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New at NeoCon: Kimball Office Introduces Hum. Minds at Work.™
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Business leaders understand that success depends on getting the best out of their people - the best individual work, the best teamwork, the best idea and the best performance. But if the way people think and work together is so important, shouldn’t office furniture fit people’s minds as well as their bodies?
“Hum. Minds at Work.” is Kimball Office’s resounding “yes” to this question. Hum helps provide a better work environment for people so they can do their best. It is office furniture modeled on the cognitive processes people use to focus, share ideas and information, problem-solve and interact. Hum environments work the way minds work.
Behind the Design
Developed in partnership with Formway Design, Hum draws upon intensive research into how people work and what they need to work better. The design team interviewed office workers in different businesses to find out what helped and what frustrated them about their furniture. They also observed how workers used, naturally responded to and adapted the space around them in order to match their very individual ways of working. And finally, the team consulted with experts in psychology, cognitive and physical ergonomics, and other social sciences that deal with issues of interaction, attentiveness and cognition to help them understand how we as humans perceive and think, what distracts us, what helps us focus, how we share information and ideas, and how we work together. They found that for most people, no matter what their profession, a day’s work is a continuum between individual focus and collaborative team tasks.
Hum is designed to accommodate all work modes on this concentrate/collaborate continuum. It is a flexible and adaptable solution that can be configured to fit the needs of individuals, small groups and whole organizations.
Don’t Work, Hum
Kimball Office chose the name Hum because hum is the sound of a team working well, individually and together. Hum is the sound of productivity, engagement and connection. Hum is the sound of ideas flowing.
At the heart of Hum are four unique elements:
Personal Workspace: Hum’s Personal Workspaces use a height-adjustable, convex table top to balance the needs of the individual with the needs of the team by enabling smooth transitions from solo work to group work. This unorthodox shape is the result of observing how people work together – they huddle. The outward curve on the front edge invites huddling. A few people can gather around a monitor and all have equal access; as opposed to the traditional concave shape where the desk owner always gets the best view.
The convex shape also better defines personal space. As the surface curves out it signals a change to “private” space, and people sense an invitation is required to “come in.” This definition of personal space versus shared space sends physical and mental cues, creating an easy flow from concentration to collaboration. Table tops come in a range of shapes, sizes and material options, including grey or white straight-grain oak and Manhattan walnut composite veneers, as well as 10 solid-color and two – amber cherry and mocha cherry – wood-grain laminates.
See Me™ Screen: The See Me screen is designed in response to social signals. It creates a visual boundary that filters distractions without isolation. The See Me screen’s openness enables instant observation and communication with others simply by shifting focal length – something we do all the time without thinking about it. This means timely, appropriate and considered interactions between colleagues and teammates. Greater awareness of those around us, says Hum’s research, makes for a better working environment.
The See Me screen’s concept is based on natural human behavior. So is its unique openwork design, which takes random patterns from nature and incorporates small and large gaps that let people meet at the eyes or face-to-face. Additionally, the See Me screen tapers at the end, letting people transition from quick exchange to thoughtful conversation at will. Made of laser-cut steel, See Me screens feature four designs – Gem, Foliage, Terrain and Wave – in 16 colors options, such as cloud blue, almond buff and goldenrod.
Terrace: We all consciously or unconsciously set up our personal workspaces according to a pattern that makes sense to us. We make decisions all the time about priorities. We set up triggers to help us remember and find information based on these spatial arrangements. It’s very individual, with one exception – we all naturally use levels or breaks in surfaces to help us order, group or prioritize things. Hum uses horizontal planes or Terraces to give people a means of sorting their work in their own way. Terraces provide raised surfaces for open storage and display, putting an end to “out of sight, out of mind.” They also free up the Personal Workspace and increase the overall desk space. Terraces are made of powder-coated steel, available in titanium or designer white.
Meet Me™ Space: Working in tandem with the Personal Workspace, the Meet Me space is positioned where two work zones abut. This creates a natural gathering point for two-, three- or four-person meetings. I becomes we without changing place or pace. This is important because research shows teams working in a traditional cluster arrangement often move to a separate meeting table, causing people to shift context and lose their train of thought. Hum’s Meet Me space on the other hand, enables these meetings to happen during the natural flow of work. Teammates can gather around, share their ideas, make decisions and move on.
Another design feature of the Meet Me space is that it sits at a slightly higher level than the primary worksurface. This does several things. It signals a change from personal space to shared space. It creates an area on and under the surface for managing papers and projects, and it indicates a switch from current tasks to new or different tasks.
For You, Me and the Environment
Hum recognizes that different workplaces have different needs. In addition to creating work environments that match how people’s minds work, Hum offers a broad range of open plan and private office configurations based on various combinations of Personal Workspaces, See Me and Central screens, and Terraces.
To accommodate technology, Hum routes wires through a central channel at the back of each worksurface. Pre-punched knock-outs allow power and data outlets to be positioned on the face of the wireway for convenient access.
Hum has a simple, contemporary look. The offering features new worksurface shapes, customizable storage modules, and a broad variety of material options, including premium wool felt, composite wood veneers, laser-cut metal, and solid and wood-grain laminates.
Hum is also designed to have a positive impact on the natural environment. It is strong and durable for a long life and meets LEED indoor air quality standards. Hum is manufactured using significant recycled content, including steel with post-consumer recycle content of 30%, aluminum with post-consumer recycle content of 30%, and MDF made from 100% post-industrial (pre-consumer) waste. Hum also incorporates rapidly renewable materials and plantation-grown wood. Additionally, Hum is free of PVC, chrome and CFCs; features LED lighting, which produces no heat and is 80% more energy efficient than other lighting options; and is easily disassembled for end-of-life recycling.
For further details regarding the Hum product, go to www.humoffice.com.
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