Speakers: Jurgen Bey (PROOFFLab) & Sam Hecht (Industrial Facility), moderator: Gareth Williams

With PROOFFLAB Dutch designer Jurgen Bey explores PROgressive OFFice furniture. He caused amazement with his Earchair that proved to be excellent for meeting and privacy in current office environments. Sam Hecht of Industrial Facility designed Locale for Herman Miller a system that enables people to switch easily between working together and alone, seated or standing, and to connected to their work and each other. Gareth Williams speaks with both about new approaches for office environments.

Date: 24 May
Venue: Goldsmiths' Centre, 42 Britton Street Clerkenwell, London
Doors open for breakfasts and coffees: 9.00 am
Salon conversations: 9:30-10:30 am

BOOK SEATS: here

On CDW UK-NL salons:
Work and the workplace has changed a lot in the past 30 years. The traditional swivel chair and filing cabinet have long gone, the filing cabinets are in our computers and the workspace has grown more domestic. Offices are open and have become islands for logging in and out. We increasingly work from trains, cafes, lounges, lobbies and our homes.
What impact does that have on furniture, furniture production, typologies and needs? How do designers and how does the design industry deal with this? Are the traditional contract and domestic companies equipped to deal with these changes or do we need a different approach?

In the past years the Dutch and the British both developed new concepts for work environments. UK designers often seem to work with leading contract companies on new office programs for future offices. Traditionally the Dutch approach seems to be more self initiated, conceptual and experimental. But are these observations right? Are there differences and similarities in thoughts and goals. Are we all asking and looking at the same questions and can we solve some? These are some of the issues to be touched in the upcoming CDW conversations on 'furniture and work environments'.

Full info on all UK-NL Clerkenwell events via this link.
See film impression here