Headlines

Ethospace Extensions

The Ethospace system is made to evolve as work changes. The latest evolution responds to demands for versatile, efficient products that promote community, support new kinds of work, and handle sophisticated technology. These additions make Ethospace a more comprehensive system--one that can define and refine space in new, more effective ways. At the same time, Ethospace maintains the integrity of its proven, high-performance design.



Ethospace--a frame-and-tile system

In the Ethospace frame-and-tile system, structural steel frames define the work space, provide the foundation for hang-on components, and house electrical and data wires. Individual segments called tiles attach to the frames, allowing tremendous variety and control of the design and function of individual frames.

Economic Benefit

New components integrate with existing. Preserves the original investment; Ethospace evolves without becoming obsolete.

Cross-functional. Components support multiple tasks and can be reused when needs change.

Speedy installation and reconfiguration. Draw rod connectors reduce installation time; tiles, screens, and other components can be selectively replaced or rearranged with minimal disruption.

Technology Support

Lay-in cabling. Lowers cost of installation and changes; no cable threading. Zone distribution. Reduces time and costs when installing and reconfiguring data networks.

Huge capacity. The open interior holds up to 60 Category 5, 4-pair UTP cables in the base and an additional 10 cables at every 8-inches of frame height.

Flexible power. The 8-wire, 4-circuit electrical system allows circuit configurations of 3 general and 1 dedicated, 2 general and 2 dedicated, or 1 general and 3 dedicated.

High Performance

Multifunctional. Components equip individuals and teams for productive work and respond nimbly to change.

More support for collaboration. New Ethospace choices help people work together and communicate.

Off-module capability. Return walls, components, and work surfaces can attach at any point horizontally along either side of a spine wall, simplifying change and reducing the cost of churn.

Options for Expression

Range of image and atmosphere. Ethospace has always had a strong, architectural look; now it can also look open, light, and transparent.

Expanded vocabulary. New shapes and sizes, new curves and colors, new tiles--along with all the selections that have established Ethospace as a leading design.

Space Planning

Application freedom. Designers can create a great variety of work spaces, from open and collaborative to traditional and enclosed.

120-degree capability. The open angle allows more layout flexibility, more efficient use of floor space, and more openness for collaborative environments.

Design Story

Ethospace has thrived on change. That's because it was designed to do so--to evolve, to become something more than it was, to realize its ever-expanding potential. That's why the story of Ethospace is a design story. It's the design that allows Ethospace to endure and evolve. At the time of its introduction in 1984, its newness and richness, its very presence, made it stand apart regardless of anything else that it might become. It looked great, it was different, and people immediately took to it. Today, the introduction of a comprehensive expansion of the Ethospace offering serves as a clear reminder of its long-term value and amazing ability to embrace change with grace and style.

Toward the end of the 1970s, requirements for office furniture were changing due to the rapid increase in technology. So, for seven years, product designers Bill Stumpf and Jack Kelley worked together--researching the activities and processes in the office, studying the way workers interact with their workplace, and listening to what users felt made a productive office environment. During their research, they concluded that in many cases existing office environments were not responsive to user needs and to the kinds of changes taking place in modern offices.

The two designers brought an excellent mix of specialties to this study. Bill Stumpf's goal was to create a positive link between the user and his or her office. Stumpf focused his attention on adding architectural interest through product scale, texture, ergonomic characteristics, color, and natural light.

Jack Kelley added expertise in practical product applications. He stressed the need to address the increasing requirements for computers, telecommunication equipment, sophisticated power distribution, and cable management.

This collaborative effort resulted in the design of a system "wall" that surpassed industry product standards for both architectural form and practical function. In 1984, Ethospace interiors was introduced as a new type of systems product--innovative in its approach to change and responsive to functional needs.

The continuing development of Ethospace is an example of evolution in the truest sense of the word--not change for change's sake, but change that results in a strengthened existence. Ethospace was born strong and it just keeps getting stronger. It continues to be more, its frame-and-tile infrastructure providing a welcoming foundation for continuous and thoughtful change.

Jeff Weber, who designed the new Ethospace products with Stumpf, puts it this way: "Our goal is to reintroduce the concept of subarchitectural system design, to break up cellular grids and confined, box-like workstations, to make a better environment based on new work processes, yet be realistic about footprint efficiency."