Finding areas where one can concentrate on the work at hand can be a challenge in today’s increasingly busy and open-plan office and educational environments. Yet, common consensus has it that spaces devoid of distractions are important for people to create, innovate and do their best work.

With that in mind, Steelcase has introduced the Brody WorkLounge. Described as “the first and only micro-environment designed for the brain and body,” Brody is meant to “help people get into the flow faster and stay in the flow longer.”

According to Steelcase, studies show that in a typical day, workers and students switch tasks every three minutes, get interrupted every 11 minutes and take 23 minutes to get back on task.

“To be human is to be distracted. We’re not undisciplined or scatter-brained. We’re overwhelmed,” says Markus McKenna, design director for Steelcase. “Maintaining focus is a costly problem for workers and students today so we turned to neuroscience to help us better understand how the brain works and sustains attention. We think the workplace can help us think better.”

Brody WorkLounge creates a cocoon-like space that blocks visual distractions, providing privacy and an enhanced sense of psychological security for workers and students in open environments such as workplaces or libraries.

It also creates a comfortable micro-environment by thoughtfully integrating power, ergonomic comfort, personal storage and lighting. Notably, the product’s state-of-the-art ergonomics cradles the body in a reclined position, allowing the upper and lower back to be supported, while the angled Personal Work Surface holds one’s technology at eye-level to reduce neck and shoulder strain. Arm support built into the work surface relieves pressure off the shoulder, and a soft edge seat enables users to sit comfortably in any position.

Brody is configurable in ways that allow multiple people to ‘get into flow’ in a dense area at the same time, and can help organisations transform under-utilised, in-between spaces into coveted destinations.

This video demonstrates how Brody works.

Steelcase
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