The Delaware County Christian School decided to convert an underutilized 6,000 SF old Gymnasium and adjacent spaces into a new cafeteria with servery and kitchen space. In addition, a second-floor mezzanine features lounge areas for socializing and games.
The cafeteria feature Milder Furniture’s 6′ round tables with marmoleum laminate tops throughout the cafeteria.
Round tables can accommodate up to 8 chairs and are available in various sizes. In addition, smaller square tables to accommodate small workgroups are installed on the upper level.
As part of a classroom renovation at DCCS, Milder provided our Tangram tables. These triangular and parallelogram-shaped tables are light enough to quickly move to form shapes best suited for the activity at hand.
Photos courtesy of AOS Architect and photographer Greg Benson
Comments Off on McCabe Library, Swarthmore College
The McCabe Digital Library at Swarthmore College supports a range of student-centered activities: a lounge, eating nook, kitchen, and flexible study and lecture space.
The lecture area is outfitted with several dozen Flip-Top tables that can be arranged for group work or as a lecture hall. In addition, the Flip-top tables can be stowed away to open up the space for other activities as needed. To further support student work, there are several mobile markerboards and a mobile storage partition where supplies are kept.
Cava Architects developed a wall panel system that allows the space to be partially or fully closed off from the rest of the library.
Milder Furniture developed an ADA height-adjustable lectern, especially for Swarthmore.
Cranston Public Schools commissioned Fielding International to devise a district-wide master plan that would “transform their aging building stock into modern, responsive learning environments.” Building on our work with Fielding Nair for the Chappaqua School District in New York, Milder Furniture worked closely with the architects on the much-lauded pilot project for Eden Park Elementary School.
Fielding International specializes in designing schools where learners thrive. And we know that students thrive in environments that promote flexibility.
Similarly, Milder Furniture designs products that give students and teachers the flexibility to reconfigure classroom setups and encourage collaboration. Solutions include storage units with mobile carts for lessons on the go, maker furniture, and products that serve multiple functions.
The Curved Bookcase is open to both sides.
Storage walls come in single or double-sided.
The large storage compartment is enclosed with sliding doors finished in white board laminate. The compartment is divided into four sections and can be specified with adjustable shelves and/or wire mesh baskets. The lower section is configured to store project carts.
All panels in 3/4” birch plywood. Transparent film or UV lacquer finish.
Doors with whiteboard HPL overlay. Vertical supports in 1 1/6ӯ aluminum tubing.
On levelers.
Available in sizes: 90W x 30D x 80H, single sided
122W x 30D x 80H, single sided 192W x 40D x 80H, Double sided
Storage can be specified with adjustable shelves and/or wire mess baskets. The baskets make it easy to keep lesson materials together.
Mobile storage comes with doors, drawers, or baskets. These mobile units can move with students to where the activity is happening or to another classroom.
Butcher Block Shop Table with casters.
Pull-out Bin Storage.
Teacher lockers with perforated aluminum screens are available in a range of sizes and lock options.
Shaped Counter Table
The curved bookcase is designed with libraries and schools in mind; it’s curved shape provides an inviting space to browse, lounge, and read. The storage unit has three levels: shelves accessible from two sides, offering ample storage for books, and more. The curved bookcase can have up to six segments and can be specified as small units.
All panels in 3/4” birch plywood.
Choice of transparent film or UV lacquer finishes.
Vertical supports in 1 1/6″ Ø aluminum tubing. On levelers.
Working with Henry Street Settlement (HSS) and Beyer Binder Bell Architects, we developed and produced a range of office furniture solutions for an open plan office, private offices, meeting and conference rooms, and kitchenette area.
Because groups of workstations are clustered in relatively small and tall spaces, we worked with a sound engineer to limit the level of sound by adding Sound Soak panels and translucent Acrylic panels to our standard partition wall.
Individual single-pedestal workstations have partition installed on two or three sides, allowing for workers to see and be seen at their choosing. Cubicle but not; individual areas feel open yet enclosed. The dividers can stand alone or can be mounted to our workstations allowing for flexible floor layouts.
Research has shown that people do their best work in environments that allow for both social buzz while also providing them with boundaries (separation). The integrated Soundsoak acoustical wall panels absorb 50% to 90% of the sound striking the surface – reducing noise within a space and reducing noise transfer between areas.
The Architecture program at Tulane University was looking to replace roughly 250 desks in its studios, and they turned to AOS, a local Knoll dealership for help. After not being able find existing product to fit their needs, AOS worked with Milder Office to, together with students, faculty and administrators, develop a custom solution for the project.
After the initial design phase, Milder Office produced a prototype for Tulane. Some revisions were made to the design based on feedback during the review phase. With all stakeholders on board, Milder Office then produced the order.
