FFE Specifier

Artistic, high-performance lighting

Marjie O'Connor — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 06:00:07 +0000

Inspired by modern architecture, fashion, and design, and influenced by the ancient art of Japanese paper folding, Origami is a new energy-efficient and visually distinctive suite of luminaires from Peerless Lighting, Berkeley, CA. Its angular facets and articulated surfaces capture light and reflect it across the length of the fixtures. The resulting visual effect is a kinetic interplay of shadow, light, and color that varies as one views the luminaires from different angles within a space.
The luminaires are 100% indirect fluorescent fixtures that bathe ceilings with expansive, smooth gradients of light and, in turn, uniformly illuminate work planes. They feature advanced lighting optics that allow increased fixture spacing, fewer units/installation and, ultimately, significant energy savings.
Designed to achieve sustainability benefits, thin-gauge aluminum bodies use roughly 50% less metal than traditional extruded fixtures. Housings, end caps, and joiners all contain recycled material, and the luminaires are packaged with 100% recycled cardboard and molded-paper supports.

Soothing healthcare fabric

Marjie O'Connor — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 06:00:18 +0000

Affirmation II from Carnegie Fabrics, Rockville Centre, NY, is designed to support the mental, emotional, and spiritual needs of those within the healing environment. The color palette of soft pastels and neutrals was chosen specifically to be soothing and comforting.
The text throughout the pattern, inspired by the poem “Desiderata” by Max Erhmann, is meant to stimulate positive thoughts. The text can be read on the front and back of the fabric, an advanced technical feature in manufacturing.

Modern bath furniture

Marjie O'Connor — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 06:00:53 +0000

The Casanova line of vanities and cabinets from the Furniture Guild, Canton, GA, features recessed hardware, an aluminum base, and a travertine top with an integrated sink and is customized with a linen hamper, hair dryer/curling iron holder and an internal power option. The drawer system is a combination of stainless steel, rift-cut oak, and frosted glass. It is available in 30 different finishes in standard sizes ranging from 24 inches to 72 inches with custom sizes available.
The optional, semi-recessed, lift-up medicine cabinet provides 12 inches of storage but only protrudes 8 1/2 inches. Its interior lights turn on automatically, while the external lighting has three different power settings.

Customizable overbed tables

Marjie O'Connor — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 06:00:06 +0000

Responding to the need to provide patients with a sense of control and safety, Nemschoff, Sheboygan, WI, introduces the Oasis overbed table, designed to maximize usable surface area and offer convenient storage.
The table, which is customizable to every healthcare setting, offers a variety of design options, including an array of surface laminates and edge colors. It also features a variety of storage options, including:

top-surface storage well affording additional storage for patients
adjustable accessory lower tray providing caregiver access from all angles
fixed upper tray for patient’s personal items
easily adjustable base that can be operated by a single person
infection-prevention features.

The table also addresses environmental concerns with Greenguard and Greenguard Children & Schools certifications.

Furniture for collaboration

Marjie O'Connor — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:00:33 +0000

The Gather collection from Allsteel, Muscatine, IA, encourages a collaborative work environment through design. Hedge features a contoured front that supports a leaning position, while the other side incorporates a standing-height work surface sized for laptops and tablets. The unit creates a space-defining anchor. Mind-Share provides high-back, upholstered, banquette-style seating that creates one-, two-, and three-sided micro-environments. The bench without the screen provides versatile seating in open spaces. Rise provides more seating with tiered and modular upholstered “steps” that allow a number of people to gather without taking over an entire room and transforms any space into meeting space.

New color in cork line

Marjie O'Connor — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 09:00:18 +0000

Capri Cork , Lancaster, PA, added seven new colors to its successful Re-Tire Medley collection. The Re-Tire Medley colors combine recycled rubber with pre-consumer cork. The nuances of the cork content add textural variations to the recycled rubber category.
New colors for Medley include the rich, warm neutrals of Grain, Funnel, and Flurry. Colors Cinder, Backwoods, and Downpour combine strong, bright colors with cork content that pop off their predominately black backgrounds, while Cork Tracks combines cork dust and cork chunks with recycled tire waste.
With the addition of these colors, the Medley Collection offers 15 standard colors. Capri’s entire Re-Tire recycled-rubber collection comprises 51 colors. The Re-Tire Collection is available in 4-, 6-, 8-, and 9-millimeter thicknesses and 4-foot rolls or 2-foot by 2-foot tiles. All Re-Tire colors are FloorScore-certified and contribute to LEED credits.

Furniture for small businesses

Marjie O'Connor — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 09:00:47 +0000

Bush Business Furniture (BBF), Jamestown, NY, presents flexible and modular furnishings ranging in size and style to meet the requirements of a variety of business environments. The company’s comprehensive selection of commercial-grade furnishings addresses a multitude of office settings, including: the remote office space, the office at home, the traditional small business, and the non-traditional small business. The collections all feature finish options, base and leg details, and line extensions that make it easy to add pieces and expand within any office environment. The collections include:

Momentum (left) – Ideal for graphic designers, architects, and engineers and designed to enable, support, and inspire creativity. Its modular furniture is sophisticated and lightly scaled with clean, contemporary lines to makes the most efficient use of space.

Sector

Quantum

Syndicate

Enterprise – Serious furniture for serious work, no matter where it’s done, this corporate suite is equally comfortable in a home, professional setting, or remote location.

Milano 2 – Solid, dependable, and polished furniture suitable for any office suite.

Low-VOC cork flooring

Marjie O'Connor — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 09:00:22 +0000

Cork Décor from USFContract, Dalton, GA, takes traditional cork flooring and adds extreme durability to create a collection of eco-friendly flooring designed to perform in the most demanding commercial applications. The high-performance attributes result from an acrylic nano-bead lacquer finish on the surface of the vinyl-clad cork core. The nano beads are embedded into the top layer to provide improved scratch, scuff, stain, and slip resistance.
The flooring also features Acrodur, a water-based binder that significantly reduces the level of emissions without compromising the technical performance of the floor. The vinyl backing provides dimensional stability and strength to the tiles, making them highly resistant to tearing and moisture.
The tiles are certified by GreenGuard Children and Schools Indoor Air Quality certification program for low-emitting interior building materials, furnishings, and finish systems.

ADA sconces

Marjie O'Connor — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 09:00:55 +0000

As diverse as Manhattan, the City series from ILEX Architectural Lighting, East Taunton, MA, has an ADA-compliant CFL sconce for every interior—classic to contemporary, antique brass to polished aluminum, mahogany to sustainable bamboo. With more than 15 City designs, specifiers can accentuate a space with a beautiful, energy-efficient solution. Customization is available.
Shown is the Lafayette single sconce, which measures 14 inches high by 8 inches wide and projects 4 inches. Available in brushed or polished aluminum, it uses candelabra-base bulbs.

Flexible workstations

Marjie O'Connor — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 09:00:32 +0000

The Involve collection of office furnishings from Allsteel Inc., Muscatine, IA, includes freestanding desks, an extensive offering of casegoods, and banquette-like seating that can be configured to create a work area. Designed for flexibility, the collection is a kit of “building blocks” for whatever is needed—private office, open-plan interiors, or a range of corporate landscapes.
A key component is storage, and many designs in the series perform double duty, acting as space division as much as housing for work and personal needs. Units are stackable and include open and closed options.