Responsive Solutions Through Flexibility & Function

Rob WittlSenior Manager and Product Expert Movable Walls, KI

WALLSMOVABLE

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Movable Walls: Responsive Solutions Through Flexibility & Function 2

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INTRODUCTION

In every facility, change is constant. It’s fueled on many fronts, chief among them economic cycles that create both growth and shrinkage, changes resulting from rapid technology adoption, trends in productivity and efficiency, and the persistent need to continually evolve and succeed. In response, today’s environments must perform with far greater flexibility. Space must be planned with the future in mind to maximize versatility while still sustaining value and reflecting appealing design aesthetics. Such demands have led the charge for modular interior construction including “movable” walls. Movable walls offer the promise of a more efficient footprint. Wall systems let organizations contract, expand, or simply change with ease. In fact, as office sizes have progressively declined in square footage over recent years1, movable walls have provided a sound solution for efficiently supporting those shrinking environments. Its application as an alternative to traditional drywall construction is quite versatile, spanning office fronts, storefronts, spine walls, and interior partitions of all forms.

Facilities both new and old are incorporating resourceful movable wall solutions. Builders designing new modular interior construction can avoid building larger floor spaces for “just-in-case” scenarios by using movable walls, thereby making entire interiors more adaptable. In the process, they gain added marketing advantages by offering more sustainable, flexible real estate solutions. In the past decade, movable walls have greatly evolved. Once rudimentary partitions that were mostly utilitarian, extremely parts-intensive, and scarcely movable, modern wall solutions are much more sophisticated, non-progressive systems that are beautifully customized, completely wired, wholly recyclable, and entirely unitized. Some of the most innovative solutions today reflect the future of movable walls. That includes the first pre-engineered, seamless, unitized glass wall solution with the look of a sophisticated storefront and the flexibility to adapt to changes quickly, efficiently, and environmentally.

Despite all the advancements, however, variations and disparities in the marketplace are wide-ranging. Therefore, before the movable wall can truly replace traditional drywall or stick-builds, it must consistently deliver on numerous performance promises. It must be acoustically outstanding, environmentally friendly, aesthetically beautiful, altogether durable, and supported with a healthy ROI. First and foremost, however, it must deliver on its promise to be easily reconfigured and fully functional.

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THE FLEXIBILITY TO SUCCEED

Much of an organization’s success is dependent on the quality of its employees and their levels of productivity. Benchmarks and performance standards help measure productivity, which in turn, puts value in facility management’s ability to provide an environment conducive to improved employee performance. Therefore, successful facilities are essential to sustaining successful organizations.

As a result, many facilities management teams have adopted their own standards of productivity and accountability, aligning them with their organizations’ visions, missions, and corporate strategies. Metrics such as completing projects on time and on budget, minimizing workplace disruptions, and maintaining workflow are common. Other goals often include keeping furniture inventory levels at minimums and maintaining orderly and accurate office space plans.

Addressing Office NeedsMovable walls and the flexibility they provide can play an important role in enhancing the many ways facilities management measures its own performance and supports its organization’s success. Wall systems that come as a simple kit of parts, for instance, reduce inventory requirements and make management easier. When walls can be moved as often as needed and with fewer parts, budgets are better preserved. Walls that can be moved easily and quickly support better on-time project performance. Simple, fast moves also mean fewer disruptions and distractions, which translates into improved employee productivity.

Clearly, movable walls provide substantial benefits to facilities management. Yet they also present significant flexibility advantages to any organization, architect or designer striving to manage corporate real estate under today’s mantra of “do more with less.”

Addressing Employee NeedsThe shrinking workplace is but one reflection of current real estate realities. In 1994, the average American office worker had 90 square feet of workspace. By 2010 that number was down to just 75 square feet of space.2

Further subverting the large office footprints of yesterday is employees’ desire to work remotely and unfettered. Technology, telecommuting, and a younger workforce demographic are key factors behind the traditional workplace transformation. Together these trends have resulted in office environments that demand more flexibility and support more collaboration. New spaces must often accommodate employee populations that alternate between “roosting” throughout various office spaces and working remotely and also between interacting in teams and working independently.

Alternative Workplace Strategies In response, many companies have adopted alternative workplace strategies (AWS). Historically, such strategies were initially designed to address costly real estate concerns. However, given the many ways today’s workers have evolved, AWS now simply makes for sound business strategy.

