If you haven’t yet heard the term “crossover casegoods,” than you probably aren’t familiar with the new Staks modular office system by manufacturer First Office. This new approach to synthesizing the private feel with an open plan is designed for maximum flexibility, ease of installation, and aesthetic appeal.

Staks Modular Office System. Designed by PLD Design. Manufactured by First Office.

Privatize Your Open Plan with the Staks Hybrid Workstation

Design firm PLD first conceived of the notion that became Staks back in 2009. Following a perceived trend for modular systems with a residential feel, PLD set out to “make a more holistic and integrated design with a single product for private offices and an open plan.”

The resultant “crossover casegoods” constitute a cabinet-based line of systems furniture using wood rather than metal. This not only gives Staks a fresh aesthetic with a more relaxed vibe, it also makes it easier to customize since wood-laminate panels can be tooled faster and at a lower cost.

Another of Staks’ innovations arose by seeking the middle ground between the traditional cubicle and the private office—largely manifest in Staks’ 42” panel. This dimension creates a modicum of privacy, yet doesn’t square employees off from each other. It also allows maximum dispersal of natural light, thus facilitating the open feel while helping to keep the collective mood up.

Staks’ individual components run the gamut—from multiple kinds of space dividers to storage box add-ons to low- and worksurface-height pedestals to a variety of different surface-top shapes and contours (see here for a rundown).

Lastly, a particular advantage from where I sit is the skillful incorporation of cord management features. With Staks, voice, data, and electric are all easily and skillfully integrated into a system of port holes and out-of-view connectors, thus facilitating a clean look while making it a snap to add on (or decrease) wired-in horizontal territory. See this video dramatization by First Office for a more thorough explanation.

About the Manufacturer: Headquartered in Huntingburg, Indiana, Contract specifier First Office is just a hop and a skip from Chicago’s NeoCon, where they make an annual splash with products like Staks. This modular, wood-based system is a versatile and appealing solution for the new open office—just the type of offering to satisfy the “self-expressive desire of consumers today in their workplace… First Office is committed to providing socially responsible furniture and logistic solutions through better design, excellent performance, innovative products and services.”