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The new furniture also had to make the 52,000 square-foot, ultra-contemporary building
suitably impressive to "nationwide clients visiting our corporate office,"
Davis says.
The Kimball Office Solution
FARA sought quotes from seven manufacturers in a "very competitive process,"
Davis recalls. "We really did our homework comparing all the options offered
and Kimball Office was the best choice."
Ultimately FARA chose Kimball Office for a combination of reasons. Aesthetically,
they appreciated the unique range of high quality woods, metals and glass from Kimball
Office. "It can be hard to find all those elements from one manufacturer,"
Davis notes.
Architecturally, Kimball Office's Xsite system and Traxx allowed a design "very
few vertical seams," says Davis. "That makes the look much more upscale.
Also, it gave us more flexibility to have a lighter fabric with the work tools above
the worksurface, and a darker fabric below to create a more unique appearance."
"We really customized the space with metal, and we used three types of glass.
With 192 stations, we needed distinction!"
She also noted the ease of installation with Kimball Office systems. "We were
thrilled that we could adjust the Xsite structure in 3" increments. That was
a lifesaver in our space, which has lots of unusual angles. The off-modularity that
Xsite allows was a huge plus as well, allowing us to hang overheads, work tools
and worksurfaces wherever needed."
Davis continues, "In any installation, some things don't go as planned, and
Xsite allowed us to easily slide the structure as needed for larger or smaller panels.
We didn't have to take anything down to make a minor adjustment."
Finally, FARA chose Kimball Office for ergonomic reasons. "We're a technology-driven
company, so ergonomic design is very important to us," Davis notes proudly.
"The slope of the worksurface from Kimball Office and all the work tools that
hang from the panels help our employees quickly and easily reach reference materials
while keeping their worksurface tidy and professional."
The functionality and clean design continue into the executive area, which includes
25 private offices, and features Evoke. "All managers have configurations to
match their work flow. They have U-shaped desks with a hutch that has project trays,
sorters and pigeon holes. Everyone has a high-tech, functional space with all the
tools they need."
After only a short time in the space, "We are very, very, very pleased,"
says Davis. "Some people think of an open plan and think of tiny cubes with
boring fabric. But when they walk into our space, they say 'Wow! We would love for
our company to have stations like this!' "
Product Specifications: Xsite® system; Evoke® casegoods;
Conferencing Solutions complementary furniture; Fundamental® filing;
Skye®, Bingo®, Acapella®, ArpeggioTM
and DelanoTM seating.
Project Team: Camilla Davis, Vice President of Administration, F. A. Richard &
Associates, Inc.;
Reed Bell, Chief Operating Officer, F. A. Richard & Associates, Inc.;
Richard Choate, Architect, Campo Architects;
Celeste Stout, Interior Designer, Corporate Express;
Chris Breaux, Division Furniture Sales Manager, Corporate Express.
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