1. Introduction
ID-439 Contract Design I

2. What is Commercial Design?
The design of any facility that serve a business purpose.
Once referred to Contract Design
Portrays a aesthetic image of the company’s mission
Enhances productivity thru understanding office communication, adjacencies and furniture needs
Enhances employee pride
Protects health, safety and welfare of the public

3. History of Offices
Business has been conducted for thousands of years, evident in rooms found in the Pharaoh's palaces, cathedrals of the Middle Ages.
Industrial Revolution was a major factor in the development of offices outside the home. Moved from agricultural economy to an industrial economy. Office spaces during this period used a closed concept.
The late 19th and early 20th century saw a growth in office design with a specialization in commercial interior design (Elsie de Wolfe and Dorothy Draper)

4. Larkin Administration Building
1906, Frank Lloyd Wright
Buffalo, NY
Mail order supplier
1st Open office
1st fully air-conditioned building, first with suspended toilets… originally sold soap and expanded into a large mail order company.

5. Larkin Administration Building
Demise came when retail store was moved into the building and a major renovation undertaken. Depression resulted in failure of business, tax default, later sold by city for 5,000 and it is now the site of a parking lot.

6. Larkin Administration Building

7. Bull Pens
Before WWII, most furniture consisted of freestanding desks, files and bookcases
The typical layout was called a “bull-pen” setup (the placement of desks on a grid with aisles in between with the executives separated to one side in enclosed windowed offices.)
The bullpen was popular until the 1960’s. Typically, there were a few high level executives that oversaw a large number of clerical type workers.

8. Development of Corporate Office
Following WWII, there was a large influx of people seeking the American Dream.
More and more people were using the GI bill to get a college education.
All of a sudden, office space became a valuable commodity and the number of rental spaces dramatically increased to keep up with the paces, and the corporate office was born.
By the 1960’s, the workforce was growing by 850,000 annually, and the bullpen style became out of fashion.

9. The Quickborner Team
Germany, Two brothers developed the concept of open office layout and brought the idea to the US in 1967.
They believed that many offices hindered work productivity. Their designs promoted good communication and flow.
Referred to as office landscaping.
Their plans were based upon a systems analysis of work flow and communication.
The layout was very free and non-rectilinear.
People in frequent contact with each other were placed close together.
Many acoustical problems were attempted to be corrected by the use of carpet, plants and acoustical ceiling tiles
This new approach of “landscape” planning had a tremendous impact on the way offices were to be designed. They were flexible, efficient, open and informal.
Americans, however, were slow to accept the idea because they didn’t want to give up their hardwall office, which were status symbols to the executives.

11. Robert Propst Hired by Herman Miller, Inc. in 1960
A researcher and inventor
Developed Action Office I for Herman Miller and introduced it in 1964.
A panel based system using a vertical approach
Despite what the modern office has become, his goal was to get away from boxes and corridors.
The use of the panels violated the Quickborner concept but was widely accepted as open office landscaping.

12. Cubicle Jokes
Delbert

13. The Big Four Haworth, Steelcase, Herman Miller and Knoll
In 1974, Haworth, Inc. created the first electrified panel system in it’s Unigroup line.
Steelcase : Series 9000
Herman Miller: Action Office

14. Herman Miller – Action Office

15. Haworth Unigroup – Unigroup Too
1954 Office Environments - A stranger strides into G.W.’s office, drops a set of drawings on his desk and asks, “Can you build these?” The plans detail an innovative office partition system designed for the United Auto Workers headquarters in Detroit. G.W. agrees

16. Steelcase Series 9000

17. Knoll Equity Equity – Can’t find today.
Knoll Morrison – Reff - Dividends

18. Types of Offices - Accounting
Commercial Interior Designers are hired by a variety of different businesses. Your role as a designer is to learn all you can about the company you are designer for.

19. Types of Offices - Banks

20. Types of Offices- Law Firm

21. Types of Offices – Gov’t (GSA)

22. Types of Offices (Design Firm / Dentist)
Accounting Real Estate Law Firms Design Firms
Banks Ad. Agencies Gov’t (GSA) Hospitals
Education Doctor/ Dental Engineering Retail

23. Overview of Office Operation – The Executives
CEO: Chief Executive Officer, the highest ranking individual. In smaller companies this may be the president or the principle.
CFO: Chief Financial Officer, senior executive responsible for overseeing the financial risks of the company.
COO: Chief Operating Officer, senior executive responsible for the day to day activities of the company.
CIO: Chief Information Officer, senior executive responsible for overseeing a companies information technology.
CLO: Chief Legal Officer, senior executive repsonsible for overseeing the legal aspects of the company.

