Sinenjongo High School, set in the impoverished township of Joe Slovo Park outside Milnerton, Cape Town was adopted by the Rabie Property Group 5 years ago as part of their social investment programme.

Over the years Rabie have assisted the school to grow and develop their education system. As the schoolʼs requirements for intervention are more than Rabie as a company alone can sponsor, this resulted in Rabie forming an independent trust, namely the Marconi Beam Schools Trust.

The trust carries a Project Benefit Obligation (PBO) status which encourages corporates and individuals to join their quest in turning Sinenjongo into a Centre of Excellence.

Always willing to give something back to the community, Formfunc Studio stepped in and what better way to put surplus seating stock to good use than to offer to kit out the Sinenjongo Grade 12 learner classrooms.

Sinenjongo has come along way in a short period of time. Although the school is housed in prefabricated classrooms, has no sports field, no hall, no library, no resource centre or staff room it has a very big heart. Thanks to itʼs dedicated staff and corporate intervention Sinenjongo learners are able to excel and achieve their goals. Proof of this is evident in the 2011 school highlights:

• 88.5% of the 87 learners passed matric – thatʼs 77 out of 87!
• The school achieved 14 subject Aʼs, 66 subject Bʼs, 111 subject Cʼs and 114 Subject Dʼs – a huge improvement on 2010 where the majority of results were below 50%
• Top student Lukhanyo Velelo has enrolled in a B SC in Actuarial Science at the University of the Witwatersrand thanks to a Metropolitan Life bursary.
• Top Student Thembisa Monki secured a bursary and has gone on to study a B SC in Medical Bioscience at the University of the Western Cape.

Itʼs been an incredibly rewarding experience and we are proud to be associated with Sinenjongo High School. We wish the grade 12 learners all the success for the year ahead and will be monitoring their progress closely.

If you would like to be involved in assisting the school, we will be happy to point you in the right direction.

Software developers in SA are starting to pick up on the SCRUM or AGILE workplace strategy that represents a radically new approach for planning and managing software based projects. For 22seven it was important to find a furniture solution that would support AGILE working and collaboration. By all accounts the holistic solution they found at Formfunc is going down pretty well with the staff at their Long street offices in Cape Town.

Our first official South African case study attached below demonstrates the impact Humanscale products are having on dynamic workplace environments in South Africa – we’re confident it will make interesting reading….click on image below to download the PDF.

Over the next few posts we will attempt to shed some light on how to future proof the modern office but, firstly, we need to clarify the reasons why the modern workplace is evolving at such an alarming rate. A basic understanding of the key drivers behind our ever-changing workspaces is outlined below – some of you may find these concepts familiar  – however, one or two may surprise you.

So firstly, lets briefly cover the drivers we are aware of. The Technological Paradigm Shift that we all experienced in the 90′s brought with it fax machines, copiers, computers and of course, the internet. It created momentum into open plan workstations where bureaucracy, hierarchy and to some extent even diplomacy started dissolving. Linear, repetitive tasks made way for collaboration, sharing of ideas and exchanging knowledge and hence the “Knowledge Worker” was born. Employees of the world’s developed economies ditched process driven thinking and began applying the theory of sharing ideas to solve problems in the workplace.

Today, a second technological paradigm shift is emerging. Significant advances in wireless data transfer and products such as smartphones and tablets  are driving the workplace evolution even further (see Apple Sells More iPhones in a Day Than People Make Babies). The freedom and Mobility afforded to the knowledge worker due to the explosion of mobile devices is a new visible key driver influencing the workplace and the linear rows of workstations flooding our open plan floors are now being challenged as “boring, repetitive” and even inhibiting career opportunities for promotion.

A previous post on Green Ergonomics covers the third driver that will shape our future workplace. For years, ergonomics, particularly in South Africa, has not been seen as a necessity (that’s of course, until the user ends up on the chiro’s table!) This WILL change in the near future due to the climate change phenomenon. Sound strange? As the movement towards sustainable building grows, large corporates will be exposed to the concept of Sustainable Ergonomics. In a nutshell, if Prof. Allan Hedge’s research has any merit then the following statement speaks volumes as to how an effective ergonomics program can influence a companies bottom line. He says that, “…..increasing productivity of users by just 1% is, in a typical office building, equal to 100% of the energy cost of the building.”  Think about what the energy costs of the entire lifespan of a typical office building could be? It sort of puts into perspective what Rand and Cents savings ergonomics represents!!

The fourth determinant of the evolving workplace is equally not as visible and as such not many organisations are planning for it. The 1st person to live to 150 years of age has already been born (trust me, Google it if you have doubts). Advances in Science & Medicine suggest that in 10-15 years time (if not sooner) doctors will simply replace “broken” parts of our anatomy by cloning cells from other parts of our body. How will this effect the workplace you may ask? Well, here is a thought…

The current average retirement age across developed economies is a little over 65 and our savings are probably projected for us to live comfortably till 85-90 (maybe even longer, depending on how ambitious you are!). For 40 plus years we save furiously for the day that we can kickback, relax, spoil grandchildren, travel and play loads of golf. What happens if you start to live long past 90? Perhaps even 150?? Robbing a bank is a short term solution that may not prove popular with your children. So the sensible solution is going back to work – or never having left. It is therefore inevitable that the range of population demographics in our offices is going to change and the future our workplace will demand accommodation for 20 year olds as well as 70, 80 and even ninety years olds!!