The resulting workstation and mobile pedestal combination offered improvements over the old studio furniture (see last photos) including increased privacy, integrated task lighting (under the overhead storage shelf), cutting matte surface, pin-up surface, and flexible individual storage (pedestal). Tulane also specified Milder Markerboards for the space.
The order was shipped flat to the AOS warehouse where it was assembled and delivered to the Tulane campus.
The renovation was well received, and Tulane University has placed an order for more workstations for summer 2019.
Do you have a project that would benefit from a participatory design process?
Let us share our knowledge and experience with you to develop products that respond to your/you client’s specific needs. Contact Us.
Photo credit for photos 1, 2, 5, 10, and 11 to AOS Interior Environments.
Comments Off on Parsons School of Design Making Center
Client: Parsons School of Design Architect: Rice + Lipka Architects
The Parsons School of Design Making Center, spanning 2 floors and 35,000SF, is a sprawling, dynamic hub for students to work side by side on projects as diverse as fashion, product design, architecture, print making – with the goal of “fostering a new generation of creators”. Milder Office worked closely with the Parsons School of Design team to develop furniture solutions that are durable, attractive and adaptable. Serving as both studio and classroom, with on site training and technical support for a wide range of tools, the Making Center is sure to inspire collaboration across disciplines.
Re-designed for a shop and maker environment, our Maker Series offers a robust reboot of the Milder Furniture System and includes tables in a variety of finishes including butcher block and Trespa, tool carts and mobile storage partitions units. All types are mobile, and the spaces are re-configured throughout the day, at will, by both students and instructors as they like, offering a truly adaptable learning space.
The aptly named Tool Cage is a central storage depot for hand tools and materials, where students can sign out equipment or pick up toolkits for their class. The Milder tool carts provide a convenient way to store and transport the tool laden wire baskets throughout the Making Center.
Some two dozen oversized Mobile Storage Partitions are dispersed throughout the Making Center, providing a convenient whiteboard and display surface for instruction and class presentations. Some of the units serve as temporary storage for student projects and materials, while others are used by the instructors to store their class supplies securely. Despite their size, the MSP units are easy to move and are sometimes ganged to create temporary walls.
For wet areas in maker spaces, print shops, and laboratory use, we recommend TRESPA tops. The tabletop is available in a range of sizes and comes 1” thick in white or black Trespa. We design with durability in mind. The pipe base with crossbars and diagonal struts creates a strong self-supporting base to which the trespa top is clipped.
Subframe in 3/4” birch plywood. Vertical supports and crossbars 1 3/8” Ø aluminum tubing, brushed and anodized finish. On levelers or 5” Ø fully locking casters.
Tops are also available in 1” thick birch plywood with HPL or FORBO desktop linoleum overlay.
Comments Off on Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA)
Client: Swarthmore College
Architect: Cava Architects
The renowned art and design university offers its students learning environments that are responsive to variety of teaching methodologies. Some departments encourage group work by providing a open plan studio setting with furniture that is easily reconfigured to suit different modalities. To that end, the Critical Studies Department relies on our T-partitions (mobile whiteboards), mobile storage partition units, and worktables.
Other programs, for example illustration and graphic design, foster individual development, and need to provide their students with private work spaces.
Milder Office also furnished office spaces for MICA faculty and administrators.
Credenzas are configured in widths up to four modules at desktop height. Our tall credenza features a double top for additional storage. Pedestals can be outfitted with drawers, doors, open storage and files in letter, legal, and lateral formats. Have a more than four pedestals in mind? Credenzas can be built to your preferred size.
Client: Burgiss Group
Architect: Demetri Sarantitis Architects
This project exemplifies the range of design and engineering support Milder Office can provide its clients. For the Burgiss Group, a developer of investment tools, we provided distinct workstation products including quads workstations, hoteling stations for transitional workers, reception area, library and private offices.
We routinely develop new solutions that respond to the way our clients work. For Burgiss Group we developed a long banks of shared workstations for their traders (image 2). The stations have staggered seats and low partitions to facilitate communication between the analysts while keeping their screens private.
The architects asked us to develop a glass partition system that would integrate some of the existing site finishes while maintaining the overall look of the Milder Furniture System. Cherry sills and frosted glass elements were matched in the final partition design.
Comments Off on Urban + Transdisciplinary Design Studio
Client: Parsons The New School for Design
The Urban and Transdisciplinary Design Studio is reconfigured throughout the day by students and faculty for different courses and studios. All Milder Furniture in this dynamic space is mobile and responsive to small and large group settings.
The Mobile Storage Partitions support project classwork, and can be ganged and partition the space when needed. Tables are easily reconfigured to support large and small team meetings.
