Earlier this week we saw how "The Ledge" adjustable shelf and drawer gives residential real estate a bit more bang for the vertical buck. Steelcase's FlexFrame Workwall is in some ways the workplace take on this notion. This Best of NeoCon10 silver medal winner in the shelves and storage category is a fully-integrated and easily transformable work station/shelving system/power center.

FlexFrame Workwall. Designed by Steelcase.

FlexFrame grew from Steelcase's research into how "knowledge workers" actually function from day to day. This means the modular system addresses shelving needs, "piling" needs (documents that are habitually on surfaces for easy access and thus in plain view), and requisite power infrastructure.

The frame in FlexFrame is a flat panel that permanently attaches to the wall as a supportive apparatus for FlexFrame's accompanying assortment of shelves, skins, bins, drawers, and desks. The idea here is to "activate" vertical space by facilitating easy re-arrangement without the fuss of drilling into studs or disrupting drywall. FlexFrame's many functional features make it an appealing option, especially for the organizationally impaired. There are thick shelves for the aforementioned "piling" (they support up to 250 lbs. each); under-shelf lighting with energy efficient LEDs; L-shaped sliding doors that facilitate vertical removal of hefty folders of documents; cantilevered desk surfaces for no-fuss/barrier free collaboration; flat screen media technology for information sharing; and a choice of finishes including wood, fabric, laminate, and back-painted glass.

The FlexFrame system also performs a task that has become increasingly crucial for modular office configurations-cord management. FlexFrame's shelves and sidewalls allow cable infrastructure to be threaded vertically and horizontally, so you never have to contend with that particular disruption. The frames also facilitate a hidden "base power" station, so lights, accessories, and outlets all power up from a happily unseen source. In sum, the FlexFrame Workwall represents a new species of flexibility and functionality in the office: "with embedded technology support, work-enhancing modular components, and built-in flexibility, FlexFrame creates high performance workspaces from private to open."

Via Contract Network.