Treat your bum

We're pleased to see a chair from one of our old projects still going strong outside L'Epicerie cafe and deli in Chatsworth Road.  Formally gracing the restaurant of The Pool Bar in Curtain Road this robust plywood chair has lasted to bring joy to bums for over 10 years.

Standup routine. Rachel's diary. Day 2

Maybe it's the gravity but this standing up is making me make unexpected mid afternoon visits to the wc!  There's definitively something going on with my skeleton, there's a lightness in my rib cage and my hips feel open.

Balustrades

Its for the kids.  The Horniman Museum in London is a great holiday destination for parents looking to occupy children this summer and takes health and safety seriously with this twin rail.

Standup routine. Rachel's diary. Day 1

Working on the refurbishment of IDEO london has provoked a radical move in the office as Rachel tests out standup working.

Push back the Herman miller adjustable, out with the boxes to prop up the computer and i'm ready to go.  Putting my money where my mouth is I'm trying out the standing desk.

Feeling somewhat conspicuous my standing soon attracts attention from others in the office and animated discussion into the health benefits of the chair stoke up. The Horizon programme is brought up and opinions are thrown round the room.

I'm finding it easier to break away and get a drink, move to another desk to do some sketching, choose materials, look at a book on the shelf. it feels a bit distracting or maybe that actually standing up is reducing the time I stand in front of the computer. The chair isn't trapping me in.

End of the day my upper body feels open, like my ribs have been hung up from my shoulders. My hips feel looser but I have a groin strain. Is it really that much of a shock for my body after 20 years of sitting at a desk .

I feel like I slept better and still have that feeling of open ribs the next day, groin still hurts and calves are tired. 

Keep on moving

Reports today on how that inactivity is a deadly as smoking seem obvious enough-exercise is good for you right?-but whilst we may get out for a brisk walk or run around the park research from Australia suggests that a day sat in the office could be just as bad for you.  Sitting down too long increases your risk of dying, even if you are already physically active. 

The stand up workplace could provide a solution allowing workers to be mobile.  Humanscale's Float table changes height enabling rapid change between sitting and standing.  Humanscale, whose strap line is "creating a more comfortable place to work" specialise in ergonomically designed products to improve the experience of desk bound workers.

Have a look at their recommendations for a Healthy Workstation

Standup routine?

We're always looking at new ways of working to improve the environment and experience of employees. Standing up at work is being promoted by several office furniture manufacturers as an option to provide an alternative to conventional chair bound work.  We like to practice what we preach so we're trialling the standup workplace in Forster Inc's London office to see how it works and to understand the benefits, side effects and any problems.

Its a big step to change but we anticipate that stand up working will become more popular.   Rachel is keeping a diary of her experience and we'll bring you the results of how she gets on here.

Learning Spaces. Plymouth University

We're working with Plymouth University's 3D department to reorganise their design studios.  With a brief to encourage peer learning and create an environment where creativity and collaboration can flourish we're aiming to design a dynamic and adaptable space that can cater for 180 students.

The studios are teaching spaces with groups of 15-30 students working on 6 week modules studying the 3 specialisms of Designer Maker, Product design and Spatial and Interior Design.

We'll be documenting the progress as we design, test and prototype this project.