This broad demographic in the office will result in an even broader set of determinants for a functional workplace. Diverse work settings from beanbag filled wireless hotspots to formal workstations will be the norm and the increased mobility will make DESK SHARING common place. The flexibility of the common workstation now becomes critical as it has a requirement to accommodate the strong senses and muscular mobility of a 20 year old and severely weakened vision (for example) of a 90 year old?

The by-product of these rapid changes requires the workstation to be ultra flexible. A simple desk slab should customize itself to the user and not the user to the desk. Parts 2 – 5 will follow in the coming weeks and will cover specific ergonomic tools that, in there own right will contribute to future-proofing the modern workstation. The need for dynamic monitor arms, energy efficient task lights, height adjustable workstation and ergonomic seating is no longer a nice to have – it should be considered a neccessity if we are serious about competing to 1st world standards.

Seasons greetings to all.

2011 is all but a distant memory and the year ahead is already in full swing (well, for most of us anyway).

Once again we have had fantastic support from the crew at Humanscale International and Elite which has culminated in another year of sales growth for Formfunc. In a turbulent year for the global economy we’ve managed to increase our client base and we’ve also forged some excellent relationships with a section of the specifiers market that have agreed to our policy of complete transparency. Some notable installations and new relationships include:

1. Vodacom Innovation Centre and Executive Boardrooms
2. New Aurecon head offices in Pretoria and Cape Town
3. Refurbished Dimension Data Customer Experience Centre
4. New ARUP office in the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
5. 22Seven – Software Engineers into cloud computing (it’s all very secretive still – ssshhhh!)

In the coming weeks we’ll be releasing official case studies for these projects that (with our client’s participation) will provide more detail, suffice to say that the response we’ve had to our product line has been heart-warming and we’re looking forward to long and rewarding partnerships.

2011 saw Formfunc move into new premises in both Cape Town and Johannesburg. The dreary factory floor from which we operated in 2010 was not exactly the most presentable space, however, our small new offices in the Old Castle Breweries and the Design Quarter have now provided the perfect “front of office space” for us to present our wares and also from which to service new and existing clients. Feel free to pop your head in the door anytime from 8am to 5pm!

Our annual presence as exhibitors and co-sponsors of the Green Building Council Conference grows stronger every year. In 2011 we exhibited in a larger space that literally lit up the Exhibition Hall (see Humanscale Lights Up GBCSA). It marked the introduction to South Africa of Humanscale’s pioneering LED task lighting range. In many ways the LED task lights outshone the other ergonomic products on display and the response has us confident that the concept of Dual Source Lighting will start to find it’s way into many offices in the years to come. Once again, a great big thank you to the team at the GBCSA who are making great strides in creating awareness for sustainable design in South Africa.

We continue to work with the staff and students at BHC School of Design. In March 2011 we sponsored a trip to the Milan Furniture Fair for a BHC student (Tarquin van der Westhuisen) and Formfunc’s young designer (Fazlin Hoosain). For Tarquin, the trip was just reward for the excellent work she produced as a second year student in conceptualizing a potential showroom space for Formfunc. There is to our minds no better training than exploring what the 1st world designers have to offer – and Milan is as good a place as any to absorb world class design. We’re confident both ladies took sufficient inspiration from their trip.

From a social responsibility point of view Formfunc’s efforts have been rewarded in the the most humbling manner possible. In October 2011 our verification agency issued our 1st BBBEE certificate. In recognition of our commitment to empowering South Africans in our industry, Formfunc was accredited with a Level 1 rating, the highest accreditation afforded to a contract furniture supply entity in South Africa. Hard work lies ahead to maintain the benchmark we have set ourselves.

Finally, 2012 has been confirmed as the year of the arrival of the Diffrient World Chair! The simplest, smartest and most sustainable high performance ergonomic office chair starts shipping to SA in the 1st quarter of this year. Also look out for the ZON personal air purifier and the Horizon LED task light – both products are set to make their appearances in trade shows in SA throughout the coming year.

2012 promises to be a year of fantastic new product releases, surprising affordability and year full of potential new relationships with integrity and transparency at their core.

Good luck to all.

The Formfunc Team

There is something to be said of golf, its a game not a sport, it’s a real opportunity to see the character of your opponents, their strengths and weaknesses and how they approach both success and failure in meeting each challenge. At this years Discovery Invest CHOC Golf Day at the Gary Player designed Rooderpoort Country Club , Formfunc stepped up and sponsored a four-ball as well as prizes for the winning foursome and closest to the pin for the gents and ladies. The day was more than time out on the course watching others searching in the rough for their balls. It was about CHOC (Children’s Hematology Oncology Clinics) and an effort to raise money in order to assist children surviving cancer. The day was a platform provided by Discovery Invest that reached out to their clients and partners and provided an opportunity for others to participate in such a worthy undertaking. To them we would like to say thank you.

