If there were ever a proper emissary to define and popularize a “dynamic seating” concept it would be Konstantin Grcic. Indeed, the famed creator of the Myto Chair is arguably the industry face of “motion in sitting.” Granted, the notion seems oxy-moronic, but Grcic’s chair and stool designs promote a movement-while-seated paradigm—side-sitting, frequent adjustment, re-positioning, and the like—that physical therapists and orthopedists agree is healthier than just sitting stock still.

Pro school chair. Designed by Konstantin Grcic. Manufactured by Flötotto.

Konstantin Grcic’s Pro School Chair Embraces a New Paradigm for the New Millennium

We’re definitely starting to see the notion filter its way into different A&D segments. Just as Grcic’s Myto represented a dynamic, multi-tasking office chair, the designer’s latest—the Pro school chair for Flötotto—introduces the new paradigm into the educational realm.

Pro responds to a growing awareness of the dangers of stationary sitting, recently outlined in an abstract by The German Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth: “the study found that dynamic sitting was the most important condition for physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being. This, in turn, is the premise for healthy learning.”

In short, if you want your brain to be active your body should be too. The challenge lies in integrating activity into the necessarily calm and orderly environment of the classroom. Pro toes this line by facilitating frequent postural changes—even, “allowing kids to get up during class.”

Many a traditionalist may scoff at the notion, but the science is in, and Pro takes this knowledge and makes it manifest in three integral design elements: a round seat (resembling a stool more than a typical chair) that prescribes multi-directional sitting rather than an exclusively forward orientation; a thin backrest that lets the torso rock side to side rather than only forward and aft; and an exaggerated s-curve in the seat back that “allows for freedom of movement and takes strain away from the lower back and pelvis.”

This last quality gives Pro a distinctive appearance, deeding it an active, dynamic look that is certainly apt, especially in light of the chair’s functional dynamism. The big curve also gives Pro tremendous structural stability, allowing it to eschew polypropylene reinforcements, which makes the chair greener since it increases recycling options.

About the Manufacturer: Flötotto embraces a multi-tiered philosophy consisting of three bedrock principles: quality, innovation, and social responsibility. The quality is manifest in their dedicated customer service, excellent communication, and use of first-rate materials. The innovation is apparent in their portfolio of functional, forward-thinking product. And the social responsibility is evident in their local production and frequent use of recycled and recyclable materials. Some of the company’s more notable pieces include the Pro School Chair, the Quaro Sideboard, and the Möbelsysteme of Modular Shelving.