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Officelayout 169
aprile-giugno 2017
Furnishings: tools of quality
and comfort
The variegated workscape of the EY
headquarters called for a careful selection
of furnishings, to interpret the dynamics of
the project while providing high levels of
quality and comfort.
“Flexible use, functional and aesthetic
quality are the criteria behind the choice of
furnishings, conducted through bidding to
find the products of leading companies with
a particular focus on materials and finishes –
Riva explains. – Another key factor was the
level of service offered by the supplier,
because the creation of about 20,000 sqm
of office space required the ability to
manage a complex machine on a tight
schedule. The final choices were also the
result of interaction with people in the
company, asked to express their opinions
after looking at mock-ups created to test
performance and comfort.”
So the furnishings are seen not as a
commodity, but as tools capable of
bringing value in line with the objectives
set by the project.
A seat for every need
Special attention was paid to the choice of
seating to support smart working modes
and to facilitate the creation of training
rooms for easy reconfiguration, as well as
interactive meeting rooms. Again in this
case, the criteria behind the selection were
formal and functional quality, and the
wellbeing of human resources. The chosen
solutions were developed by
Steelcase
based on studies and research on how
people interact in the work environment,
creating involvement and a sense of
belonging, to promote the wellbeing of the
organization and to attract the best talents.
“With EY we are collaborating on a global
level – says
Paola Munari
, strategic
account manager in Italy for Steelcase. – In
Italy, with our dealer-partner Office
Solutions, we worked with the local team
and the architecture studio DEGW to create
a workspace that would correspond to the
strategies of the client, offering continuity and
comfort for personnel. The selection of
products was made to provide precise
responses to the project objectives. In the
open-plan areas, for example, with
workstations used by different people every
day, we have utilized the Think seats, which
automatically adjust themselves to the weight
of the user, reacting to the movements of the
human body. In the training areas the need for
quick reconfiguration led to the choice of
the Node seats, which combined with the
Verb tables encourage and support
teamwork interaction and eye-to-eye
connection, making it possible to shift from
conference mode to teamwork mode in a
seamless way. For training areas where it
was necessary to optimize utilization of
space, we opted for the Eastside seats on
wheels, which are easy to stack for storage,
and the FlipTop folding tables.”
Training Area - Sedute Eastside
Open Space - Sedute Think