The Celle chair began in the imagination of designer Jerome Caruso. Caruso is and has been Sub-Zero's first and only designer for more than two decades and is responsible for the company's entire line of refrigeration units. But the Celle chair, he smiles, was the "Mt. Everest of fun. At the beginning, I imagined a highly engineered, 'intelligent' surface that could be the ultimate in seating comfort. I envisioned hundreds of tiny 'cells'-each one consisting of a pad with spring-like loops that would both support and respond to different anatomical areas."

To implement this vision, research focused on optimizing the chair's performance, particularly the patented Cellular Suspension.

To meet the project mandate that Celle be more comfortable than other chairs in its price segment, several research methodologies came into play, including end-user evaluations, benchmarking, and expert opinion research by ergonomists and biomechanical professionals from around the country.

From an ergonomics standpoint, Celle follows the lead of our Aeron and Mirra work chairs, with five ergonomics issues integral to the design of all three: Size and fit. Anthropometric data from CAESAR (Civilian American and European Surface Anthropometry Resource) and other sources was used to ensure that the chair fits many different body shapes and sizes.

Pelvic stabilization. The Celle backrest has our integrated, passive PostureFit contour. Kinematics. Our proven Harmonic tilt mechanism was applied to Celle. Pressure distribution. Throughout Celle's development process, we used our pressure-mapping capabilities to inform the design of the cellular size, flex regions, and contouring. Thermal comfort. Special temperature sensors, called thermocouples, were used to evaluate upholstery options and inform textile selection.

Cellular Suspension was designed to update and redefine the look of low- to mid-price work chairs, where thick foam-and-fabric seats and backs remain the norm. The color offering was created to support the chair's application flexibility and to address important trends. Inspirations for the palette include: New architecture. The trend toward darker, warmer tones in architecture and interior design. Nature. Rich, saturated tones for a timeless, classic look.

Global influences. Colors that appeal to international customers. Design trends. Chairs are being specified to have a more neutral presence in office environments so they don't compete visually with other design elements. With these trends as a guide, Celle's broad yet concise color selection was created to go beyond what is expected in the price range.

Like all our products, Celle fits into the company's vision of sustainable design. Celle was developed using our Design for the Environment protocol, which establishes strict standards for recyclability, safe content, easy disassembly, minimal packaging, and minimal waste. It has earned MBDC Gold Cradle-to-Cradle certification for its achievement in environmentally intelligent design.