trends in the furniture industry

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Trends in the Furniture Industry DeLinda Forsythe, President / Owner

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Page 1: Trends in the Furniture Industry

Trends in the Furniture IndustryDeLinda Forsythe, President / Owner

Page 2: Trends in the Furniture Industry

Sitting found harmful to your health

36% of employees work from a traditional office and remain seated 90-95% of their day.

Sitting for long periods of time may impact one’s health leading to:

Back Pain Poor Blood Circulation Fatigue Static Muscle Exertion – leading to cramping Reduced Productivity

Page 3: Trends in the Furniture Industry

Sitting found harmful to your health

Scientists at the University of Missouri have found that the act of sitting seems to shut off the circulation of a fat-absorbing enzyme called lipase.

A study published by the American Journal of Epidemiology showed that sitting for long stretches, more than six hours a day, can make someone at least 18% more likely to die from diabetes, heart disease and obesity than those sitting less than three hours a day.

Scientists at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana analyzed the lifestyles of more than 17,000 men and women over about 13 years, and found that people who sit for most of the day are 54% more likely to die of heart attacks.

Page 4: Trends in the Furniture Industry

Effects of Poor Ergonomics

In studying how people interact with their work environment, Glaen Cranz, Professor of Architecture at UC Berkeley, author of The Chair: Rethinking Culture, Body and Design, and a founding member of the International Association for Body Conscious Design explains, “People can’t fully take advantage of their ergonomic features built into the typical office chair once they are engaged with their computers. They tend to lean over their work as their hands and eyes become engaged with the keyboard and screen, their side-to-side movements become locked in by their chair. As the body, keyboard and screen form a new machine, our bodies assume a static, unhealthy posture they were never designed to hold”

When seated improperly in a chair, the spine slumps into an unhealthy “C” curve with the body to thigh at 90 degrees.

Page 5: Trends in the Furniture Industry

How many of you sit like this?

Page 6: Trends in the Furniture Industry

Correct Ergonomics

Maintain a Healthy Posture, sitting back in chair, keeping legs forward and feet flat on floor.

Maintain a neutral wrist posture, with your arms allowed to hang vertically. Forearms should not bend more than 20 degrees above horizontal. Mouse should be within easy reach.

Monitor height adjusted so that center is at your eye level, and is between 20”-40” from face.

Place items on desk within reach to avoid over extending your reach for any items.

Telephone headset should be used if you need to be on the phone while typing to avoid neck injuries.

Task lighting should be available to avoid glare and eye strain.

Take frequent breaks to stretch and stand.

Page 7: Trends in the Furniture Industry

The Sit Stand Alternative

Utilizing Sit Stand Desks and Tables increases productivity while allowing a user to change position without having to stop working and leave their desk. The user has the ability to adapt their environment at will, leading to a feeling of increased command of their personal space.

This function leads to increased comfort, wellness, energy & sense of well being.

Studies have found standing for just 2 hours a day burns 340 additional calories!

Page 8: Trends in the Furniture Industry

Standing Stations – it’s the trend for the millennials’!

Facebook has more than 250 employees using standing desks, as employees have been asking for them after medical reports described the health concerns of sitting for extended periods. Facebook has said that standing tables keep the energy level high in the office. Facebook recruiter Greg Hoy told the Wall Street Journal, "I don't get the 3 o'clock slump anymore, I feel active all day long.“

Google offers standing desks as part of its employee-wellness program. That means that any employee looking out for his or her health can choose to work at a standing desk.

Page 9: Trends in the Furniture Industry

What is Sound-Masking ?

Sound-Masking is electronically generated, unobtrusive ambient sound that is tuned to work in harmony with other acoustical factors such as ceilings, furniture, and walls.

Page 10: Trends in the Furniture Industry

Sound-Masking - The Why Behind It.

Sound masking is the only acoustical treatment that addresses all sound paths.

The acoustical effect of walls, carpets and ceilings are static; sound masking can be tuned and adjusted as needed.

Adding sound masking to an open office space is the acoustical equivalent of tripling the distance between workers!

Page 11: Trends in the Furniture Industry

Sound-Masking – What Are The Benefits ?

Sound masking systems reduce conversational distractions while increasing worker concentration, productivity, accuracy and satisfaction.

Today's green buildings introduce new acoustical challenges. Adding sound masking can help solve the lack of privacy caused by decreasing workstation heights and less room absorption.

Page 12: Trends in the Furniture Industry

Sound-Masking – How is it Installed?

Sound masking speakers are installed such that one cannot discern where the masking sound is coming from.

Typically, upward-firing speakers installed above suspended ceilings uniformly fill the occupied space below.

Speakers can be installed above suspended ceilings, below raised access floors and in open structure.

Page 13: Trends in the Furniture Industry

Sound-Masking – Ideal Situation

Absorb sound with acoustical ceilings, panels, baffles, and floor coverings. While using sound absorptive materials is necessary, care must be taken since this can reduce the background sound level too much, making the workplace appear noisier and less private.

Block sound with walls, doors, systems furniture panels, and sound attenuators.

Cover distracting conversations by increasing the background sound level with a sound masking system

Page 14: Trends in the Furniture Industry

Sound-Masking – What is the Cost?

Recent studies reported open plan speech noise distraction as the #1 facilities problem for employees.

Case studies, conducted with five major U.S. corporations, show: 71% of employees rated open plan speech distraction as their biggest workplace distraction.

Page 15: Trends in the Furniture Industry

In recent years, due to increasing workstation densities and office teaming trends, distracting speech noise levels have significantly increased.

According to estimates, 85% of U.S. offices are not designed to address speech noise distraction issues.

Reasons include the lack of awareness of the magnitude of speech noise problems and the lack of awareness of cost effective solutions.

Sound-Masking – What is the Cost?

Page 16: Trends in the Furniture Industry

Sound-Masking – What is the Cost?

Site Conditions drive cost

Questions to consider: Square footage of

entire space? Ceiling Type ; tile,

open, clouds, hard lid? Construction,

Occupied?

Page 17: Trends in the Furniture Industry

Current industry trends: Low panels and open workspaces Adaptability, change and flexibility are key

words Pros to low panels and open environments:

Lets in the outside world and much more natural light

Enables employee collaboration Cons: Sounds travels more freely!

Sound-Masking – Industry Trends

Page 18: Trends in the Furniture Industry

Sound-Masking as the solution! Controls the noises travelling more freely by

countering lower ambient noise Masking, paging, and playing music are all

controllable to the speaker level Speakers are all independent, yet networked

together This makes it an adaptive system that can

be re-programmed based on space changes

Sound-Masking – Industry Trends

Page 19: Trends in the Furniture Industry

Thank you for choosing ICE for all of your contract and hospitality

furniture needs!