Everybody: Stand Up!
Oct 14, 2014
Workstations are invariably structured such that everything can be accomplished as quickly as possible without you having to get up – take emails, for example, which mean you no longer need to stand up and take a letter to the post office. But just sitting down is bad for you and back pain has long since become a widespread phenomenon. Companies are trying to counteract this by offering staff yoga courses – or new office furniture such as ergonomic office chairs, stability balls, or seat wedges destined to strengthen back and abdominal muscles.
The Danes have gone a step further, and the Health & Safety at Work Inspectorate obliges corporations to offer staff tables at which you can both sit or stand. After all, the rule of thumb is you should spend about 60 percent of your time sitting, and 40 percent standing. If this is borne in mind, not only can you pre-empt back pain, because by stretching and moving more oxygen enters your metabolism and you quite literally refresh your mind and body. And the best thing is to try this for yourself. For the tables that are best suited to this end, and are well-designed into the bargain, simply browse the compilation of new stand-or-sit tables. Or check our database. (mm)
“Choice”, Lista Office LO
This table meets all wishes, as the developers at Lista Office LO simply thought of everything. “Choice” thus comes in five versions, as a working or meeting table with legs flush with the edge of the top, but also with a protruding table top on a narrowed frame, ensuring there is enough leg room if anyone wants to sit at the head of the table. Then there are various height-adjustment options, be it small increments (68cm through 82cm) or major changes (68cm through 130cm), be it using a manual system with predefined settings or electronic adjustment across the entire range. Moreover, Lista Office LO provides a host of accessories such as acoustic and vanity panels. For all its versatility, thanks to the subtle design of the mechanical and technical parts, “Choice” is reduced to the max in terms of appearance. A veritable all-rounder.
www.lista-office.com
“DT-Line Table”, System 180, 2014
System 180 developed the “DT-Line” together with students from the Hasso Plattner Instituta at the University of Potsdam: The standing table with struts that clearly serve to carry it is castor-based – as is the associated “Whiteboard”, with the ensemble destined for mobile “stand-up meetings”. A full 106cm high, 160cm wide and 80cm deep, and boasting the typical System 180 stainless steel elements, it may not be as modular as the rest of the Berlin company’s portfolio, but has a persuasively clear appearance and great details, such as an optional drawer underneath the table top.
www.system180.com
“Funk” standing table, Lammhults, 2009
When it comes to the office world, the Swedes have a very good idea of how to combine uncomplicated, appealing designs with highly functional items. This is the case with the “Funk” table series made by Sweden’s Lammhults and designed by Johannes Foersom and Peter Hiort-Lorenzen. The steel frame with overtures of Shaker furniture about it matches the colors of the table top – either lacquered MDF or plastic. “Funk” is a serious companion for Lammhults’ at times almost coy office seating – it is essentially restrained rather than seeking to catch the eye.
www.lammhults.se
“B-Free” standing table, Steelcase, 2014
Steelcase’s solution to digital and flexible working worlds goes by the name of “B-Free”. It’s a series of seats and writing furniture that comes in three different heights (seating, lounging or standing) and with elements that can be combined in different ways. The “B-Free” standing tables have a height of 100cm, drawers and cable connections for laptops or tablet PCs, making them especially suited for mobile work. For all the zest for freedom, Steelcase gives a word of caution to many interior designers: A study the US company commissioned and recently published shows that staff in open-space offices often lack a space to which grants a little privacy, something that lowers motivation and performance levels. Wall screens such as those in the picture mark a small step to improve things.
www.steelcase.com
“ArchiMeda”, Vitra, 2008
What happens if a major designer tackles a highly functional task? Well, often the outcome is equally great. And this is certainly the case with “ArchiMeda”, a refined sitting/standing table by the G.O.M. of current Italian design, Alberto Meda. With its scissor base-frame, the table and its wooden top can simply be stretched upward from 68cm to 133cm, without forfeiting any of its elegance. And “ArchiMeda” loses none of its stability when stretching thanks to the special glides attached to the feet. So, why not emulate the table and practice stretching now and again.
