Is a good chair worth the commute

Any space, whether intentional or haphazard, is full of clues and messages about the inhabitants. The ubiquitous office chair, while only one element, is one of the most telling.??

A chair “means” more than a place to sit.?A chair, after all, may take an endless variety of shapes and exhibit all sorts of features. It can convey formality or informality, suggest prestige or invite playfulness and relaxation.??

Every chair, whatever its form, signals what it’s for and sometimes, who it’s for.?The shape and scale of a chair, the angle of the seat or curve of a leg, all of these represent design and ideas and values and hint at the proper way to sit or interact with the chair.?

In an office, you can walk into a space and immediately see how the space is meant to be used.?Ample soft seating signals that this is a place to talk, relax or engage in casual collaboration.?Ergonomic task chairs pulled up to a series of fixed desks tell us this is a space for focus work over an extended period of time.

While “chairs” have been in our lives since antiquity, the concept of a chair specifically meant for an office didn’t come around until the 19th century, when the industrial revolution created the need for administrative workers.?By the 20th century, “desk jobs” were commonplace, but office chairs as we know them today did not appear until mid-century. With the radical transformation of work in this century–where, when, and how work takes place—seating now takes endless forms and an office worker is likely to sit in five different chairs over the course of a day.

Office seating needs to be a portfolio that reflects the singular importance of the chair as the work tool with which we connect—physically and psychologically—most intimately.??

Seating must receive and accommodate the human body, as well as the various postures we assume and activities we pursue.?Even the moods we experience.?At the same time, any selection of chairs, sofas, and modular seating, whether weighted towards utility or aesthetics, needs to reflect corporate priorities for sustainability and employee expectations like safety and wellbeing.??

A good chair can make returning to the office worth the commute.