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Aeron by Herman Miller While not as revolutionary as the entire science of ergonomics, the Aeron is perhaps more responsible than any other single product for contributing to the look of the modern office in the last decade of the 20th century. The office you are sitting in was probably influenced by this chair.When, in the late '80s, Herman Miller decided to terminate its innovative MetaForm research project?-?the aim of which was to develop products to aid the aging population in more independent living (such as long-term sitting, hygiene and sleeping)?-?not all of the valuable research was lost. Two of the designers working on the project, Don Chadwick and Bill Strumpf, took the lessons they learned about flexibility, variable heights and prevention of heat build-up to heart. They applied them to an object that would revitalize the struggling Herman Miller brand: the Aeron chair.Introduced first in Europe in 1994, the Aeron was radically different from any chair that had ever been designed for office use. Strumpf considered it to be "biomorphic"?-?that is, a shape similar to a living organism. "We designed the chair to be above all biomorphic, or curvilinear, as a metaphor of human form in the visual as well as the tactile sense," he explained. "There is not one straight line to be found on an Aeron chair."Another defining feature is the flexible mesh fabric pellicle that forms the seat and back. Functionally, this material allows for the free flow of air, moisture and light through the chair. Aesthetically, it helped usher in the motif of transparency that would come to dominate the office in the later half of the '90s?-?seen in such objects as the iMac. www.hermanmiller.com
The Ultimate Task
What are you doing right now? Are you at the office? If so, most likely you are sitting in a task chair. It seems like the office chair has always been and will remain a firm fixture in the everyday working life. Yet this ubiquitous object is probably one of the most important pieces of…
September 1, 2007
Osler's break with tradition is signalled by the angled orange panels that define the office's signature reception area.
The Office Design verdict: modern over traditional
Calgary prides itself on being a city that divides its loyalty between a nostalgic affection for a tradition-bound past and a commitment to a fast paced present on the cutting edge of a rapidly developing global economy. The Stampede remains a potent symbol of the former, a reminder of a seasonally measured culture that annually…
September 1, 2007
Vibrant colours play a central role in the school's design, but the reception area is kept cool and transparent.
No Joke
Toronto, Canada's self-appointed epicentre, may not forgive me for saying so, but when it comes to original creativity Montreal frequently comes out on top. While the former all too often seeks to promote cultural arts "as good as" New York, London or other so-called world-class cities, the latter prefers to set new standards. Quebec…
September 1, 2007
Located a half-block north of Toronto's artsy Queen Street West, the building is clad in vertical strips of hot pink plastic -- or, to be more accurate, custom-designed, extruded polycarbonate panels equipped with LED lighting.
In the Pink
MONDAY, MAY 28TH, 4 P.M. The grand opening of Umbra's first stand-alone store is only three days away. Construction workers and electricians dodge past our small group as we survey the concentrated mess of pine planks, steel rods and dangling wires, and wonder how they're ever going to make it. It has, after all, taken…
September 1, 2007
1--SIMPLY THE BEST
The Illuminati
1--SIMPLY THE BEST Robert Dudley Best's aluminum and brass desk lamps have been flying under the radar since their birth in 1930. But since Danish firm Gubi took over in 2004, the simple, Bauhaus-styled lamp has become most desirable. The latest model to join the Bestlite family is the large shade pendant. It stays true…
September 1, 2007
CHRYSALIS LIGHTS Made from silk cocoons, Chrysalis lights by Thai manufacturer Ango emit an ethereal, diffuse light. The empty cocoons are gathered by Thai farmers and suspended on stainless steel wires to form the playful-looking, translucent agglomerations. Chrysalis comes in table, floor and wall-mounted models. A related line, made from black-dyed cocoons, yields more somber lighting effects. www.angoworld.com
Global village
This year, the ICFF was bigger and more international than ever, with sophisticated showings from such locations as Africa, Southeast Asia and Japan. Meanwhile, North American exhibitors rivaled European designers with refined takes on modern furniture classics and innovative new materials. A sign of the increasing globalization of design, the non-Western presence among the 33…
September 1, 2007
POOL Designed by the European design team bius for Brayton International, Pool consists of short and long foam-filled benches that can be partnered, in the middle, with a connecting table (in solid maple or powdercoated MDF) to create an informal meeting space. A whimsical stool serves as a pull-up companion. There's also another table that can be ganged together with individual benches for more linear applications. Electric capability is optional. www.brayton.com
Working Beautifully
The joint was really jumping. At NeoCon this past June, every square foot of exhibit space in the Merchandise Mart - that historic pile on the Chicago River - was sold out and packed tight with exhibitors and visitors from all over the world. The fact that space was at a premium felt apt, as…
September 1, 2007
Full-height glazing made for a bright suite with great views--and allowed the design team to use very dark wood to help anchor the space.
Double Their Pleasure
When two units were combined into one in a new Vancouver condo, it provided interesting challenges for the design team at mcfarlaneGreen Architecture + Design. "We started work when the building was still being built," says design team leader Michelle Biggar. "Originally the space had been two separate suites, and the owner had them made…
September 1, 2007
Wood panelling in the lounge creates a log-cabin look.
Cabin Fever
Hot on the heels of success with West Vancouver's Ocean Club, the owners of the trendy restaurant/lounge have opened a sister location in Whistler, B.C. Sticking with the lucky formula, Vancouver-based M-Studio was again brought in to create an aesthetic that would reflect the locale, just as Ocean Club exemplified a classic Vancouver look. At…
September 1, 2007
Alberta Takes a Bite of the Big Apple
The industrial design students of the University of Alberta took Manhattan this May, the first time a Canadian design school has been accepted at ICFF. Entitled Decay, the U of A booth displayed abstracted fragments of objects from the year's furniture design studio. Students chose details from their work, enlarged them to human scale, and…
September 1, 2007

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