www.vitra.com
“360° TABLE”, Magis, 2009
Typically Konstantin Grcic: Borrowing from customary draughtsman’s tables, the “360” table can be cranked up to a height of 95cm. It is very stable thanks to the central aluminum column. The table top is available in two versions (120cm or 140cm by 90cm) and made of lacquered MDF. The ideal companions: the slender “360” chair and the made-to-fit container. Not a simple table to work at, but one that stands tall.
www.magisdesign.com
“Exec-V”, Walter Knoll, 2008
Who if not Walter Knoll could give a height-adjustable table a really luxurious feel? And has done so in the form of “Exec-V”. Chromed telescoping legs, hidden cable ducts, and a large selection of grand wooden veneers mean “Exec-V” is an ideal assistant for any executive, as its name suggests. It supports not only all the highly responsible activities involved, but also CEOs’ health by getting them out of their chairs. Making “Exec-V” the Rolls-Royce among the height-adjustable desks.
www.walterknoll.de
“Travis”, Wilkhahn
Wilkhahn has long since stood for ergonomic sitting and has launched any number of office chairs that possess attributes such as a Trimension synchro adjustment, meaning the seat shell adapts to the user’s different movements. And “Travis” fits in well with this approach. A meeting table which up to 12 people can stand around, and the height adjusts electrically to any position between 71 and 118 centimeters. Moreover, the standalone stands out: for its simple beauty. The frame is available in chrome, satin silver or satin black, the table tops in a variety of wooden veneers or with plastic laminates. “Travis” comes in three sizes, including the concave top.
www.wilkhahn.com
“D1” sitting/standing table, Denz Office, 2011
Denz’s office furniture systems have always hinged on clear and customized solutions. In order to expand the “D1” modular portfolio consisting of shelves, containers, cupboards and tables, in 2011 the Swiss furniture maker teamed up with the Zurich-based design cooperative “Nose”. The result: a table which can be set at any height electrically, and boasts an ingenious cable management system accessed via a sliding top. The plastic-laminated wooden top is combined with a powder-coated steel base. A systematic liftboy and 100-percent “Swiss-made” into the bargain.
www.denz.ch
“Canti”, Martela
Here comes the Finns is the order of the day in Frankfurt, where the book fair has rolled out the carpet for Finland as its guest of honor. Only fitting then that our collection also features a Finnish contribution. “Canti” by Helsinki’s Martela was designed by Pekka Toivola, is available in black or white, and boasts an electric motor that raises the table up from 65cm to as much as 125cm. In addition, there’s an add-on vanity screen for “Canti” not to mention special drawers that prevent cables getting all twisted up. And it’s a recycling marvel: Of the total manufacturing CO2 footprint of 55.5kg a full 36kg can be recouped after use through the recycling value chain.
www.martela.com
“Winea Pro” Standing/sitting table, WINI
The “Winea Pro” series by Wini from Central Germany entails a complete modular system of height-adjustable tables. “Winea Pro” can stand on its own four feet (up to 85cm high) or on two legs on a C or T frame (up to 125cm high). Options such as acoustic and vanity panels, cable, PC and printer trays or container supports make it a true multifunctional device. And just about any desire is catered for given a color range including titanium white, volcano black, white aluminum or polished chrome as well as different lift functions, be it electric or using the patented press-button or crank mechanisms.
www. wini-mein-buero.de
“Table.T”, König + Neurath
With its “Table.T”, König + Neurath has presented a new generation of height-adjustable desks. In addition to the customary superior technical basics, this model scores high with its appealing design. For example, the table top is available with different wooden veneers, the vanity screens are made of opaque Perspex, and there’s a cable tray with a textile bag under the sliding table top to maximize order and structure. The interaction of wing-like traverse, restrained telescopic foot, and a color combination consisting of silver, cream and wood make certain “Table.T” looks less technical and all the more elegant.