24. Vice President The second highest layer of management.
They report directly to the CEO and are responsible for specific departments or division of the business
VP of Marketing
VP of Research
VP of Economic Development
VP of Engineering

25. Managers and Supervisors
Managers report to the VP over their division
Payroll Manager
Sales Manager
Facility Manager
Supervisors oversee and provide instruction to subordinates and administer discipline /penalties to workers. Supervisors report to the managers.
Supervisors make up the largest number of mid-management positions in a business.

26. Organizational Charts
The larger the company, the more complex the organizational structure.
Organizational Charts are helpful in understanding the organization in terms of rank. They help visualize the formal reporting structure of the business.
Organizational charts do not show day-to-day work relationships. As a designer, you will find this information thru programming methods.

27. The Designer’s Role: Understand what each department does
Understand how the departments relate to each other
Understand what individuals do in each department
Understand the relationships of individuals to each other by department.

28. Divisions/Departments
Executive Division: Presidents, VP’s
Corporate/Legal Division: may consist of many departments such as Legal, Communications, Tax Dept., Real Estate, Insurance, Purchasing and Public Relations.
Finance Division: Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable
Operations Division: responsible for the production of goods or services. Engineering, Design Dept.
Marketing Division: advertising and sales
Administration Division: support services, receptionists, mail rooms, file/supply rooms, training rooms

29. Typical Office Spaces
Executive suite – Staff offices – general office – reception- support areas

30. The Executive Division
The Executive Division consists of all the senior executives.
Sometimes called Vice Presidents (VP’s)
CEO, CFO, CEO, CIO, CLO.
This division determines the overall policies and implements the policies of the board of directors.
The Executive Suite often sets the tone of the business. The location is desirable and the material and furniture specified portray the image of the company. It should impress their customers.
Typically private offices with a separate reception area, executive conference room, private entrance. Desk chairs are typically high back executive chairs, leather with headrest. All offices in the executive suite coordinate from the same series. Usually have a conference area, soft seating area and work area.

31. Executive Boardroom Executive Boardroom: Convenient for guest access
Must impress clients
Might be adjacent to kitchen
Might have access from CEO office
Promote teleconferencing
Flat screen, LCD projector
Needs credenza for serving food and beverages.

32. Reception Area First Impression A lot of money is spent in this area
Will have a waiting area nearby
Executive suite should be nearby and visitors should not have to walk thru cluttered office areas
Needs accent lights

33. General Office (Operations)
Often utilizes the open office concept
Customers may never actually see this area
Considered the “operations” or “production” area
Less money is spent in this area
Managers / supervisors may have cubicles or dry wall offices

34. Support - Ancillary Supply storage Mail Rooms Central Files
Resource Library
Break room
Staff Conference

35. Collaboration Space Used for weekly / daily meeting
Should be flexible, use modular tables
Provide multiple lighting options
Shapes: Boat, racetrack, rectangle
Provide modesty panel for training setups
Durable surfaces
Fixed ht. chairs or mechanical ht. mid-back chairs

36. Lounge Areas Create a fun space for employees to escape from work.
Should be durable, easy to maintain
Keep expenses down
Break areas may exist on each floor of a multi-floor building

37. Dining Space Recycling Accessible sink Collaboration area Flexible
Food storage
Dishwasher drawers – reduce paper usage
Vending – healthy choices

38. Image
Your design should reflect the firm’s attitude toward several things:
Corporate Image
Budget
Goals and plans for the future
Attitude toward employees, customers and vendors
Corporate Culture and global perspective
Corporate Culture – values, policies, behaviors, company values (example SOM vs Perkins and Will) What is our culture? How do we differ from MSU?

39. Traditional Interior Law Firms Banks University Churches
What is traditional?
Mahogany, molding, stripes, leather, gold, burgundy, green and navy blue

40. Transitional Interior
An all around “safe” option, neither too traditional nor too contemporary
Less molding, cleaner lines with simple edge details.