Our guests included the well rounded golfer and raconteur Tom Nel from Comscope, and the power hitter and dapper dresser Grant Kaplan from E&Y. The format was foursomes with one score to count and  two on the par threes, which sounds like I am speaking hieroglyphics if that’s even possible. We came in the prizes, which again is a little ambiguous, but that’s golf. It was a super day with Formfunc receiving much praise for the White Freedom we stationed on the 11th, as well as the prizes that included M2 Monitor Arms and LED Task Lights.

The day was organised by one of the staff members of Discovery, who also happens to be a CHOC COW, which is actually not an insult in the respect that she belongs to a group of people who dress as COW’s and participate in long distances races on  bicycles or just running. This year the CHOC COWs raised over 3.5 Million Rand for CHOC, which will go to the upgrade of the pediatric oncology wards at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (Joburg Gen), as well as two much needed vehicles that will be used to disseminate information and create awareness around early detection for kids, so we catch cancer at the earliest possible stage, which translates into a much greater successes rate overall in saving lives.

I am very grateful to Formfunc for choosing such a worthy cause with such a generous sponsorship, which greatly added to the fundraising success of the day for CHOC and provided additional value in the form of such awesome prizes to the participants.

“If you look at data on the life cycle cost analysis of buildings – generally 30 years in the US – you’ll find design and construction costs are about 2% of the total cost, and maintenance and operational costs – are about 6%. This means that 92% of the building’s costs have nothing to do with the building and everything to do with the occupants. Looking at these costs, we find that increasing productivity by just 1% is, in a typical office building, equal to 100% of the energy costs, and this is where ergonomics can play a part.” Alan Hedge.

Alan Hedge is a Professor in the Department of Design and Environmental Analysis at Cornell University, and research Professor at the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Syracuse University. He directs the the Human Factors and Ergonomics teaching and research programs. This text above is edited from a talk he gave at Schiavello on green ergonomics when he was in Australia earlier this year as a guest of Humanscale.

Promo clip for Melbourne Green Ergonomics Forum. Presented by Schiavello Furniture

… and what better way to showcase InteriCAD T5 than behind a fully interactive Humanscale workstation.

Formfunc was happy to assist and our contribution included Elite LINNEA desking, Humanscale monitor arms and LED task lighting. Of course no ergonomic workstation would be complete without Humanscale’s Liberty and Freedom task chair. As we’ve come to expect, feedback and response has been fantastic and we look forward to the next event. Product specific information can be found on this website however you’re welcome to stop by our Old Castle Brewery showroom in Woodstock, CPT to test drive Humanscale product first hand.

For those of you in Jozi, no need to feel left out! Visit us in the Design Quarter, Fourways and you to can test drive the full Humanscale range. We look forward to meeting you!

Home to the original South African Breweries in 1901, the recently redeveloped site is now the domain of a variety of creatives from architects to film production studios. A panoramic view of the Mother City and Table Mountain as the backdrop behind the showroom interior represents a snapshot that perfectly embellishes our  entry into the market.

The ergonomic solution is not just about the Task Chair! We have a holistic approach to health and productivity at the workstation which also delves into a variety of ergonomic tools. These need to be displayed in a relevant environment and our new home has provided just that – a location where our customers can understand the unique Humanscale message.

Formfunc Studio will be open weekdays from 8am till 5pm – all impromptu visits are welcome. Come and see why our product portfolio is making such a splash.

Big Screen:                                              TV Series:

Iron man                                                  Chuck

Mr. and Mrs. Smith                                 House

I Think I Love My Wife                           Ugly Betty

Emily’s Reason Why Not                        Entourage

Bones                                                       Pepper Dennis

Fever Pitch

The Humanscale design philosophy is about efficiency, which encompasses products within the Workplace and Hospitality environments that go beyond the obvious. Task lighting may not seem obvious to those that have become accustomed to banks of energy sapping fluorescent lighting, however, Dual Source Lighting is rapidly becoming one of the most important elements of an efficient and productive workplace. Lighting drives vision and vision in turn drives posture in a staged environment such as your workplace. Task Lighting for that matter will improve and enhance well- being and efficiencies by correctly delivering quality lighting to where it is needed most.

At this years GBCSA Convention, the Humanscale stand by Formfunc caught the eye of every visitor and created a stir around workplace lighting and the associated efficiencies. Our point of departure for lighting is to bring the general levels of office lighting down to a more efficient level and then enhance the environment with specific task lighting, giving the modern office worker the correct lighting level for reading or writing and then a softer light for using their computer. This was demonstrated at the show with Humanscale’s range of LED based task lights that have been winning international design awards the world over. The Element 790, Vision and the Horizon (RED DOT DESIGN AWARD WINNER 2011) even had the lighting specialists at the exhibition in awe.

“Lighting the Way” across ergonomic office solutions is here to stay and with Humanscale’s groundbreaking thin film and MCX technologies we’re convinced that Task Lighting will soon the become the standard in every workplace environment.

Thank you to all those that visited our stand and contributed to the excitement. We are hugely encouraged by your response to our Task Lighting solutions which go hand in hand with the holistic Humanscale message about simple efficient ergonomic design.