Yet the AWS movement isn’t merely about making space smaller; it’s about making space more flexible. The non-territorial hotdesk concept is the perfect example of addressing AWS with flexibility. Hotdesking allows employees to change their workstations from day to day. It’s a prudent and cost-effective idea, given the standard office only uses 30-45 percent of its space on an average daily basis,3 and it allows organizations to cut the amount of space required in half. In one particular survey, six out of 10 companies said they had plans to abandon fixed desks in favor of hotdesking.4

The Movable Wall SolutionMovable walls provide the ideal flexibility AWS demands, responding to unique spatial requirements and giving workers the opportunity to be productive in a variety of ways and work settings. As workplace needs evolve and include more collaborative spaces, movable walls can easily adapt for quick reconfiguration.

Put simply, when a movable wall system can be used in multiple places, for multiple applications, solving multiple issues, it’s not only flexible, but too valuable not to use.

With corporate footprints ever changing, increasing, and decreasing ad hoc, the ability to reuse a movable wall product and redefine space is a tremendous benefit to any organization.

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FLEXIBILITY: ACCOMMODATING THE NEED TO MOVE

Walls are intended to divide and define space. Superior movable walls do so efficiently and harmoniously with the added ability to create and recreate spaces with ease many times over. Such flexibility is the number-one attribute a quality movable wall must provide. While that may seem obvious, not all solutions deliver. Consequently, when considering the use of movable wall systems, it is critical that an organization first define “movable” and “flexible” as it relates to performance expectations and overall space objectives.

Planning for the FutureOrganizations that anticipate and plan for the future want to be assured they can easily move and reuse movable walls again and again. They recognize that conventional drywall construction is a time-consuming, costly, messy and disruptive process, and they want movable wall reconfigurations that are far faster, simpler, and cleaner by comparison. Therefore, maximum reusability with minimal disruption and cost is vital for any facility that wishes to accommodate frequent or fast relocation without the loss of materials, damage or modification to panels or to adjoining structures such as ceilings, fixed walls, and floors. Movable wall installation should further eliminate the necessary cost and mess of cutting and fitting carpet and ceilings around fixed walls. In fact, facilities can typically install flooring and ceiling tiles before installing interior movable walls, saving added material and labor costs.

Maximizing Flexibility with Movable WallsNon-progressive movable walls are an ideal fit for organizations that require maximum flexibility. These allow the removal of individual panels from any location without disturbing adjoining units. Fully interchangeable panel shells or skins expand the flexibility factor. Panels and doors can be interchanged without specialized parts or components. The simplicity is in changing out or repairing a panel skin without removing the panel from a wall, or disturbing occupants of adjacent offices and spaces. Repairs, when needed, can be easily performed on- or off-site.

Such walls should also offer field access to panels, allowing changes in electrical, telephone, and communication lines to be installed quickly and easily. Given that some of the highest costs during drywall installation and subsequent reconfigurations are the costs of moving voice and data lines, this makes prudent sense. Gas and plumbing can also be installed in the field behind panels within the open cavity and easily accessed when necessary. Panel cavities can be accessed for other electrical additions at any time including motion sensors, fire strobes, and other multi-media technologies.

Even better are movable walls that offer the additional option of prewired data and power that can be factory-installed for vertical or horizontal distribution. This represents significant cost savings on rewiring. Walls come with industry-standard electrical/data components (modular boxes). Power and technology can be placed at virtually any location in the panel with unobstructed access. This further increases the speed at which walls and doors can be installed and the flexibility with which they can be reconfigured.

Movable walls that complement removable skins with additional stack-on units provide the unique added benefit of smartly addressing various ceiling heights and aesthetics. Facilities can stock “generic” wall panel frames in standard heights, then add stack-on units and varying skin finish options to meet the needs of specific locations or applications—a truly flexible feature!

Personalizing Solutions for Movable WallTailored, custom options provide another level of flexibility. Organizations should have the ability to make modifications to product solutions to meet specific needs, applications, or sustainability requirements.

Simplifying MovabilityOf course, a discussion about flexibility isn’t complete unless it addresses ease of installation, assembly, and reconfiguration. Superior movable wall systems are uncomplicated and unitized, meaning factory-assembled and shipped to the site as complete panel and door units so there’s no panel cutting onsite. Additionally, the fewer the parts (less than five), the better. Having fewer parts significantly reduces inventory and installation time, supporting faster, easier installation and reconfiguration with minimal disruption. Time is money after all, and walls that can be installed in under 30 minutes per linear foot will save organizations a tremendous amount of both. The ability to do so without special tools or hammering keeps the process quieter, further minimizing disruptions.

When it comes to the flexibility of storefront, traditional “stick-built” solutions are beautiful but not very movable or reconfigurable. That has now changed with the evolution of the seamless, movable glass wall solution. Unlike traditional stick-built storefronts, it offers easy onsite installation, reconfiguration, movability, and height adjustability.

