The Workstation

Formative 3D looked to build on the success of the private office collaboration by extending the design concepts to an open-plan workstation pod. In an effort to highlight design freedoms afforded by 3D-printing, a unique three-cube pinwheel design was proposed. This created a hexagon-shaped floor plan for each cube, positioning the walls at 120-degree angles to one another.

The workstation design required the design and development of cosmetic and structural partition walls. Not only were the walls oriented at unique angles to one another, but the wall geometry itself was tapered, creating a distinctive design feature.

The wall partitions included internal structural attachment features, channels for cable and power routing, as well as cosmetic panels. These panels provided opportunities to incorporate acoustic dampening materials, whiteboards, and other cosmetic accents. All panels snap into place, allowing them to be easily installed or replaced.

The workstation furniture leverages many of the innovations developed during the private office project while tailoring those features to the unique size and shape of the workstation. Custom adjustments allowed the furniture to fit within the walls of each cube while conforming to the 120-degree corners. Additional opportunities were identified to continue the tapered panel design throughout the furniture pieces, as evident in the wardrobe and lower storage pieces.

Pump and Formative 3D worked collaboratively through prototyping, design development, production refinement, and iterative testing to incorporate the flexibility of large-format 3D printing while meeting the industry-standard requirements established by the Business + Institutional Furniture Manufacturer’s Association (BIFMA).