Staying flexible

In 2018, Gumpo took the plunge: Together with designer duo Ana Relvão and Gerhardt Kellermann the family-run business from Dingolfing in Lower Bavaria presented a new generation of furniture at Orgatec. Minimalist in design and flexible in function, “normcore” was ahead of its time and well before the pandemic ideally equipped for the modern way of working requiring furniture that does not dominate its setting and offers solutions that are both practical and elegant. Apart from the “steno” height-adjustable table, the “temp” foldable and mobile standing desk, the Flipchart, the “pleto” trolley, the “diptic” screen wall and the “saia” high table for standing meetings, the program also includes the “dito” conference table.

Working with Sebastian Waibel, Managing Director of office furniture manufacturer Gumpo the two designers Relvão and Kellermann have expanded the collaborative portfolio through the addition of “dito Workbench” that is derived from the conference table program. “We have always felt our joint collection to be a kind of mini movement against the gaudy offices equipped with lounge furniture. After all, this kind of atmosphere is not everyone’s cup of tea and many people still enjoy working – very ‘normcore’ – at a desk. So, it was clear that we wanted to continue exploring the typology desk and adapt it to the here and now,” explains Waibel. By combining the table tops, trestles and wooden cross beams constituting the modular “dito Workbench” it is child’s play to create different work islands and configurations. Once again with its program addition Gumpo relies largely on sustainable wooden materials. “Gumpo has always been a firm that processes wood-based materials and we seek to translate our production technologies and know-how into contemporary products but without denying our past and identity. Our customers also benefit from the fact that we produce the entire 'dito' series here because it is relatively easy for us to cater to individual wishes,” says Sebastian Waibel. And when it comes to appearance the “dito Workbench” is every bit equal to the pleasantly reduced character of the original collection: With broad table legs and geometric lines the design appears streamlined and graphic.

And the inevitable tangled cables remain hidden thanks in the central cable trough tucked away above the trestles. Power outlets are easy to reach beneath a sliding panel. And if needed just like a workbench the “dito Workbench” can be fitted out with additional accessories, be they luminaires or privacy screens. Moreover, both the base and table tops can be covered in different surfaces from a melamine coating via veneer through to super matt laminates. “In light of the ongoing pandemic we are about to see a time of transition and adaptation as regards modern offices. Companies are increasingly relying on remote working but the office remains the main location for work. Its social and collaborative character will assume ever greater importance – but the office is also a place for focused work. Our aim in designing the ‘dito Workbench’ was to develop a table that integrates all the basic functions without appearing overly technical. It is a table for work that can be planned to suit the given requirements: more open to promote communication or with screens where privacy is important. We believe office furniture should support people in their work, act as a canvas for their actions and provide options for communication and self-expression while simultaneously being able to accommodate today’s technology and tools,” say the designers.