Herman Miller: Sustainability & Comfort

          Before the presentation given by a representative from Herman Miller, I had not known how "green" their company was.  It was interesting to find on their website what their approach to sustainability was really all about. Their initiative called "Perfect Vision," shows everything they were aiming to reach this year.

• Zero landfill
• Zero hazardous waste generation
• Zero air emissions (VOC)
• Zero process water use
• 100 percent green electrical energy use
• Company buildings constructed to a minimum LEED Silver certification
• 100 percent of sales from DfE-approved products

        After the presentation I could tell that the Herman Miller company is made up of extremely hard workers that are determined to make their products as sustainable and environmentally friendly as they can.  This company does not like to see anything go to waste.  They also try to promote their ideas of environmental awareness to all their customers.  Their "cradle to cradle" approach to sustainability was very interesting. At the end of the useful life of their products they disassemble them and decide what they can recycle and/or use again in another product.  They also make sure that the chemicals that they specify are the safest available.
          One of Herman Miller's newer products is the "Embody Chair."  This chair is meant to restore balance to the human and the computer.  The material used is a type of "memory foam."  This fabric is also very breathable so it releases body heat instead of keeping it in and making the person uncomfortable.  The back of the Embody chair is inspired by the human spine; it adapts to the shape and movement of a person's spine.  This is the perfect chair for anyone that sits at a computer all day since it would definitely not make any one's back stiff.  This, in turn, would keep you concentrated on your work all day without feeling any discomfort. 

         Another wonderful design idea from this company was the "Resolve" system furnishing for open office designs.  This is a human-centered system that "lets what's natural for people come naturally to the work environment." It creates open, space-efficient workstations where people feel comfortable and connected. You can get your work done efficiently while being close to your resources. Advantages of this system type is that the screens that divide the spaces are customizable and also "offers a choice of Geiger natural veneers and cathedral recut veneers for a rich, refined look."  This system also has a simple and lightweight infrastructure that is easy to take down when not in use anymore.  These workstations are 86% recyclable and already contains 27% of recycled materials.  It also weighs 1/3 less than the usual workstation. 

          Herman Miller constantly addresses the issue of ergonomics in their designs.  I think they expect to seat everyone that is looking to buy their products.  They are aiming at the level of comfort in the workplace, because nobody likes to be uncomfortable while sitting at work all day.  All of their systems create a balance between the human and the connection with technology.  They believe the worker should be at ease and have easy access to their resources.  Personally, when I do furniture specifications, sustainability and comfortableness are the two most important aspects of the products that I chose.  Herman Miller has inspired me, even more, to "go green": even the products we sit on everyday can have an impact on our environment.