Top image: Flock collection of tables, seating and ottomans

The 4+ collection is stylish and comfortable and is ideal for socialising, meetings, conferencing, discussions and brainstorming

Tell us about Lamex’s Collaboration Concept.

What we have found in our studies and in our travels around the marketplace is that the office is changing, and that cubicles and ‘closed’ offices are being replaced with collaborative settings where teams can engage with each other as they work on their projects.

This trend is mainly being driven by the post-‘80s generation. Workers of this generation are very connected to their mobile devices, and they are seeking office environments that allow them to use their mobile devices while they interact with their team members.

The Atelier Lounge is an ideal retreat in open-plan offices where people can concentrate on work individually, collaborate or socialise. It is a modular design that can be combined in multiple configurations

In our collaboration study, we found that people – not just the post-‘80s generation, but the full spectrum of the workforce – want to have four different methods of work based on the activity that they are performing at the moment, namely: focused work, collaboration, socialising and learning. They’ll go from a focused activity in which they need a quiet space to be able to concentrate on an activity and conduct very detailed type work, to where the work is more collaborative in which they require areas that allow them to interact with their team members. Then there’s a socialising aspect of their work, as well as a learning aspect where they need to learn as a group or learn individually.

Flock is a collaborative solution that supports the need for spontaneity and interaction. The modular collection of tables, seating and ottomans help people connect virtually anywhere

How have these observations impacted the direction of product development at Lamex?

We are developing products that are designed to meet the needs of the new emerging market trends – products that can provide a platform for staff to connect with each other without compromising the individual work environment. For example, Rateo, Recta and Optima are a trio of desking solutions that can be combined in different ways to allow individual teams and workers to interact with each other, while lounge and modular seating solutions such as Flock, 4+ and Atelier provide areas to conduct business and meetings.

The incorporation of the Rateo Sofa into the workstation creates a meeting area that allows users to shift easily between individual work and group interaction

There has been much emphasis placed on open plan, collaborative workspaces in recent years. Now however, there seems to be a renewed focus in the marketplace on personal, private workspaces. In the case of Lamex, it appears that you aim to offer customers a range of solutions that meet different work needs…

There’s still a lot of emphasis placed on open, collaborative spaces, but there is a need for a balanced approach. The challenge is to design and present products to the market that can answer all the different needs. As a manufacturer and a marketer of office furniture, Lamex’s goal is to present a holistic offering to the market.

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