoo.com/e/081126/usg8-k.html

BUSINESS AFFAIRS> Herman Miller scheduled its Second Quarter FY 08-09 earnings release after market close on Dec. 17, with the conference call webcast set for Dec. 18 at 9:30 a.m. Eastern. http://www.hermanmiller.com/CDA/SSA/IP/0,1776,a7-c2052,00.html

> Interface began a private exchange offer relating to the $152,588,000 aggregate principal amount of outstand-ing 10.375% Senior Notes due 2010. The company will exchange, $306 in cash (including a $20 consent payment) and $700 in principal amount of new replacement 13.5% Se-nior Notes due 2012 for each $1,000 principal amount of the 2010 notes. The exchange offer will be subject to customary conditions, as well as the receipt of more than $76,294,000 in aggregate principal amount of the 2010 notes. The ex-change offer will terminate at Midnight Eastern time on Dec. 23, 2008 (unless extended). Tenders of the 2010 notes may

Industry Stock Prices


technologyif you can’t read and digest this in 5 seconds while read-ing on your monitor, don’t even bother. More fodder for the dumbing-down of America – while competing nations are upgrading their educational systems.]

> The Royal Institute of British Architects selected Remo Pedreschi of Edinburgh University and Alan Chandler of the University of East London to receive its 2008 President’s Award for Research in the university-located research category for their advances in fabric formwork technology. In collabora-tion with the Centre for Architectural and Structural Technol-ogy at the University of Manitoba, they are looking to push the boundaries of what can be achieved with concrete. Using fabric forms, a wide variety of shapes and textures are possible. Applications range from structural beams, columns, and foun-dation footings to decorative wall panels. http://www.fabricform-ing.org/news_fabric_formed_curtainwall.html

TECHNOLOGY> The Information Overload Research Group encourages the adoption of a simple tip that could save countless hours of lost productivity for knowledge workers world-wide. The diverse collaboration of professionals crusading against the pervasive problem of too many emails and other distractions of the information age suggests that, “When possible, send a message that is only a subject line, so recipients don’t have to open the email to read a single line. End the subject line with < EOM>, the acronym for End of Message. For more suggestions to reduce information overload, visit the group’s website: www.iorgforum.org [Boy! I hope nobody had to pay for that advice. What’s the mes-sage here: Instead of increasing communication effective-ness through writing skills, decrease the need? This goes in the trash with all of the urgings not to print email, as in,

Soduko: Fill in the empty cells so that every row, column and cube contains a digit from 1-9, without duplication. (Level: Medium)

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Documents

12.01.08 GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE …media.officeinsight.com/CurrentIssuezxc/OI120108.hm.pdf · Greenbuild 08 Greenbuild 2008, with its theme, “Revolutionary Green: