Ethospace interiors was the first frame-and-tile system, and set the standard for this powerful and intelligent office systems model.
Features and benefits
Worksurfaces are adjustable in 25mm increments to ensure optimum height for various-sized individuals and for varied work processes.
Task lights spread light evenly over worksurfaces to provide light for paper-based procedures and eliminate glare for computer tasks.
Rail tiles and associated work tools allow individuals to personalise their storage needs and better support their specific material retrieval tasks and preferences.
Acoustical tiles can be positioned where most needed to absorb sound and minimise distractions.
Peninsula worksurfaces provide space for in-office conferences as well as paperwork.
Adjustable keyboard tray allows individuals to correctly position the keyboard to be ergonomically correct.
Cable access tiles offer convenient positions for electrical receptacles or communications jacks.
Window tiles can be positioned selectively to allow visual access yet preserve privacy.
Storage alternatives include storage cabinets and lateral files.
Tackable tiles allow materials to be displayed for easy retrieval or recall.
Surface tiles clip onto steel frames that link together to form the foundation of an Ethospace wall. Tiles attach to both sides of the frame and may be selectively replaced or rearranged to accommodate changes in the function, colour, or character of an Ethospace wall.
Fabric-covered tiles can be easily reupholstered on-site to repair damage or update the look of a wall.
Draw rods, included with each frame, form sturdy, straight-line connections between frames or attach frames to rigid 90-degree connectors.
The open frame behind Ethospace tiles simplifies the installation of wires and cables, and makes changes down the road easy. Removable tiles and fold-down baseline covers allow lay-in installation and easy access to cables, reducing the cost and time necessitated by new equipment or new workstation configurations.
Cable access tiles allow workers to have access to as much power as they need, at any height on the frame. Each tile provides two receptacle locations to manage cables and provide electrical or cable access.
Workers can customize the interior of Ethospace work cabinets with shelves, file drawers, rail bars, or preconfigured kits of interior storage components. Kits are available in configurations to match work-cabinet dimensions, and each offers four different combinations of file drawers, shelves, shelf dividers, wire bins, display shelves, and rail bars.
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A complete solution
By redefining the basic elements of office architecture, the Ethospace system achieves an aesthetic and functional flexibility beyond conventional office systems.
This flexibility translates into a wise investment, especially for companies facing accelerated change.
Hidden among the elegant shapes, patterns, and textures of an Ethospace environment is the uniquely efficient frame-and-tile wall. Sturdy steel wall frames hold a wide variety of tile-shaped skins.
Every tile performs a function, either as part of the design scheme or as a support tool for the worker. And since tiles can easily be replaced, it’s simple to update the function or look of a small section or an entire area.
By varying wall heights and tiles, designers can create a great variety of workspaces with one coherent system of products. And because Ethospace support cabinets, tiles, and work tools give workers more control over their own space, an Ethospace environment can achieve nuances in function that will turn each workstation into a performance centre.
Adaptability down to the details applies to energy and cable management as well. With the most versatile and easily altered energy and data or voice cable management features in the industry, the Ethospace system enables businesses to cope gracefully with one of the most costly and vexing areas of rapid change in today’s offices.
When large-scale changes are required, the basic units can be interchanged or reconfigured with minimum waste. By enabling businesses to reuse more of the initial purchase as years go by and respond more easily to changes, Ethospace interiors helps reduce the cost of maintenance, management, and updating.
In a world of strained budgets and unpredictable changes, the Ethospace system is a wise investment for the future.
All of the performance and investment benefits of the Ethospace system are now incorporated into part of the Vantage system, which also has a wider range of components, finishes, and wire management options.
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Design story
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 had spent many years researching how people worked in office spaces and what was important to them. His goal was to create a positive link between the user and his or her office. Recognizing the direct relationship between how workers feel about their environment and how productive they are, Stumpf focused his attention on adding architectural interest through product scale, texture, ergonomic characteristics, colour, 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 and to integrate them effectively into the office environment.
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.
One of the most revolutionary characteristics of the new Ethospace wall was the fact that it was designed to simulate the functional characteristics of a structural wall, with features built into the product rather than added as hang-on components. In fact, the original design plans for the Ethospace wall did not include any hang-on components. Because the Ethospace wall was designed independently to function independently, it can be used to support the hang-on components later added to the line, be used with freestanding furniture, or a combination of the two.
In order to reinforce the stand-alone qualities of the wall, Ethospace support cabinets were added in 1988 with the primary purpose of removing storage components from the vertical surface - to let the wall be a wall and perform the functions it does best. (Through the creative design skills of Geoff Hollington and Jean Bierise, Ethospace support cabinets reflect the same design parameters as the original wall: the cabinets connect directly to Ethospace walls to provide support, or they can be used freestanding.
