Maarten Baas
Born in 1978 in southern area of the  Netherlands Maarten is probably best known for his Smoke series of furniture. Various design classics are literally burn and then treated with transparent epoxy resin. A chandelier treated in this way was later exhibited in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Other pieces of this very successful range were also bought by the Groniger Museum and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. Pieces from this collection are all unique and handmade. In 2006 Maarten launched the Clay series of furniture. This furniture is made from synthetic clay and has a metal skeleton which strengthens the structure. Again all pieces are hand made and unique. Many pieces were designed for the new Gramercy Park Hotel in New York in 2006. Marten Baas continues his work in Eindhoven, Netherlands

Born in Finland and an early pioneer of  Nordic Modernism, Higo married fellow designer Aino Marsio in 1924. They began by spending 5 years experimenting with the bending of plywood. This gave rise to the first wood framed cantilever chair model no 31. This style of chair is frequently seen as a conference and boardroom chair in many offices. This marked a  new trend in the use of ;laminated woods and plywood and to a the foundation of a Company called Artek by Hugo and his wife. Artek still manufactures and sells some of these early designs today. One of his most memorable chair is the Paimio chair. Another wood framed cantilever chair designed to aid the recuperation of tuberculosis patients. This chair thought to be influenced by Marcel Bruer’s Wassily chair assisted the breathing of the patient due to the angle of the back. Hugo opposed the rides of modernism and mass production that emerged in the 1940’s preferring designs that were more natural and environmental than the cost efficient offerings that were beginning to rule the day.

A French interior and product designer, Philippe was born in Paris in 1949 and studied at the Ecole de Camondo. This father was an aircraft designer  and has a great influence on his chosen career. Throughout his career he has been an independent designer founding his first agency in 1975 which specialised in inflatable’s. His big break came in 1982 when he was awarded the contract to design the interior of President Mitterrand’s apartments.
Furniture designs have been mainly with the Italian contract furniture manufacturer Cartell. Notable works in this area include the transparent Ghost chair, The WW Stool for Vitra and the Bubble club sofa. Philippe also designed the optical mouse for Microsoft. One of his most successful office designs projects is the headquarters for Aashi Breweries in Tokyo which has a huge replica his trademark flame on th

The two terms have been around the office furniture marketplace for a while and refer to desks or workstations that are set aside for workers who are not office based but need a facility to use a desk when they are in the office. Sales people are good examples of workers who may not need a permanent desk if they spend much of their time in the field. Hot desks can take the form of a mobile meeting tables or simple “touch down” areas with quick and easy access to power and data provided by Harmony cable management units. Mobile storage units can also be used and a convenient way of storing files and a simple surface to work on when in the office. Much depends on the amount of time spent in the office and the type of work and of course the available space. Good design in this case can not only help save space but improve staff efficiency and communication. There is a lot of office furniture available which comes under the banner of hot desking but these items seldom work without an overall appreciation of the office design and practices

Ergonomics – Use of VDU screens
Here are some tips to reduce eye strain and headaches when using a computer over a prolonged period of time.
Reduce reflection on the VDU screen
Always try and position your PC on the desk at right angles to the window. If the window is behind you light will shine on to the screen and the reflection will cause your eyes to work harder. If the window is in front of you then the light shining in your eyes will have the same effect.
If the ceiling lights don’t have diffusers in them (Cat 2) then this can cause reflection on the screen. Ambient light for offices should be between 300-500 Lux, if the overhead lights are causing reflection than reduce their brightness and increase the ambient light level with diffusers. Alternatively use desk lamps to highlight on the desk area.
Reduce screen flicker.                                                                                                                      The frequency of the screen should be set to 85Hz many manufactures set their screens to 54Hz factory settings. The frequency can be altered in the Windows control box or via the graphics card.
Set the VDU at the correct distance on the desk. This should be no less than 630mm (25”) the eye will have to work harder if focusing on objects that are nearer than this.
Keep the screen clean and free of dust
Look away from the screen every few minutes and concentrate on a distant object
Please contact us for further information

Break Out Spaces
The need to incorporate break out areas into office space designs started in earnest around 10 years ago. Long gone was the conventional office canteens selling subsidised meals at prescribed times with office workers taking their lunch in shifts
A move to lighter, snack lunches, flexible lunchtime and break arrangements and vending machines all lead to the provision of food and drink closer to hand on the same office floor. Notwithstanding the growth of call centres and the need to allow staff a refuge from high pressure environments. Leading the way with contemporary ideas for break out spaces was Orange box with Point mobile tub chairs and spur office seating.

Designers tended to work with three floor zones, a soft seating area with tub seating and sofas for coffee breaks and ad hoc internal meetings, and bistro table and chair area for eating food and a bar stool and poseur table are for quick snacks. The growth of break out spaces in the office lead to the creation of Café Reality with has now become one of the leading suppliers of furniture to the Leisure industry.
Please contact us if you are looking for break out office furniture