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Workbench is hosting breakfast talks on the 9th and 10th September 9am -9.30 . If you are new to the industry or just want to refresh your memory we will be giving a short seminar on specifying veneers, laminates and glass. We will be joined by Arpa UK manufacturers of FENIX and GX Glass to discuss applications, tolerances, environmental impact and debunk some of the abbreviations you might find on tenders. There are limited places so if you would like to join us for breakfast please contact Heather@workbenchltd.co.uk.

Contrasting materials in complimentary colours. We @workbench recently completed a project where a palette of complimentary colours were specified for table tops but in different materials. Using different materials on a table top needs consideration. Workbench collaborated with ID:SR and The Furniture Practice detailing a client facing meeting suite with a combination of Fenix laminate, bronze inlay, Corian solid surface and timber veneer. All of these materials move and react to heat and moisture in a different way. Metal inlays in table tops are notoriously temperamental. @Workbench we prefer a mechanical fix detail if actual metal inlays or lipping are used, but a great alternative to this is the specification of a metal laminate. Nearly all of the main laminate manufacturers have metal decorative laminates in their collection that have a very good likeness to the material they replicate. If laid correctly it is very difficult to see the difference from the real deal. The advantage of a metal laminate is that it is much more stable and elimates the movement issue often experienced with metal enabling us to realise our clients vision and remove any potential movement issues in the future. Designed by us, tailored by you.

It has long been the case that corporate furniture demands the inclusion of technology. Over the past year the corporate furniture market has had to leap at warp speed to make sure that technology, and most importantly communications technology, is accessible for teams wherever they may be working. So often throughout history, moments of intense difficulty or crisis have been accompanied by technology and innovation forging ahead at a relentless pace. As we see offices swing back into operation, albeit in a more fluid way, the seamless integration of technology into our office spaces and homes, and our ability as designers to meet these demands, will be ever more critical. Even the most exclusive interiors are having to accept this requirement. @Workbench we believe this doesn't mean that you have to ruin your statement boardroom table with reluctantly installed comms equipment, or for that matter clutter the clean lines of your touchdown collaboration space with the look of a 1980’s dealer desk, because at the same time as the requirement has moved on, so has the technology. Companies like Arthur Holm, Crestron and Office Electrics to name a few, have all developed their product ranges to meet this demand, which means we @Workbench are continually developing furniture that can provide the latest technology driven solutions, without driving out your creative aspiration.

We could argue that we have "done time” over the past year, and as return to work plans start to be confirmed we now need to focus on SPACE. We are all used to talking about office SPACE, but as we make plans to head back to the office we have been talking to clients about SPACE and Social D i s t a n c i n g. Effective use of SPACE is perhaps already the biggest consideration in the workplace, and maybe for too long we have squeezed too many people into the SPACE we have available, especially in city offices. The observation seems to be that although more people will be working from home, the square foot of office SPACE won't change as those that are in the office will be more generously accommodated in line with new health and well being protocols. Communal open SPACE and informal meeting areas within buildings where colleagues can meet and collaborate are already very much at the forefront of office design, and post lockdown they will be top of the list. Creating a SPACE that delivers openness both physically and aesthetically is generating some beautiful designs that are genuinely revolutionising the workplace for the better. Reconnecting with nature in the working environment, quick change furniture, multifunctional furniture and biophilic installations are all influencing the solutions that we @workbenchltd are designing for our clients, and we are not alone. The exciting new Animate charge anywhere products from OE Electrics are trailblazing the options for flexible working, and Innerspace Cheshire continue to deliver innovative natural finishes that bring a some of that great outdoors indoors, enabling interior designers to create the SPACE we all need.

@Workbenchltd - A Road Less Travelled During our journey to ISO 14001, we at Workbench have looked at all the ways we can reduce our carbon footprint, the aim being to deliver projects in a way that enables our clients to achieve their own environmental targets. It is our belief that whilst this starts with the design process, often the biggest impact is manufacture. We aim to source materials as locally as possible and procure from companies that demonstrate the highest environmental standards. By far our biggest push to be carbon neutral centres where possible on manufacturing only in the UK, so our products have literally followed a road less travelled to reach their final destination.

Are you a risk taker or risk averse? As with most businesses we work with all kinds of clients. The projects with the risk takers are always exciting albeit challenging, whilst the projects with the risk averse enable us as designers to reflect on and enhance our offer to our client. Just to define what we mean by risk, remember how the designers pushed the boundaries with the wobbly Millennium Footbridge! Whilst furniture design might not be quite this critical, the stakes are still high when dealing with expensive, fragile materials such as marble, integrating complex performance requirements, and working to tight project timescales where failure is not an option. The key is to find your creative side whilst still keeping the design process sound. Finding your creative side Workbench is no different to any of our clients, but as furniture specialists we use our knowledge and experience to find the middle ground. If you are risk averse we can help you dip your toe into the arena of adventurous design, and if you are a risk taker we can guide you to your creative nirvana without loosing your shirt! Tailoring our tried and tested designs allows our clients to be unique with fewer risks, which at the moment is particullary important as our industry adjusts to the new working normal. Anxieties about material performance, function and aesthetic can all be discussed with our our team of designers, workshops and factories, so that the final design will be both unique and successful.

