Allseating introduces Res, its latest seating solution. Designed in partnership with Toronto-based studio modus ID, the original concept was to create a piece for higher education environments. Yet the unique hybrid design combines facets of comfortable lounge seating with the adaptability essential in the workplace.
With two decades of experience as an industrial designer, including a stint at Teknion, Nick Gillissie, principal at modus ID, also designed Exchange for Allseating, a collection which consists of seven injection-molded recycled plastic components to create 16 standard configurations—and thousands of other possibilities. “There is less developed specifically for higher ed, and we are known for our contract furniture. I brought that systems knowledge to this project,” said Gillissie.
Gillissie went to several campuses, from colleges to technical schools, to observe how students spent a typical day of learning, conversing, or collaborating, all while sitting down. He was surprised by what he found, namely that learners often don’t sit at all, but adopt a combination of postures from leaning, reclining, or resting on the desktop. “It turned into this exploration of how people interact or don’t interact when they are seated,” Gillissie noted. “And students sit in a very unorthodox manner.”
Not only is the way they sit unconventional, but the length of the time in a chair varies, from a single hour to 12. It was also apparent that when students were ready to sit, they preferred plush seating versus hard for added comfort when studying. “If there’s a space that has a number of soft seats and a number of hard seats, every single soft seat will be filled,” Gillissie explained.
It was clear that a hybrid chair with an integrated surface and soft components would be most useful in a range of settings. “It is this idea of combining textures, mobility, and a place to keep items secure in the same unit,” Gillissie said. Surprisingly, one of the younger members of the design team looked at an item that was once in practically every household for inspiration, the telephone table (also known as a gossip bench).
Popular in the 1930s and through the 1950s, a telephone table is basically a chair or small bench with a table attached; some versions had drawers or a shelf for a telephone book. It’s difficult to remember a time before cell phones, the era of landlines and bulky devices with cords attached. This table was ideal in a hallway, where someone could take a call or jot down a message, while keeping the telephone in a designated spot.
A storage and seat pairing was the starting point, but modifications were needed to make Res suitable for contemporary users, like a smaller, streamlined version compatible with any interior. “Some of the other chairs on the market have a wider base that spreads out and makes for an uncomfortable seating position,” noted Gillissie. “We wanted to put all of the elements into as tight of a footprint as possible. It is as small as we could possibly make it.”
Its smaller size doesn’t mean that Res is lacking, however. It offers plenty of features that make studying or working easier. With a table for a laptop, the chair also has a lower shelf ideal for a phone, chargers, and other small items, making the work surface less cluttered. A cup holder and an optional coat hook keep essentials tucked neatly out of the way, while gliders or castes make Res easy to move. Two back heights offer optimum comfort and support for various body types.
The front-access storage in the base is key, due to pilfering, which is unfortunately common on school grounds. “Students are concerned about theft, which is not surprising because they are probably hauling around thousands of dollars worth of small tech in their bags. They need to have that storage, a place where you feel that it is protected,” Gillissie said. And, when a user is sitting their legs guard the opening, which acts as a barrier.
Because offices are becoming more and more like learning hubs, the versatile Res has crossover appeal, and can complement any number of education or corporate settings. “The workplace is like a university now. It is not a place that you go to every day of the week, but you attend based upon your course requirements. Some days you are there, and some days you are at home, which is what we are doing now in the workplace,” Gillissie added.