For any organization, the proof is in the presentation. Facilities that truly value flexibility should require a demonstration of an installation and reconfiguration as part of the RFP process.

Lastly, flexibility also demands durability in order to hold up to multiple moves and reconfigurations. Movable walls with light frame construction allow for easy reconfiguration, but they should also ensure maximum panel rigidity for lifelong reliability. Both solid and glass panels should be ICC approved for seismic areas, further reflecting durability.

While flexibility is the foremost benefit that movable walls provide, the solution is predominantly without value unless it also delivers functionality to its end users.

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Movable Walls: Responsive Solutions Through Flexibility & Function

FUNCTION: A JOB WELL DONE

Employees are typically the most costly expense for any organization, and many businesses rightly consider them their most important assets. A strong, productive workforce can give an organization a competitive edge and be a key marketplace differentiator.

To support and maximize employee talent and contributions, organizations must consider the synergistic relationship between end users and their furnishings and leverage that relationship to improve productivity. In fact, two of the highest drivers of workplace productivity can be enhanced by the workspace itself: (1) creating productive workplace cultures and (2) networking and collaboration.

Enter movable walls.Enhancing Productivity through FunctionalityMovable walls have inherent design qualities that allow for the creation of high-performing, dynamic environments. A truly functional system is one designed to support high levels of productivity and collaboration. Because the product is fully demountable and movable, it can be repurposed to other areas as needed. As the needs of employees and their work teams change, so can office layouts. Clearly, the function of a movable wall system is as simplistic as space division, but a well-designed system can actually enhance workplace productivity, particularly those systems that offer a multitude of functional elements.

For instance, walls with writable surfaces can act as impromptu collaboration opportunities. Movable wall systems that distribute power and data to accessible locations give workers quick connections. Technologies imbedded into a wall system provide additional, accessible work management tools. All are functional features that improve the end-user experience and ultimately their productivity.

Creating Functional Spaces with Movable WallIn addition to promoting efficiency and enhancing productivity, movable walls must also be functional taskmasters. Seamless integration with furniture and casegoods is one of many desirable features in a preferred movable wall solution. Walls should support modular components and perfectly integrate with worksurfaces, storage, fixtures, and accessories to create streamlined workstations, while delivering power and data wherever needed.

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Superior movable walls systems also have optional built-in vertical slotting standards that accommodate hang-on components such as marker-boards, tack-boards, storage, shelving, tool rails, and worksurfaces, which can be added or deleted at any time, enhancing their flexibility. When slotted verticals are an integral part of the wall panel’s rolled edge, there are no additional parts to purchase or to inventory if it’s later decided to hang furniture from a wall panel that did not originally intend to function with furniture.

In addition, magnetic accessories can be used to hang artwork, doorstops, coat hooks, and more. Especially appealing is the ability to hang any manufacturer’s products on a panel, or the ability to incorporate multi-media options including televisions or electronic displays.

Removable panel faces are ideal functional features. Walls can be changed from vinyl, fabric, or painted fronts, to erasable markerboard surfaces creating fully writeable walls.

Space-saving doors are another key functional attribute. Movable walls enhance square footage by offering options such as wall-sliding doors. Sliding doors preserve workable space and provide more physical space in every room, eliminating the need to compensate for lost footage due to door swings into rooms. Walls that feature reversible pivot

door units and frames further allow an easy switch from left-hand to right-hand doors in the field. Soft-stop doors allow users to open and close doors with minimal effort and noise.

Movable walls can even be suitable for use in clean rooms. Look for products that meet or exceed the 10,000 clean area class conditions in accordance with Federal Standard 209E and ISO 14644 Part I: Institute of Environmental Sciences RP-006.2 and/or the National Environmental Balancing Bureau Procedural Standards for Cleanrooms.

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FLEXIBLE, FUNCTIONAL, MOVABLE WALLS

Change is constant for today’s organizations, and good movable walls can respond with endless flexibility. They also provide the ideal solution for maximizing functionality and enhancing productivity, further propelling organizations to greater opportunities for success.

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REFERENCES

1 International Facility Management Association. (2010). Office Size by Type of Worker. Space and Project Management Benchmarks. IFMA Research Report #34.

2 Ibid.

3 Munshower, S. (2012). Hotdesking: the latest office trend to annoy employees. The Global Post. Retrieved from http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/120420/hotdesking-office-space-the-latest-growing-office-trend-workplace-culture

4 Ouye, Nagy, Singer & Langhoff. (2010). Alternative Workplace Strategies in the Current Economy: Results from New Ways of Working’s Benchmarking Study. New Ways of Working, LLC.

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movable wall solutions.

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