Dezeen Showroom: research suggests people prefer to have their backs to the wall in open-plan workspaces, so Form Us With Love has developed a furniture system that simulates the experience.
The design studio worked with Danish manufacturer +Halle to create Cubicle, a furniture design it describes as a "bench and wall system".
Launched during Copenhagen's 3 Days of Design festival, Cubicle is designed to replicate the specific qualities that people look for when finding a seat in an open indoor workspace such as a library or co-working office.
It draws directly from the PhD research of engineer Andrew Khoudi, whose thesis investigated the topic.
By analysing data collected from four zones in Dokk1, Scandinavia's biggest library, Khoudi's research found that people preferred to sit with their backs to the wall facing outwards, either for individual focus work or group collaboration.
"In a lot of settings, the majority of the people want their back covered with the potential to overview the room, so we could relate to Andrew's research," said John Löfgren, co-founder of Form Us With Love.
Armed with this knowledge, Form Us With Love developed a family of freestanding furniture pieces that look like they are set against a low wall.
The designs take their cues from diner booths and train carriages, both examples of semi-rooms within larger spaces.
"We had a discussion about where you feel most productive and at the same time at ease," Löfgren told Dezeen.
"With all the easy, portable technology that is part of your toolbox today, we just want to offer a platform with the essentials for the user to feel comfortable in, either to do laptop-related work or have a tete-a-tete with a colleague."
The design comes in a few variations but the setup always involves a 1.2-metre-high backdrop, one or more bench seats and small integrated tables.
These elements are realised with as little material as possible. The entire structure is formed of oak-veneered plywood with optional upholstery and power sockets integrated beneath the seat.
The project forms the latest in a series of +Halle products that look towards the future of the workplace, with others including the multi-use Sui Desk Chair and the cocooning Proto chairs.
The ideas behind these designs emerge from the Annual Briefing, an initiative that sees the brand invite different speakers to share their insights into how changing behaviours will shape the furniture of the future.
"Advancements in creative thinking, critical thinking and problem-solving call for an updated conceptualisation of our workspaces," said +Halle creative director Martin Halle.
"We are moving away from the open-plan office to respect the individual and at the same time nurture small-scale communal seating areas."
With the name Cubicle, this latest design deliberately references the office cubicle of the 1960s.
Form Us With Loves hopes to show how the traditional cubicle can be adapted for the modern workplace, offering a sense of comfortable enclosure rather than confinement.
Other experimental furniture designs from the studio include a reconfigurable hammock designed to replace the sofa and a collection of pegboard-inspired furniture for the Form Us With Love studio.
Product: Cubicle
Designer: Form Us With Love
Brand: +Halle
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