FEEK Out!

Check out the newest thing to come out of Trendway! Feek is a European product which utilizes coated foam to create unique pieces of furniture in all kinds of shapes and sizes. The pieces are flexible, functional, and futuristic - the perfect fit for your modern office, home, library, or retail space. Feek is tailor made to your project and the colors are all so fresh and trendy.

Since 2003, Feek has been a pioneer in furniture design using surprising new materials. It all started with foam products, which after 10 years has resulted in a completely new approach to the furniture, interior, and building industry. Feek offers a wide range of award winning designs, materials, products and processes. Foam coating, known as “rock face", uses the latest developments in the world of 3D foam and surface techniques. Feek's material is made from a range of polyurethane-based lacquer systems which is easy to maintain and will take on any shape.

We first caught wind of this exciting new product a few months ago, but were lucky enough to check it out in person at this year's NeoCon exhibition as Jake snapped some shots inside the Trendway showroom. Contact us for more info on how to snag this awesome product for your space - available to order in mid July!

Now that's fresh...

Check out Amazon's most recent design plan for their Seattle Headquarters - talk about a fresh update!

NBBJ first unveiled their plans for the large Seattle remodel back in the Fall of 2012, but they just announced plans to add three biospheres in the middle of the 3-block downtown campus to be filled with plants from around the world. Amazon hopes to create a successful working environment that resembles a park instead of the typical "vanilla" office space.

The new campus will be LEED Gold-designed to include steel and glass structures complete with employee environments, retail spaces, botanical zones featuring a range of plants - including mature trees from high-elevation climates - and a large public park in the surrounding area.

"Amazon’s new Seattle campus will revamp three blocks in the Denny Triangle area in between South Lake Union and the commercial core. The plan calls for three 37-story towers complemented with lower volumes, open space, parks, green roofs and art installations." The largest dome will be 130 ft in diameter and the smallest around 80 ft in diameter. Inside, the spheres will house a variety of work spaces, dining areas, meeting rooms, and lounges. The LEED certified transparent domes will allow for tons of daylight and fresh air while minimizing energy use and enhancing the streetscape with reduced impact from shade and shadows.

"According to the Seattle Times, Amazon and NBBJ met with the city design review board this week to share the new plans. The plans were met with mixed reviews, although the consensus is that the biosphere plan is better than the old, rectangular design. Amazon hopes to finish the project by 2016."

We're definitely in to this new design plan and love that Amazon is utilizing LEED initiatives to further enhance their work space and help keep our environment green. This definitely has us eager to dream up new ways to implement some environmentally savvy designs into more of our day to day projects.

+ NBBJ
Via Seattle Times

Advantis Credit Union

"Kimball Office did whatever it took to get me what I needed, even if it wasn't standard. Kimball and NWOI really pulled it together to get the job done."

Recently, we wrapped a project at Advantis Credit Union where we collaborated with Kimball to design and furnish their 10,300 square foot space to be used for finance and banking purposes here in Milwaukie, OR.

Our design team utilized pieces from Priority, Itsa, Villa, Xsite, Footprint, and Bingo to create a functional space complete with open plan ideals, private offices, and conference rooms. The challenge was to work with Advantis' recent growth and need for a fresh remodel. We aimed to meet the contemporary vision of Tim Clouse, VP of IT and Facilities, who wanted to "create an interesting work place so that [their] staff knew they were valued and their work was appreciated."

Advantis employees work long hours at their desks and have little interaction with others with few open spaces available and cubicle work spaces. Our team and SUM Design Studio + Architecture knew that this needed to change and worked to create a space which encourages collaboration and positive employee relationships. The space now has a new, modern feel with tons of natural light, abundant storage, fresh colors, and contemporary furniture from Kimball.

Overall the project was a huge success and Clouse confirms “the openness increases productivity and creates transparency around work. This project was incredibly gratifying for me because people enjoy it.”

Check out the full case study here.