41. Contemporary Interior
Mixture of wood, metal and glass
Ideal for
Advertising Agencies
Technology oriented

42. Status and Rank Status and Rank is established by : Size of the office
Space standards
Set by job functions
Must respect space standards
Small firms may not have standards
Location of Office
Corner windows
views
Quality and Quantity of FF&E
Wood vs. laminate
Extra files/ bookcases/ credenza/ hutch

43. Office Furniture Terminology
Desks (conventional furniture)
Executive
Typically 36 x 72 or larger
Single pedestal or Double Pedestal
Bridge
Table desk
Executive “U” or “L”
Secretarial
30 x 60 or 30 x 66
Secretarial “U” or “L”

44. Office Furniture Terminology
Credenza
Kneespace
Typically 24” deep and matches main desk (72” long)
Positioned behind the desk
Min. of 42” between desk and credenza, 48” is better
Storage Credenza
Does not offer space for a computer

45. Office Furniture Terminology
Files and Storage
Vertical File
Old style file, typically 15” wide (letter) or 18” wide (Legal)
Usually 28 – 30” deep, max. of 5 drawers
Front-to-back filing method
Lateral File
New style, 30”, 36” or 42” wide
Usually 18” deep, max. of 5 drawers
Needs a counterweight
Must specify filing method: front-to-back or side-to-side, letter, legal, handing or compressor.

46. Office Furniture Terminology
Files and Storage
Open Files
Uses an end tab file folder
Medical offices
Need magnetic shelf divider to support files
Can be taller than 5 shelves high
Mobile Files
Installed on a track
Verify dead loads
Considered a high-density filling method

47. Office Furniture Terminology
Seating
Desk Chair – Generic
Task Chair – Ergonomic
Executive Chair – High-back
Management Chair – Mid-back
Conference Chair – Seminar Chair
Side or Guest Chair
Sled base, stacking, high density
Soft Seating : Lounge furniture
When specifying chairs with castors, you MUST consider the flooring:
Hard floor = soft castor
Soft flooring = Hard castors

48. Seating Percentiles

49. Ergonomic Features Ergonomic Features Height and width adjustable arms
Adjustable seat depth
Tension control
Waterfall fronts
Lumbar support
Seat pitch (negative pitch is best)
Seat height adjustment (18” – 23”)
Pneumatic vs. mechanical lifts
Haworth – Fern Chair

50. Today’s office should:
Easily adapt to changing technology
Offer Flexibility
Support multi-generational employees
Support collaboration
Utilize innovative space planning – smaller office size for same function
Accommodate a diverse workforce
Support healthy lifestyles (active furnishings)
Healthy Lifestyles:

51. Office Trends Delayering – Co-working Teaming
Opposite of the ”pyramid” chart
More responsibility on the worker – less management
Makes them feel more a part of the company
Teaming
Used to develop products faster and to be more competitive in the introduction of new products
Linear team: work is passed from one to another, repetitive
Parallel team: team members are from different dept’s. Not the only project they are working on. A design team is an example.
Circular team: brainstorming to do very creative work. Members come and go throughout the course of the project. The team disbands when project is completed.

52. What does the future hold?
Office of the Future
Future predictions
No longer 40 year employees, may work for 5 or more firms

53. Office Trends How and where are people working?
Team environments, more open spaces, no panels
Virtual office (out of a briefcase) Concept: Anywhere, Anytime
Home office (thanks to technology)
Telecommuting: on the road
No longer 8 – 5: flex-time is part of the recruiting process

54. Alternative Office Concepts - Terminology
Caves and Commons:
cave = individual office and Commons = team environment
Unassigned Office:
systems or enclosed office used by any number of workers. Can be reserved
Hoteling:
unassigned work spaces that are available to workers by reservation like a hotel. First used by Ernst and Young in Chicago. A concierge is assigned the task of taking the reservation and insuring that the space is equipped properly

55. Alternative Office Concepts - Terminology
Free Address
Same as an unassigned work space, usually available on a first come first-served basis
Hot Desk
Same as a free address, literally means still “hot” from the last user
Landing sites
Cannot be reserved, a free address that one “lands” in when going into the office

56. Alternative Office Concepts- Terminology
Just in time
Same as an unassigned work space, usually an open, flexible work area in which individuals or groups can congregate. Moveable screens and personal mobile files from a central storage area are common.
Guesting
May be assigned or unassigned work space for a visitor or sales rep.
Satellite office
A work center established away from the main office but convenient to outside workers. Mostly for transient workers

57. What is benching?

59. Wellbeing, a Bottom Line Issue
Feeling good at work drives business performance. CEOs value employees who are collaborative, communicative, creative, and flexible. But only recently are leaders realizing that fostering these skills requires a new strategy: a rigorous focus on employees wellbeing. New Steelcase research and insights show how the workplace can help organizations attain employee wellbeing and business results they desire.
Wellbeing