Ahrend A500 Modular Office System
by TreeHugger on 11.12.04
Forgive us for presenting contract furniture here, but we have something to show you. Necessity has always been the mother of invention and that’s no different when it comes to sustainable design. So when Ahrend, an Amsterdam-based office furniture manufacturer that already uses ecologically sensitive production methods, needed to combine three product lines that were being phased out into one new product line, it came up with a system of universal modular components that would allow the older units to be entirely compatible with the new designs, and with numerous configurations. Now that’s smart...
Now the A500 tabletop supports injection-molded aluminum connectors on the tops table legs that are virtually identical, making them interchangeable, and accessories such as CPU holders, privacy screens, even pencil cups can then be added ad infinitum. With just a few variations, the system can be easily be used as a personal work area, or linked to other components to create a communal space.
Injection molded aluminum made it possible for mechanical parts to fit together, and also allowed Ahrend to use 50% fewer materials than the in the manufacture of the previous lines, which used quite a bit of steel, making the furniture heavy and difficult to transport. The new product has significantly altered the production process, one of the keys to sustainable processes of producing furniture.
In the U.S., Ahrend is distributed through Allsteel.
Via Metropolis ::Allsteel [by MO]
Note: It's great to work at a high desk with a high chair as then you can stand sometimes and sit other times. It's meant to be good for your back and keeps the blood moving...
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