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What inspires us and what we hope will inspire you and all the members of the Herman Miller community.

Bill HolmWriter

Bill Holm is a home-based free-lance writer. A former magazine editor and columnist, Bill writes for a variety of companies, some of which are still in business. He’s been working with Herman Miller over 23 years.

Bill's Posts

Better World, Design, Technology November 13, 2009

Achieving the Promise of Programmable Environments

By Bill Holm

pe2
Note: This is the fourth in a series about Herman Miller’s Programmable Environments (PE) initiative. To read the first post, see “Getting Buildings and People In Sync.” Second post: “Cut Electrical Use, Get ‘Stimulused,’ and Earn LEED Credits.” Third post: “Energy Manager Saves Energy, Optimizes Real Estate, Cuts Costs.”

According to Always Building, Herman Miller’s book about PE, “To achieve programmable environments, we think about a digital as well as physical dimension of space.” Integrating the digital dimension can make a building smarter, more efficient, and responsive to the people who use it.
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Better World, Design, Technology November 6, 2009

Energy Manager Saves Energy, Optimizes Real Estate, Cuts Costs

By Bill Holm

Energy Manager
Note: This is the third in a series. To read the first post, see “Getting Buildings and People In Sync.” For the second post, “Cut Electrical Use, Get ‘Stimulused,’ and Earn LEED Credits.”

What if someone invented a simple, affordable device you quickly attach to your car to save you gas? Genius, right?

Well then, check this out. It’s Herman Miller’s new Energy Manager—a simple, affordable device you quickly attach to your Herman Miller systems furniture (new or retrofit) to save you electrical energy, 24/7.
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Better World, Design, Technology October 30, 2009

Cut Electrical Use, Get ‘Stimulused,’ and Earn LEED Credits

By Bill Holm

convia
Note: This is the second in a series. To read the first post, see “Getting Buildings and People In Sync.”

The nutshell idea for Programmable Environments (PE) is to use technology to fill new or existing buildings with intelligence. The building becomes a digital network so that permanent fixtures become adaptable. You can make them do exactly what you need them to do at any moment, change them instantly, and gather real time information about how they are used.

And it’s easy. Here’s the story:
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Design October 28, 2009

Rate These Amazing Concepts in New Architecture

By Bill Holm

gazpromcity
Photo via: The Huffington Post

The Huffington Post blog has a fun way to get to know some fascinating concepts in architecture, all of which exemplify new technology and sustainability. It’s a poll called “11 Incredible Buildings from the Future” where you can rate startling new concepts on a scale of 1-10—Snooze to Super.
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Better World, Design, Technology October 23, 2009

Getting Buildings and People In Sync

By Bill Holm

Note: This is the first in a series of four posts on Programmable Environments.

You hear it all the time: “Technology has changed everything.” Well, duh. But it’s not totally accurate. There’s one part of our daily lives that’s largely untouched by the changes. It’s the buildings where we work and live—static, rigid, set in their ways.

While technology makes us faster, our buildings often hold us back. Unable to keep up with change—much less enable change—our buildings become out of sync with us.
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Design October 5, 2009

Inside Ayse Birsel’s and Yves Behar’s Sketchbooks

By Bill Holm

Sketch by Ayse Birsel
Designers Ayse Birsel and Bibi Seck of birsel+seck in New York think and communicate in sketches. “Our language is drawing,” says Ayse. “Sometimes we stay ‘en quarantaine’ in the room and we do some drawing together to exchange our ideas.”
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Well-Being, Work/Life August 14, 2009

Wake Up! Naps are Good for Business

By Bill Holm

napping
Therapeutic news for people who work at home and nap secretly, in shame: You are not alone. The Pew Research Center reported in July, 2009 that about 34% of adults surveyed had napped in the previous 24 hours. Plus, you nappers are providing your customers a valuable service.
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Products July 6, 2009

What’s So Bad About Feeling Good?

By Bill Holm

setu_comfort2

Here’s something kind of interesting, depending on how geeky you are:

The origin of the word “comfort” is the Latin “confortare,” “to strengthen.” When you’re comfortable, you’re free from pain and trouble. All’s well. You’re rejuvenated. Stronger. Physically and mentally.
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Products June 5, 2009

Tales from the Mart: Herman Miller at NeoCon 09

By Bill Holm

products_neocon_june_holm
Herman Miller is telling stories at NeoCon 09—ones you shouldn’t miss if you love happy endings.

The Herman Miller showroom in the Merchandise Mart (Booth 321) spotlights four distinct workplace scenarios, and each has its own tale to tell. They illustrate a range of real-life situations where Herman Miller has created cost-effective, customer-focused, eco-friendly solutions with a variety of integrated Herman Miller products, including their new Setu chairs, Embody chairs, and Intent furniture.

You’ll hear about real, relevant problem solving instead of just the (yawn) nuts, bolts, and benefits of products. It’s a great way to discover how Herman Miller makes a better world around you.
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