National News
Helping Cleveland Reopen
Covid-19 has left a serious mark on our communities, our State, our Nation, our entire Planet. We have been busy doing our part to help Cleveland area businesses protect their employees and customers as we all reopen. We have paid close attention to the needs of businesses and strive to be up to date on new compliance recommendations and mandates. As the manufacturer of gen2 office furniture, we knew we had the custom capabilities necessary to quickly and efficiently start the production of glass and acrylic barriers which we are all seeing in public spaces. Our gen2 Germ Shields and gen2 Zone dividers are custom made to fit in any application with universal mounting hardware. We have also been working with employers converting their once open office spaces with taller workstation panels and stackers to provide safer environments for their employees. We know this time is hard on everyone, but after the great sacrifices we as Ohioans have and will continue to make, we must work together to protect each other and get our economy moving again. National Office is offering free space planning and professional advice to keep you in compliance and as safe as possible. If you would like to learn more about compliance or efficient work from home desks, please contact us. Here are just some photos of the Cleveland businesses opening, that we have had the great opportunity of being able to be a part
The Future of the Workplace
What does the future office look like, what kind of changes can we expect to see? We have explored this a lot over the past few weeks, not only as an office furniture manufacturer but as people sharing the same concerns and thoughts as everyone. The need for protective measures has never been so great, in recent days we have seen many companies racing to get orders in to meet compliance standards. We know this complex issue, as we are implementing these same practices in our facilities. When the workforce begins returning there will be many changes and there is no time to waste in getting solutions to accommodate this new era. Social distancing will be enforced/encouraged/expected (studies show well into 2022). High-density offices will phase out, as the demand increases for personal space. Higher demand for non-porous materials in high-touch areas, that can be cleaned/sanitized numerous times a day (glass/metal/laminate). Conference tables and collaboration areas accomodating fewer people. Open plans/concepts will need to have additional screens and dividers to ensure space. Working from home will increase as fewer and fewer people are required to be “in-office” enabling more room to accommodate the workers needing to be in the office regularly. Hoteling, “hot desks”, coworking spaces and/or temporary seating will lose popularity as the fear of contagions holds increased relevancy. Recently our CEO Gregory Schneider spent so
What Happens When We Return to the Workplace?
More than once a day we find ourselves pondering when will this end, what will the workplace look like post-pandemic. This is a constant thought among us as well, as we work with businesses daily to prepare their offices for the return of the workforce. We have a team on staff constantly researching new solutions and working towards new products to accommodate this new era, the following is an article referring to a study done regarding design and what the office will need to move forward. Creating healthy and safe environments for the incoming workforce, and getting our at-home workers set up to battle through these tough times, is our top priority. We truly are all in this, and will get through this..together! - CEO Greg Schneider Article By Janet Pogue McLaurin The coronavirus has turned everything upside down. But, now that we’re starting to get the hang of working from home, our clients are beginning to wonder how they can prepare to bring people back into the office when the crisis subsides. We know from new Gensler Research Institute workplace data that a well-designed workplace is still the place that people want to be. In the U.S. Workplace Survey 2020, we asked that very question – posing the options between home, the company’s workplace, a coworking space, or coffee shop. Unquestionably, the office was people’s preferred place to work, as long as it’s designed to support th
Sixmo Architects and Engineers
NationalOffice photographs and tours Sixmo with Patrick Thornton. Furniture and Space Planning by National Office
What it takes to spin a good yarn!
