Style and technology: trends in office design and furnishings.

• Author: Kaelble, Steve
• Position: Office Design & Technology

The distinction between office furnishings and office technology has all but disappeared. While technology once was something that one would set upon the furniture, these days office furnishings themselves are increasingly high-tech.

"Technology should be integrated into the furniture," says Carol Payne, vice president for design and customer care at Business Furniture Corp. in Indianapolis. She cites as an example the new Pathways office systems from Steelcase, with a "Tech Wall which accommodates up to 600 cables. Pathways Post and Beam allows offices to be open to encourage collaboration, yet still enables power and data to be transported through the system," she says.

The latest Steelcase offerings also feature "Room Wizards," which are electronic signs outside of offices and meeting rooms displaying such information as room availability, Payne says.

Even traditional-looking wood desks may be infused with high-technology, according to Philip J. Gramelspacher general manager at Jasper Desk. He refers to the company's "ESD" tables and workstations. ESD stands for electrostatic discharge. "Electrostatic discharge is considered one of the primary factors that cause malfunctions in many types of electrical equipment containing computer chips," he says.

Indeed, static charges of up to 30,000 volts can be generated simply by walking across the carpet, yet even a discharge as small as seven volts can damage a sensitive device. Jasper Desk's ESD furniture has a special surface, wood and adhesive, and is grounded, directing discharges away from electronics.

"This particular product is not for everyone, but for highly sophisticated equipment that needs protection, Jasper Desk has an ESD product to help protect that equipment," Gramelspacher says. For example, "911 emergency consoles, as well as the military, are gravitating toward ESD-type workstations to protect their sensitive equipment." The technology is available not only on contemporary-looking office furnishings but also on more traditional desks, including a rolltop.

That would seem to fit with a trend spotted by Lorie Provost, director of sales at the Office Design Center in Evansville. "There is a strong crossover between a residential style while maintaining the durability and code requirement of commercial products," she says. "Manufacturers across the board are creating designs that reflect more comfortable environments."

The desire for wood is good for Jasper Desk, which "has seen an...