We have always been somewhat sceptical about ISO14001 certification, as a medium sized business we like many others viewed it as a layer of cost to our overhead for a procedure certification which we already follow diligently. When we were asked two years ago to talk at the Sheppard Robson environmental week, we had just that viewpoint. We talked through the possible negative connotations of insisting that projects should only use companies that are ISO14001 certified, and expressed concern that small craft base workshops were being lost because they don't tick the box, despite following the procedures that these standards set out… so, the question is, can we change our mind? @Workbench we set ourselves a few goals at the start of every year, goals that we aim to achieve by the end of the year. 2019 was to move office and create our showroom, and we love our new home at 3 Sutton Lane! At the start of 2020 we decided to bite the bullet and achieve ISO14001. Going through the process of 14001 certification is creating benefits we couldn’t have imagined, and our goal that certification enables smaller workshops to still serve the market through us has been achieved. We are a medium size business, and we pack a big punch for our size. Workbench has always followed the principals of ISO14001 and 9001 standards, but it soon became evident it was not documented. This was the first thing that we changed, and it was the biggest eye opener, the whole company now knows our supply chain, what they can offer, and our supply chain also know us. Individually the team at Workbench knew certain suppliers very well, but as a team, corporately, we actually knew far less because it was not recorded, just ‘retained in brain’. A simple questionnaire to our suppliers generated an astonishing amount of hitherto unknown information to both parties. We are all now far more collaborative in establishing environmental initiatives, utilising this new knowledge. We achieved ISO14001 certification in December 2020, but the prize is much bigger, a better understanding of our suppliers, and how informed design processes and material choices can offer environmentally sustainable solutions, solutions that help our clients to achieve their own environmental targets. The techniques learned have also enabled us to modify and streamline our own admin systems, and help our suppliers to look at ways to meet the ISO14001 standard, from efficient material use and workshop processes to smart logistics. Most importantly to achieve the best solution within a given set of parameters, supplying products that are built to stand the test of time with an array of solutions for recycle or reuse when they eventually reach end of life. We were guided by the brilliant mentor Chis Passmore at 2SB Management Systems, who helped us navigate the more intense parts of the standard and of course we are happy to chat to anyone who would like to know more about the process, but in the meantime WOOHOO @Workbench is ISO14001 certified and ready for a brilliant 2021!

Return to Office Quarter One 2021 - That’s the hot topic right now and business is getting ready for it. With Q1 not many weeks away the re-organisation of space and furniture begins, and when we say not many weeks, we mean just three manufacturing weeks until quarter one arrives slap bang on our doorstep. So what are businesses doing? Initially we saw heavy demand for screens and the spacing of work areas, however fast changing events dictate that this is now shifting to a more ‘normal’ working environment, albeit with the contingency of flexibility to deal with unforeseen situations. The current emphasis is on simple furniture details, easy to clean, easy to reconfigure, adaptability, and most importantly video conferencing available everywhere, communication between colleagues is key. Business is no longer interested in the sick martyr struggling into the office with flu or worse, the message is 'if you feel unwell stay at home' keep your germs exclusive, but do stay in touch! If we have learnt one thing in 2020 it is how rapidly things can change. Predicting the future is a tricky business, but as quickly as we all fled the office, there are now signs that the office will again become an important part of our working week, and it appears businesses are waking up to this reality. With most furniture manufacturers operating on a 6 to 8 week lead time, focusing on the return to office and the preparations necessary is now the urgent priority. So RTO-Q1-21 sets us another challenge to rise to, a challenge where time is of the essence. And we stand well equipped to meet these demands, working with design practices and businesses to deliver projects tailored to the changing work environment.

An ever increasing request is that we take fully resolved designs and tailor them to our clients' specific requirements. This offers the reassurance of tried and tested solutions, but also gives a level of individuality not available off-the-shelf. We have spent many hours refining our standard furniture collections, perfecting the treatment of interfaces between materials, the integration of technology and ensuring designs exceed expectations. This recently completed project featured a large breakout space designed to have a welcoming, relaxed feel to it. We took the FLITE table base from our standard furniture collection and produced it in natural mild steel with a clear lacquer finish to prevent rusting. Solid table tops were designed in the warm tones of FSC oak with the addition of inlayed butterfly ties, giving a nod to more traditional furniture designs. The end result is a fantastic space where people can relax and enjoy a welcoming, comfortable environment, made possible using honest materials, proven designs and a little originality.

