Designing for agility and fluidity in the future workplace - Herman Miller's OE1 at Elenberg Fraser
Designing for the modern (and future) workplace is all about dynamism, fluidity and adaptability. Elenberg Fraser is a design firm at the cutting edge of office architecture and, as associate Kathleen Bainbridge notes, a designer might be working on multiple projects at any given time. It’s a mode of work that demands efficiency and nimbleness in order to realise effective projects.
“Having areas that dynamically work for the different tasks that we’re doing is very important for making people feel like they’re able to do their jobs efficiently and get the most out of them,” says Bainbridge.
“Workplace design is about giving people the flexibility to move around and change as the role or position of the design changes.”
For architecture practices, the spatial character of the workplace has important repercussions for the design process. With products such as Herman Miller’s OE1 range, those workplaces are able to achieve the very same agility and flexibility in their own spaces that they are designing for clients’ workplaces.
A key part of this is the ability to slot items seamlessly into an existing office set-up. The OE1 range is designed to integrate instantly, providing the adaptability that firms such as Elenberg Fraser need.
As associate director at Elenberg Fraser, Melissa Leung, says, “the Herman Miller OE1 system has really given us a more agile workspace. It provides different opportunities for us to work in different ways and the flexibility has enabled us to really change the way we work.”
The focus is on getting the most out of an office but, more than that, the OE1 transforms what were previously underused spaces. All of a sudden, the architect’s studio starts to morph into the artist’s gallery almost like a rotating exhibition space.
Products such as the mobile easel are lightweight and easily operable. Similarly, the huddle table helps with Elenberg Fraser’s work ranging from design to client presentations: “It’s very free and loose. It doesn’t feel rigid so it’s a really playful way of coming up with ideas quickly,” explains Bainbridge.
Herman Miller is already leading the way in workplace design and now it’s all about adapting post-COVID. The designers at Elenberg Fraser have no qualms in recommending the durable and high quality products to clients for any office project. Things are changing but, as a trusted partner with its own heritage and legacy of interiors team, Herman Miller is already designing for the future.
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