That plastic bottle you tossed into the recycling bin yesterday could end up in the chair you’ll be sitting in tomorrow! Well, perhaps not quite that fast, but eventually. It may seem hard to believe, like many a well-spun yarn (story), but in the textile industry it’s actually true. That’s because the basic component in the textile manufacturing industry—fiber—can be either natural or synthetic. A fiber is a substance that’s significantly longer than it is wide. Natural fibers (known as staple fibers) develop or occur in the fiber shape and come from animal, vegetable and mineral sources, such as wool, silk, cotton and linen. Then there are synthetic, or man-made, fibers (known as filament fibers), which are cellulosic, thermoplastic and mineral in nature. Their chemical composition is significantly modified during the manufacturing process, and they are used to produce rayon, polyester, nylon and fiberglass. This is not the type of fiber your doctor tells you to eat for good health, but it definitely supports a healthy textile industry! Is one type of fiber better than the other? Similar to how both true and fabricated elements can go into spinning a good story or yarn, both natural and synthetic fibers can be spun into yarn in the textile industry. Yarn is simply a group of fibers twisted together to form one continuous strand, and then many strands are woven into fabri
Binary Defense
Binary Defense is a managed security services provider (MSSP) with leading cybersecurity solutions that include Security Operations Center (SOC) as-a-service, Managed Detection & Response (MDR), Security Information & Event Management (SIEM) and Counterintelligence. With our human-driven, technology-assisted approach, Binary Defense is able to provide its clients with immediate protection and visibility, combating and stopping the next generation of attacks that your business faces. Binary Defense was founded with the purpose to change the security industry for the better and help organizations defend against threats of all kinds. Built, tested, and constantly improved upon by top security researchers and hackers with the focus of detecting and protecting against next-generation threats, Binary Defense’s cybersecurity solutions will improve your organization’s security posture today and continue to do so into the future. The Design Process Designers comments regarding working with Binary Defense and identifying their needs within their new space. Kara Treen - Design Consultant that worked with Binary Defense regarding this new location project said "Working on this project was a lot of fun. Not only did Mike and Dave (seen above) provide great direction, they allowed me to have creative control and really show them what would work within their space. Their office layout was particularly challenging- separating each department, inc
Christmas Give Back 2019
Again this year for our Christmas Give Back we will be collecting donations for CLE Animal Control and Friends of the Cleveland Kennel! Adoptable pooches featured here but...there's more! https://www.petango.com/cacc For more information on the program we are supporting: http://friendsofclevelandkennel.com Donation Ideas - Suggested by Friends of the Cleveland Kennel XL Black Kongs Martingale style collars, size medium and large Freedom Harnesses, size medium and large Flat nylon leashes, 6’ Ground canned food (pedigree brand preferred) Advantage flea treatment II for 45-88 lb dogs Capstar flea treatment Mendota style slip leads Spray Cheese Jolly balls and large rope toys Large soft toys Frozen Bil-jac dog food Crates for 50-90 pound dogs (plastic transport style preferred, wire accepted) Towels/Blankets PetSafe Busy Buddy Jack Dog Toy NationalOffice will be accepting donations until Friday - December 20th @3pm. NationalOffice is located at 15655 Brookpark Road - Cleveland, Ohio 44142. Friends of Cleveland Kennel also has a Sponsor a Cage fundraising campaign being launched. As well you can make a 100% tax deductible cash donation via
THE KEYS TO OPEN OFFICE SUCCESS
Furniture and layout play an outsized role in the success of open office designs. Here’s why – and what you can do about it. More than any other single factors, furnishings, and layout drive the success – or failure – of open plan office design. Creating an open plan office where people can be productive demands an honest look at your client’s company culture and the way they do business. Open office design means different things to different people, notes Dave Madson, principal at CBT, an architecture, interior design and urban design firm. Even the companies that fully embrace the open office concept still need enclosed or semi-enclosed areas for group collaboration, private conversations, and individual work. It’s a good idea to start the design process by understanding why your client wants an open plan design solution in the first place and envisioning how other spaces and design features can make that approach successful. Companies that implement an open office strategy tend to do so for one of two reasons, explains Angie Lee, vice president of buildings for Stantec, a global design firm: • Cost reduction. Open-plan offices allow you to fit more people into a space, which minimizes your square footage requirements. • Recruitment and retention. Open office implementation can be part of an overall upgrade aimed at keeping the talent you have and bringing in new people. open office space types The most f
Best Selling Seating Solutions of 2019
Looking for end of the year upgrades? Another year has come and (almost) gone. Your Q4 results are beginning to roll in and it’s time to start making some serious decisions for the next year, but first.....here are some great options for finishing out your 2019 expenditures. We've collected our three top-selling task chairs from 2019 for more information on these products and more - Contact Us Derby by Compel - Click here to download brochure Factor by Global - Click here to download brochure Hands down our best seller of 2019 - the Kimball Joya - Click here to download brochure Prices shown are for standard models - some features shown here are not included on standard models, contact your Account Manager or info@natoffice.com for specific
Educational Design
The average age of the American school building is 50 years. “Schools are one building type that we’re all familiar with because we’ve all been to school,” says Prakash Nair, president and founding partner of Fielding Nair Architects, specialists in learning space design. Schools followed the “sage on the stage” model — that is, a classroom layout with a central platform where the teacher stands, and chairs that face it. It’s simple enough, and it worked well enough. The challenge now, according to Nair, is to imagine “what a school could be, as opposed to what it has always been.” What Is Usually Overlooked In Learning Space Design According to teacher and former interior designer Erin Klein, space planners often “miss incorporating the students’ ideas and opinions.” It’s not the architect’s fault. “One of the first things architects and designers do is they have to bid for jobs that they’re interested in or clients come to them. Either way, they’re consulting with the client. However, that doesn’t happen in education,” Klein says. She further explains how architects and designers consult with administrative teams instead of students and teachers. The result is consistent with Nair’s concern: Architects end up designing what they think classroom design traditionally looks like, missing the mark
