Better World, What's Up
October 18, 2011
By Randall Braaksma
This guy wasn’t pondering this question back in 1930. (It wasn’t long after that we were.) Today, more people like him are not only thinking about being green, they’re making their living doing green work.
McGraw-Hill Construction says 35 percent of architects, engineers, and contractors report having green jobs today. The study defined “green jobs” as those that involve over 50 percent of one’s work being done on green projects or designing and installing green systems.
That 35 percent represents 661,000 jobs, or about one-third of the industry workforce. And there’s better news. The share of green workers is expected to increase to 45 percent of all design and construction jobs by 2014.
We’re delighted to see these trends. As merchants of virtue, we are committed to being green, even when it isn’t convenient, because in the end we know it’s as good for business as it is for the earth.
Design, Healthcare
October 17, 2011
By David Foster
The paint has dried and the doors have opened on a new Herman Miller Healthcare Customer Experience Center that engages and inspires.
To engage visitors, we designed plenty of hands-on experiences. We encourage customers to interact with and experiment with products. Visitors can try the Oasis overbed table while lying in bed. They can rearrange the modular tiles of the Compass System and see first-hand the Herman Miller Performance System.
Inspiration comes in the form of settings—from waiting rooms, to patient rooms, as well as laboratories. Visitors see thoughtful, realistic solutions to their problems, as well as many that really make them think.
Engaging and inspiring, the aim of our Customer Experience Center is to help people realize the power of space.
Better World
October 13, 2011
By John Kim
Our 1953 promise to “be a good steward of the environment” put Herman Miller on a path toward helping Yellowstone Park. As the first national park, Yellowstone is often referred to as “America’s best idea.” A national treasure, it faces the complex challenge of balancing environmental preservation with public enjoyment.
Addressing this, Yellowstone Park and the Yellowstone Park Foundation recently gathered fellow leaders in environmental advocacy—including Toyota, the University of Michigan, and National Park Service—to beginning thinking how to balance its objectives.
We were honored to join the discussion and help facilitate a session that began mapping a sustainable future in which Yellowstone remains as beautiful as it is today.
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.
What's Up
September 29, 2011
By Angelina Spaniolo
Art is in the air—quite literally some hanging off buildings—as ArtPrize takes over downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. For over two weeks, 1,713 artists from around the world transform the city into a giant gallery. Art is all the buzz amongst the residents and the some 250,000 visitors.
Unique to ArtPrize, voting is left entirely up to the public. Week 1 allows unlimited voting to determine the top ten artists. Week 2 gives everyone a single vote to narrow the ten to a winner awarded the $250,000 top prize.
If you’re in the area enjoying ArtPrize, stop by the HUB, a Herman Miller lounge for artists, volunteers, and the public to relax, put up their feet, and continue discussing the art they’ve seen.
And while you’re there, be sure to check out ArtFile, a collaborative project between Herman Miller and students in the UICA ArtWorks youth program.
Better World, Design, What's Up
September 27, 2011
By David Foster
“We will be a good steward of the environment,” was the promise made by Herman Miller founder, D.J. De Pree, in 1953. Living up to this sometimes means investing time and money into solving a problem that doesn’t occur until a product is at the end of its life-cycle.
Celle, for example, was put together with taking it apart in mind. With five minutes—and a screwdriver—Celle can be disassembled into recyclable components. Following our own Design for the Environment protocols made that work. And it made an impression: Celle has earned MBDC Cradle-to-Cradle Gold certification.
Visit us at the Greenbuild 2011 in Toronto, October 4-6.
