Design, What's Up
October 12, 2011
By David Foster
Mattiazzi believes in the power of building close partnerships with leading designers. First with the He Said/She Said chair by Nitzan Cohen in 2009, and then successfully followed by the Branca chair with Sam Hecht of Industrial Facility, and the new Osso chair by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec.
When working with Hecht, “We took our time in the development, to refine every detail and dimension,” explains Cristina Salvati of Mattiazzi. “Branca’s design was something special that could not be rushed through a formal process.”
This appreciation for the details of authored design is what brought Herman Miller and Mattiazzi together, making us the exclusive distributor of Mattiazzi products in the U.S. and Canada.
Better World, Design, Products, Technology
October 11, 2011
By Angelina Spaniolo
What do a high-speed train and a nanotechnology textile finish have in common? They were inspired by Mother Nature’s 3.8 billion years of research and development. Increasingly, designers and engineers are looking to the systems, process, and models evolved by nature to fuel innovative problem-solving.
The aerodynamic shape of the kingfisher’s beak, for example, lets it catch fish with barely a splash. The same shape allows a Japanese bullet train to move at 200 mph with just a whisper, and 15 percent less energy.
For us, nature inspired Greenshield, a sustainable nanotechnology textile finish that naturally repels oil and water. By mimicking the “micro-roughness” of the lotus leaf—undetectable to the human touch—liquids roll off the surface, never having an opportunity to penetrate. The result is a Herman Miller fabric that is naturally antimicrobial, stain repellent, and easy to clean.
Design
October 5, 2011
By David Foster
Nitzan Cohen loves furniture, especially chairs. “They relate most to the body; there is a constant relationship to people, and there really are no boundaries when designing it,” he says. After years of designing with Konstantin Grcic Industrial Design, Cohen established his own multi-disciplinary studio, with clients including BMW-Group, Diesel, Mattiazzi, and Bree.
When Mattiazzi first approached him about designing a new chair, he began with lots of questions: “What will the character of this chair be, will it be ‘loud’ or more timid? You have to find its DNA.”
Perhaps the result surprised even him: two versions of the same chair: He Said/She Said. “I thought about the classic café scenario: girl meets boy, boy meets girl, sitting on two chairs at a small round table; he says something, she says something…and I named it with that in mind.”
Better World, What's Up
October 4, 2011
By David Foster
We aim to improve the human experience wherever people work, heal, learn, and live. Problem-solving design and “being a good steward” are just two ways we do this. We also set goals for our business and our people, including: environmental advocacy, inclusiveness and diversity, health and well-being, and community service.
Every year we put together our Better World Report so that you can see how well we’re doing at reaching our goals. Here are a couple of highlights:
11,500 volunteer hours spent in the communities where we work around the globe.
437,225 miles saved by employees carpooling and biking to work.
100% green energy usage in our facilities worldwide.
To learn more, see the web version or download the full report.
Better World, Design, What's Up
October 3, 2011
By David Foster
In 1953, Herman Miller founder D.J. De Pree promised, “We will be good stewards of the environment.” That promise drives the design and innovation of our products today.
Setu’s Kinematic Spine, for example, has a not-so-secret secret—polypropylene, the same recyclable material used to make everything from toothbrushes to garbage cans. Making the plastic structure flexible and strong involved creative engineering. The result is a lightweight mechanism that lets Setu mimic your every move.
Visit us at Greenbuild 2011 in Toronto, October 4-6, 2011.
