In Chicago, during NeoCon 2015, Allsteel demonstrated its forward-thinking adaptability to a changing workplace by unveiling its reconfigured 14,000-square-foot Chicago Resource Center. Designed in collaboration with a team from IA Interior Architects, a series of 16 vignettes was laid out over the 11th floor of the city’s Merchandise Mart like a neighborhood of city blocks on a metropolitan grid.
At the Allsteel Chicago Resource Center, a vignette featuring Mimeo chairs, Further system and an Altitude height-adjustable table in the raised position. All photos courtesy of Allsteel
“The design of the showroom — how the Allsteel story is told — is rooted in urban planning,” said Scott Delano, design director of IA Interior Architect’s Chicago office. “It’s laid out with major boulevards, smaller streets and points of interest marked by banner-like totems and texts that give information about the neighboring products and applications.”
Clarity task chairs, Further benching and Stride storage
IA’s case-study-based design showcases Allsteel’s expansive product lines, all of which speak to Allsteel’s commitment to creating flexible, adaptable workspaces. The company’s core contributions to the office are its multi-purpose, minimalist furnishings that can reconfigure to provide gathering places, mobile workspaces, or privacy, as needed. IA’s design team defined distinct spaces using Allsteel’s Beyond movable walls, modular, easily installed partitions with a very clean aesthetic. A key launch at NeoCon this year was the new Beyond plate-glass sliding door, notable for the acoustic privacy it provides; when the door slides shut, a drop seal creates a barrier between it and the floor, keeping the conversations within private. Additionally, a low-profile base trim was introduced.
Beyond movable walls
The company also presented the newly available Mimeo task chair, a design that promotes employee interaction through its unrestricted motion, with enhanced personal comfort thanks to IntelliForm back technology. New finishes were also introduced for the Acuity and Relate families of chairs, in white and titanium respectively. A lightweight, versatile credenza was added to the Aware collection, which adapts easily to a variety of applications, whether in the training room, a conference room, an open-plan meeting area, or an active learning space. Altitude height-adjustable tables debuted a myriad of worksurface shapes, sizes, and styles that can be scaled up or down between more formal or more casual environments.
© Larry Shapiro - Shapiro Photography
Acuity chairs, Merge table, Mind-Share benches, Scooch seats, All-Around table and Beyond movable walls
“We are there with our customers over the long term, developing a workplace strategy that supports their business strategy as it grows and evolves,” says Allsteel president Mark Roumfort, speaking to the unpredictability of the modern office. Rather than leave its clients in a state of uncertainty, to update and retrofit their own facilities year after year, Allsteel’s flexible products remove the guesswork, lending themselves to repurposing as changes arise: advances in technology, shifting demographics, and acquisitions, just to name a few. Allsteel, in short, want to see their clients’ businesses grow, and is happy to be involved in the process.
Allsteel’s Chicago showroom is open and available for viewing at Suite #1120, Merchandise Mart.