Quite a topical question at the moment At Workbench we have long practised sustainable design, material selection and manufacture. Sustainable manufacture raises a lot of questions and this is where Workbench can offer its knowledge: what is the largest core board available for a table top, will that fit on a veneer press, is there a laminate sheet wide enough, what is the length of the veneer, how thick is the material, how heavy is that to manoeuvre, will it fit in the building, what impact does that detail have on cost, material wastage, labour time, energy and recyclability at end of life? The last point is an initiative gaining momentum in interior design. Recyclability at the end of a products life can have a bigger impact on the environment than its fabrication. Designing, at the point of creation, how a product can be dismantled and recycled could be the biggest benefit to its environment impact and significantly reduce the carbon foot print of a product. Perkins and Will is one architects practice that has recently identified this as an important area of focus in their seminar on Net – Xero Interiors. The thinking goes far further than the usual lip service to using a material that can ‘technically’ be recycled. It investigates how possible that actually is once the material is fabricated, joined to other components, finished and perhaps most important how compelling it is for the owner to recycle rather than dispose of. It is this process, recyclability at the end of life, that we at Workbench along with our clients have a great opportunity to contribute to and it will form a key part of our design process as we champion ISO14001 certification. How you end a term of service could have a bigger impact than how you start.

What’s trending… looking forward...We are looking forward to being back in the office. Our main workshop has remained where possible in operation, mainly due to the diligent planning by Production Director Terry,  in implementing social distancing. It has been a humbling experience to be able to support all our clients through this, not least Johnson + Johnson and AstraZeneca as they trail blaze with undimmed determination to supply tests and research vaccines for the global good in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. Having product in manufacture for them in the workshop, designs in development and mockups being tested has certainly kept the team very busy. We are looking forward to delivering these projects over the coming weeks and months. So how are we all coping in lockdown? From the London team Heather and Paul have stepped aside from work temporarily and like many have the joy of home schooling, possibly the hardest job ever, Ofsted rating due anytime now!  At our company well being meeting we have enjoyed seeing the tomato plant progress and the Lego so we know they are covering Biology and DT at the very least. Darrell our Design Director has been enjoying some quality Air-fix time in between working on projects and developing a new over sized rise / fall meeting table, watch this space. Emmanuel, Head of Purchasing has also become Chief Communications Officer and has tirelessly spoken to all our suppliers on daily/ weekly basis to keep our projects on track…. slightly regretting not getting the camera on his laptop fixed before lockdown, company note to make sure we keep on top of the ’tomorrow jobs' when we are back in the office. Our suppliers and workshop partners have been amazing, UK manufacturing certainly knows how to step up in difficult times! Joe our Managing Director has had to juggle running the company from home with two children aged 2 and 4, not an easy task by any means, we have enjoyed the singing in the back ground on conference calls.  Wendy, in between work, has been defending the fridge from two teenage boys, and running a lot. Lee who oversees all our site installations has been busy setting out social distancing requirements on sites and making sure projects can be completed on time and safely. And finally everyones pets, well they have become Zoom superstars! We hope that everyone is staying as positive as possible, we are looking forward to the new normal, whatever that looks like and seeing everyone ‘in the flesh‘ really soon.

...back painted glass Variation of colour. When installing identical coloured panels of back painted glass in the same location such as a full-length splashback and returns, there will likely be a visual colour variation as the painted surface is being viewed on different sized panels and on different planes. Colours play a part in how much they may or may not change in certain light. Whites and off-whites may seem vanilla, but they are often very adaptable to all light conditions. This can also be said of pale shades of other colours. However, whites and other light colours can sometimes reflect hues from objects in the room, such as furniture, flooring, etc. Brighter, richer colours can often be problematic and colours like khaki, sage and taupe are some of the worst offenders when it comes to changing under different lighting. Hopefully this will provide some pointers when choosing painted glass and understanding how light can affect paint colour. Natural Light Natural light affects the way colours appear in various locations. And the effect this light has depends on the direction in which it comes into the room and the position of the sun. If your room is north facing, the light that enters will be softer and will produce a warmer effect, with darker hues looking darker and light colours a touch more subdued, this is because light from the north adds a touch of blue. If the location has a southern exposure, it will receive the most intense light. Darker colours will be somewhat brightened and light colours (especially white) have the potential to leave the room washed out. In the evening, a west facing room will have warmth from the setting sun, adding orange hues and can leave room’s that are orange, red, or yellow looking over saturated. Likewise, eastern exposure adds a bit of green. #everydayisaschoolday Thanks to to GX Glass for their expert knowledge!