metropolitan armchair

Like many designers,Jeffrey Bernett and Nicholas Dodziuk love a challenge.And their challenge with Herman Miller's Canvas Office Landscape line was especially intriguing:incorporate two existing Herman Miller lines, Vivo and Intent,as well as some Meridian filing components,to create a cohesive "kit of parts" solution for individual workspaces ranging from private offices to open plans.Bernett and Dodziuk were an ideal team to tackle the assignment.The two have worked together for many years at CDS,and their backgrounds include a wide range of projects,from airline seating to graphic design to consumer products.And they both love working on furniture.Bernett says that with any project,"The end-user needs always come first:Who is going to use or want this and why?Of course,there are performance criteria as well;and then the question becomes:How are we going to manufacture what we are working on?"Both designers have always had a keen interest in how things work.Bernett says he "knew my way around a machine shop from the time I was 10 years old."Dodziuk credits his parents—his father was a mathematician and his mother an artist—with giving him the genes to tap into both sides of his brain."With furniture,problems are complex, but they require simple solutions," he says."And I think there is a lot of opportunity to affect the quality of people's lives when working on furniture; after all, they sit in offices 8-10 hours a day, five days a week."Bernett and Dodziuk have each traveled extensively,which has influenced their approach to design.Studying people—how they think,behave,and interact—is critical to their process."I believe design helps us understand the world we live in and connects us to one another," says Bernett."The best products anticipate and define future needs and behaviors and ultimately promote balance,harmony,and simplification of our complicated lives."He also feels it's important to reflect on the past."As with architecture and art,design is part of a continuum; we learn from what has been done by others."Dodziuk, who teaches at Parsons Design School,says he encourages his students to "bring something new to the table,challenge assumptions,and find an edge to push.That's how progress happens."These two definitely made progress—and created a whole new office landscape—with the thoughtful,practical solutions they arrived at with the Canvas line.

 

Founded in 1966 as the result of the entrepreneurial farsightedness of Piero Ambrogio Busnelli, B&B Italia is a leading italian company in the international scene of design furnishings for both home (B&B Italia home division) and contract purposes (B&B Italia contract division). Based in the north of Milan, the firm’s prestigious headquarters were designed by R. Piano and R. Rogers in 1972. Its products have contributed to writing the history of italian design, the adventurous history of the success of taste, technologies and creativity that have made italy famous throughout the world and distributed the “made in italy” brand on international markets. the collection of B&B Italia furnishings issues from the skill to represent contemporary culture and to promptly respond to the evolution of living habits and requirements. Modern furnishing elements that are strongly distinctive and characterised by exceptional quality and timeless elegance are the result of the unique union of creativity, innovation and industrial know-how. By distinguishing itself on the international scene for innovation, quality, design and prestige, both in the sector of home furnishings through the two brands b&b italia and maxalto, and in the contract sector, b&b italia has joined the altagamma foundation that converges italian companies of international repute, which operate in the upscale range of the market and express italian culture and style in corporate and product management.Architects and designers from around the world such as Scarpa, Zanuso, Fish, Citterio and Nava, but also Patricia Urquiola, Zaha Hadid and Fukasawa have inspired the worldof design with their creations for this Italian company leader in the sector of design, at an international level, both domestic and collective.