Articles tagged with: Germany
El Zulo: Specially Designed Station for Power Napping by Frank Ehners
Saturday, August 30th, 2008 |Tags: digital fingerprinting, El Zulo, Frank Ehners, Germany, Halle Univesity of Art and Design, hideout, performance optimisation, Sleep
Power napping has been in focus for quite some time. Power napping is sleeping for a short duration of time, between 10-20 minutes, in which the individual does not have enough time to drift into deep dreamy sleep. Thus, the individual would wake up rested and alert. El Zulo may appear like Superman’s space travelling pod but is designed to give the user the best power nap so he wakes up energised and ready for optimum performance.
El Zulo, meaning ‘hideout’ in Spanish, was designed by Frank Ehners as an industrial design project while at Halle Univesity of Art and Design, Germany. The user is seated in an upright embryonic position in El Zulo so that body weight is optimally distributed and the back is relieved. This upright position would give the feeling of being able to get back right up to work. The inside is made from a flexible timber form and is padded with special foam for a comfortable nap.
Ehners has included digital fingerprinting for a more personalised experience and a vibration alarm along the chest range would wake you up sans an irritating noise. Special hygienic covers for the headrest and other contact areas allow use of El Zulo by multiple users. El Zulo is intended for offices or research establishments where ‘nap breaks’ could be given to increase the performance level of employees.
Via InventorSpot
Posted in: Chairs, futuristic
Worknest Chair: Winner of Red Dot Award 2008
Sunday, August 10th, 2008 |Tags: Chair, Erwan Bouroullec, France, Germany, red dot award, Ronan Bouroullec, Vitra AG, Worknest
As the name suggests, the Worknest chair is an attempt to import ‘homelike’ qualities into the chair used at an office set up. Designed by French brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, the swivel chair endeavours to facade the functionality while instead stressing on the simple beauty of it. Seat and arm rests are upholstered in a soft material of pleasing colours. User can change the height of the chair and even that of the arm rests separately according to his/her individual desires, while in the comfort of a seated position. If you’re looking out for something soothing for both your back and on your eyes, this would be the perfect choice, even with a slightly raised price.
Working overtime for hours at the office can have you dreaming of going home to settle in your favourite and comfortable old armchair and resting your aching back against a plush cushion. Nowadays, work environments are made as comfortable as possible for the pleasures of the employees, perhaps from fear of early retirement by employees. The Worknest chair is manufactured by Vitra AG, Birsfelden, Germany, with the intension of granting the user all the desired comforts, is the winner of the Red Dot Award for the best product design, 2008.
Via: Red Dot