Keilhauer and EOOS Team Up for Space-Saving (com)Pact Collection
Among the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, designers now are increasingly asked to do more with less, especially given that many companies are downsizing their real estate with the rise of remote work. But creating multi-use spaces with smaller floorplans brings new sets of challenges, especially when it comes to finding the right furnishings. To ensure designers have an array of options, Keilhauer, a leading manufacturer of contract furniture, has teamed up with Austrian design collective EOOS to create a sleek collection of compact and multi-functional pieces designed to encourage both communication and individual focus.
EOOS founders Martin Bergmann and Gernot Bohmann have been working together long before their two-decades-long partnership with Keilhauer began, enabling each other’s work habits to be a part of their designs. With only a glass wall dividing their individual offices, Bergmann started to notice Bohmann’s idiosyncrasy of positioning two stools around his chair for both an arm rest and a place for notes during brainstorming sessions or working on a project. Referencing Rodin’s iconic “The Thinker” sculpture, EOOS’s first design for the 50-piece Pact collection is a seat designed to support Bohmann’s “thinker’s pose,” says Bergmann, noting that the chair features an asymmetric back and arm rest that supports a leaning position with a rotating tablet arm providing a work surface that can accommodate both left- and right-hand users.
“There’s a ritual in the project,” remarks Bergmann, emphasizing that the idea behind the collection comes from “where and how we sit.” Each Pact piece is meticulously proportioned to work in common sizes of pods and telephone booths, while also being able to stand alone or create customized groupings. With a tightly confined footprint, designers can use the modular Pact Benches in high-traffic foyers and corridors to create moments of pause and rest in transitional spaces. Additionally, items like the Pact Tables are designed for nesting storage to reduce the floor surface area taken up. With cross-functional capabilities, Pact’s adaptability is guaranteed to fit into any space while supporting any working position.
