Steelcase today announced the grand opening of a new showroom in San Francisco. The 10,700 square foot space has been designated an official Intel Hotspot, creating an environment with the freedom and flexibility of wireless high-speed Internet access throughout the facility.
Intel Hotspots provide wireless LAN service and are located in a wide variety of office spaces and public meeting areas. Customers with PC notebooks featuring Intel's Centrino mobile technology will have the ability to access the Internet and work remotely from Steelcase's new showroom and reference center. Additionally, visitors can experience how Intel's wireless technology could be implemented in the design of a workspace, allowing employees the flexibility to work in a variety of spaces, which can help increase overall productivity and efficiency.
"Workers are often restricted in the office because they are tethered to hard-wired company networks and the Internet," explained Rick Yeates, senior vice president of sales, for Steelcase Inc. "By incorporating wireless technology into the physical environment, employees can gather in group or team spaces or in private more contemplative spaces without losing vital connectivity. The new showroom will serve as a laboratory for our visitors to experience first-hand how this integration of architecture, furniture and technology can help promote efficiency in the workplace."
Featuring the latest product introductions from Steelcase and the Steelcase Design Partnership (SDP) companies, the showroom is designed to support Steelcase's user-centered research findings on how a work environment can enhance innovation, communication, work process, learning, and decision-making.
The new San Francisco showroom also demonstrates how companies can implement the six building blocks Steelcase has identified as critical in creating effective work environments. These building blocks were developed out of extensive research on issues such as managing the workplace strategically, supporting diverse workstyles, and using space to stimulate inspiration, among others.
"The Bay Area is an important region for Steelcase," Yeates said, "This is a highly-sophisticated design and technology market and we embraced the challenge to create a showroom that clearly demonstrates the connection between our user-centered research, knowledge and product solutions."
The showroom is located at 475 Brannan in San Francisco, California.