Page 2 Stockholm Furniture Fair 2015 LINAK-news Urban ergonomic in new furniture for coffee shops Most of us probably know the joy of sitting in the sunshine outside a coffee shop, enjoying a meal, a cold beer or a good cup of coffee. However, too few of us probably consider the work behind making sure that there are tables and chairs for us to sit at. The coffee shops that offer service outside in the summer have a daily routine of lifting tables and chairs back and forth when opening and closing. A routine, which demands a great deal of time and energy from the staff. The hard work for the coffee shop staff provided food for thought for a group of students in the second semester of the production technology programme at KEA, the Copenhagen School of Design and Technology. The design trio Silas Raabyemagle, Chang Rée and Jesper Vejlby took part in the programme competition offered by LINAK. The assignment was for the students to develop a new multifunctional product, as well as a related production facility, that included one or several of LINAK‘s products. The group decided to design Front Row – a set of benches that can replace chairs and tables, just by pushing a button; - Originally the furniture was thought for coffee shops, where it could help the staff with the daily arrangements of the outside furniture. Most of the coffee shops, we spoke with, spent 10 minutes a day lifting furniture back and forth. This meant a lot of work for the staff, and we thought that it could be done more ergonomically and smarter, says Chang Rée. Besides the ergonomic benefit contained by the expandable bench, it also contains other great benefits. For instance, the Front Row furniture does not tilt like other traditional coffee shop chairs on the bumpy foundation, and it also saves space. Benefits, which the jury of the competition emphasised, and where the group still sees great opportunities; - The furniture saves space, and it opens up the possibility of giving a room a whole different function – both inside and outside. As an example, we can see it used in hospital corridors, schools and waiting rooms, but also in public parks and spaces, where you do not want the area used at night. It is easy to clean under the furniture, which also gives an ergonomic benefit for the cleaning personal, so we definitely also see it used in other contexts than just coffee shops in the future, says Jesper Vejby. Since the design trio graduated from KEA, life has taken them in different directions. After the use of the actuator opened a whole new world of functionalities, and today they cherish the collaboration they have with the Danish actuator manufacturer; - LINAK has shown a great interest in our product, and they have been very helpful in finding collaborators etc. Furthermore, they have manufactured the first prototype of our furniture, and thereafter six samples, which they are bringing to showcase at Stockholm Furniture Fair. It has been of great help for us that LINAK has taken care of those things, as it had been very difficult for us to finance it, says Silas Raabyemagle. Jesper, Chang and Silas really want their furniture to go on the market, but they still need to find a manufacturer for it. They do agree that it is a big step in the right direction for them that LINAK has chosen to showcase Front Row on their stand at Stockholm Furniture Fair; - It is a great opportunity for us to participate on Stockholm Furniture Fair, and showcase the furniture, we have developed together. If it had not been for LINAK, we would definitely not be at the exhibition, so it means a lot to us, says Chang Rée concluding. graduation, Jesper started his own company, and dreams of working full time with product development one day. Silas works as a product developer within subcomponents, and Chang works as product developer within acoustics. All three of them have however worked continuously on developing their Front Row project. Exhibition collaboration a step in the right direction The three guys admit that they did not know LINAK before they were faced with the programme task, and that it gave them some limitations to incorporate an actuator in their design. However, they quickly discovered that Photo (from left): Chang Rée, Jesper Vejby and Silas Raabyemagle
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