Good Thinking

Rethinking workplace design

Rethinking workplace design
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The office workplace often serves as the birthplace for innovative and creative ideas, but rarely do they themselves inspire creativity and change. The reality is that very little thought goes into the function and adaptability of office workspaces by the people who use them most, you and me. However, that could soon change with the advent of the Macropod workstation.

The Macropod workstation is the innovative brainchild of Mark Partridge, design director of UK based company Volume Products. Spacious, modern, adaptable and efficient are all words that immediately spring to mind when one sees the Macropod workstation for the first time.

Despite its compact size the MacroPod mobile workspace manages to fit a lot into its 8.5 x 16.2m cross-section. An upper and lower desk, room for a computer and printer, organized cable management including power and data sockets, dimmable lighting, spaces for filing and storage and a waste bin, all store easily into the small, foldable unit. Cluttered, claustrophobic and ill-lit workplaces may be a thing of the past with this modern innovative product now on the market. It also gives a great deal of flexibility to the floor plan of an office space, since the workstations are fully mobile all of the time. Which is possibly its most convenient feature. "When looking at various office furniture solutions, the lifetime benefits of mobile office furniture should be taken into consideration," says Co-director Liz Partridge.

The transparency of the walls offer privacy, and yet manage to create an environment that feels spacious and uncluttered by letting light in. In addition to this there are no installation costs and the open/close design of the workstation offers complete security because it is easily lockable when closed. Computers, phones, chairs and other office equipment can be locked away safely overnight and important documents cannot be accidentally thrown out by overzealous office cleaners. The advantages of its design are endless, as Liz explains. "(There is) no expenditure for the building of partition walls, the products are non fixed assets ... There are no relocation costs within a building, and your insurance premium regarding computer theft may decrease due to the added security."

The pod has been in development for the last four years and entered the market 12 months ago, although it is not yet currently available in Australia. In the meantime however, orders can be made in the UK for shipping. According to Volume, after a slow start sales are starting to take off in some unexpected parts of the world. Not surprising, as office space efficiency and functionality become more and more critical in an ever-shrinking world.

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