www.koenig-neurath.de
“Kitos”, USM, 2012
“Kitos” fully embraces the USM style. While it may lack the typical ball-connector the USM shelf systems sport, it is just as straight-lined in appearance, and just as flexible. The advantages stem from the way you can combine different options. There are three different frame types, four table-top shapes (rectangular, hexagonal, round and square) and adapters for different table-top accessories (“Kitos E Plus”) and a slide-flap function covering the cable duct (“Kitos E Advanced”). Thanks to its tilt function, stable base (the result of the tautening ring) when the telescope frame is fully extended at 130cm it is more than just a standing table, but a technically mature work engine.
www.usm.com
“Tyde”, Vitra, 2012
“Tyde”, designed by the brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, is an impressive and contemporary interpretation of a flexible standing/sitting table. Alongside different height adjustment variants (electric, set heights, crank), “Tyde” scores tops above all with its acoustic vanity screen made of sound-absorbent woven polyester. The variety of materials and different colors mean “Tyde” feels less serious and more playful and leisurely. Add-on features such as the technical beam, to which screens, PCs (in this case not close to the floor but to the table top) and lights can be fastened, mean “Tyde” is a small space marvel. Anyone wishing to use it to advantage in meetings, too, can opt for one of the meeting tables with the same specs.
www.vitra.com
“HA2 Work”, Montana
Proverbial Danish design: plain, elegant and functional. “HA2 Table” designed jointly by Peter J. Lassen and his son Joakim, owner and MD of Danish furniture-makers Montana, fits the bill perfectly. Three versions are available, with either a manual or electric height adjustment system up to a maximum of 130cm; moreover there are 29 different table top formats (up to 240cm by 120cm) as well as tops made of laminated, linoleum, aluminum or with wooden veneer. On top there is a desk designed by Stefan Wewerka. Meaning the table is fit for countless different functions and perfectly meets the Danish government regulations on workplaces, which center on height-adjustable tables.
www.montana.dk
“06 Table”, “Tools for life”, Knoll International, 2013
On the occasion of the company’s 75th anniversary, Knoll International joined forces with Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) and Rem Koolhaas and in 2013 presented its “Tools for Life” at Milan’s Salone del Mobile – to great effect in the Fondazione Prada. OMA’s very first furniture collection is made up of 11 parts, running from a counter, shelves and armchairs through to tables. Selected and solid materials such as marble, travertine, glass, acrylic, and leather are all combined with high-tech dreamed up by Italy’s Goppion company. The real highlight was the electrically height-adjustable table called “06 Table” with its two glass tops, a table that would fit perfectly in M’s office. One table is not enough.
www.knoll.com
“T-Lift Desk”, Bene
Keep your body in motion and your thoughts in flux, or so the product description for Bene’s “T-Lift Desk” reads. It was designed by Christian Horner, Johannes Scherr and Kai Stania and comes complete with a “Softstop” and “Softstart” motor that moves it through 50mm a second up to a top height of 135cm – as good as silently, given a noise level of less than 41 decibels. A memory function makes it all the easier to use. Table-tops are available in different surfaces and various shapes (rectangular or for example shape rounded on user side), also the dimensions are variable (depth 80/90/100 centimeters and width 100 until 200 centimeters). The table integrates flexibly into office worlds thanks to the range of back screens.
www.bene.com
“String Works”, String, 2014
String only makes shelves? No way! At the next Orgatec, the Swedish furniture maker based in Malmö will be presenting as part of its new “String Works” a desk that can be set as high as 118.5cm. Of course it boasts all the typical functions such as concealed cable ducts, PC trays and an optional flat drawer beneath the top. An absolute innovation: The height-adjustment mechanism is hidden away in the triangular base frame – and the result is a sweetly refined alternative to the often bulky looking sitting/standing tables. So String really knows how to design tables. Eureka!
www.string.se
There’s just one small problem given so many tables that rise up to the height you require and set you in motion into the bargain: You still have to do the work yourself.
