What will the office of the future look like? It’s an oft-asked question these days as the workplace continues to evolve, moving from the era of the cubicle to the open office and now settling quite comfortably on a landscape with a more residential look and feel.
“Office space today is being used differently, with an emphasis on making the environment more inviting and comfortable for users,” explains Ami Kvas, Director Product Management, Casegoods and Custom Solutions, Teknion. “Biophilia – bringing elements of nature, daylight and natural materials indoors – is a component of this movement. The craft and use of wood exhibited by our new collection of Punt furnishings introduces a warm, inviting and relaxing tone to the workplace, along with an elegance and comfort of home.”
The trend toward residential/commercial office landscapes was front and center at NeoCon this past June in Chicago, and at Orgatec in Cologne during October. More and more designers and manufacturers are creating new workplace furnishings that address the blurring of residential spaces and traditional offices. Just prior to NeoCon, Teknion announced the new partnership with distinguished Spanish furniture company Punt Mobles. More than just a distribution agreement, Teknion will be manufacturing four popular Punt wood product lines in North America.
Teknion is, as expected, excited about the possibilities this partnership presents. And so is Punt.
“We recognize Teknion as the ideal partner, and fully capable of producing our signature wood products centered around Art and Design,” said Mariano Soria, CEO, Punt Mobles. “Teknion shares with us the same high level of care required to execute Punt’s design details and level of skilled craftsmanship.”
Teknion’s Kvas elaborates: “The Punt furnishings will be crafted at our high-end Teknion Solutions facility in Calgary, Alberta, providing clients with shorter lead times and a North American shipping address,” she says. “Rich in design culture, Punt embraces a new kind of sophistication in the quality and combination of materials used, along with precise styling in its contemporary furniture. Our level of attention and skill align perfectly with the values of Punt.”
Furnishings from the new Teknion Punt Collection for North America are offered as a boutique collection appropriate for private offices and meeting spaces, where a warm, residential and sophisticated ambience is desired. This classic mid-century offering comprises the Literatura Open Shelf System, Mava Wood Guest Chair, Mitis Table and Stockholm Credenza. These beautiful pieces can be showcased alongside Teknion standard product as signature designer elements to personalize, complement or transition any workspace.
Literatura Open Shelf System
Literatura is an open bookcase featuring a small, distinctive storage unit on casters ideal for displaying works of art, music, photos, souvenirs and what-nots. Literatura integrates with all kinds of architecture and interior design works. This “light, balanced collection of cubby holes” can also be used as a room partition. Literatura is designed by Vicent Martinez.
Mava Wood Guest Chair
Mava is an elegant wooden armchair with a solid oak or walnut wood frame. Its light appearance makes it the perfect guest chair by bringing a unique element of warmth to smaller spaces. Mava is inspired by the image of original wooden clothes-pegs from the early 20th century. Its legs are similarly slotted to hold the backrest, which has a wide, open form that seems to fly in the wind like a piece of cloth. Stephanie Jasny is the designer behind Mava.
Mitis Table
Mitis, from the Latin word for lightweight, is a collection of rectangular wood tables. Mitis is available with an optional glass top that offers a natural, essential and consistent expression. Mitis offers a solid appearance and exquisite detail both in the tabletop and trestle-like grooved legs. Tables are available in three heights and widths to accommodate both private offices and large meeting rooms. This table collection was designed by Marios Ruiz.
Stockholm Credenza
Also designed by Mario Ruiz, Stockholm conveys a new kind of sophistication with its combination of wood and metal materials. For a lighter appearance there is a metal base. Or, Stockholm can be mounted to the wall. The credenza doors and drawers are without handles, showcasing the beauty and natural appearance of the wood grain as it flows across the storage fronts. Stockholm is finished with an elegant anodized aluminum top, which features precise styling and balanced radii.
“We have long employed some of the best Red Seal Certified journeymen cabinet makers and craftsmen in the industry,” concludes Kvas. “Finding the balance of using state-of-the-art equipment while never sacrificing the human component of care and attention to detail has been key to producing custom and production products with the highest-level quality and craft. It’s a challenge that we welcome, and a great opportunity to contribute to the trend of more residential look and feel in the modern workplace.”