THEBUSINESS OF FURI Adjustable Schooling ae ing er ae nomics in e classroo!any 34-27, 288 The Monday Ming arte im Stelter of Vanerum Stelter, a Grand Rapids- ‘based educational furniture’ maker, believes the classroom is sitting at the same point in history as the office was in the early 1970s, poised fora game changing revolution. ‘And Stelter believes the change begins with ‘ptis, the company’s new seating and desking platform. Stelter said that for the frst time, all ofthe elements required to reach the ideal er- ‘gonomic posture within the classroom are being incorporated into one comprehensive product line ~-Optir. ‘The Opti+ platform is unique in thatit is suitable for all Iev- cls of lifelong education — K-12, higher education and adult continued education, “Most people are used to seeing class- rooms with hard plastic chairs and hard plastic desks,” Stelter said. ‘opti+ combines a forward sloping chair with a front con- toured edge and a patented desk with integrated footrest, which increases adjustability and comfort. “Today's educa tonal environment is shifting away from the traditional ap- proaches of sitting in rows, facing forward and listening to lectures to a more dynamic and collaborative social environ- ment,” said Johan Heyvaerts, the design team leader at Bel- ‘dium parent company Vanerum Group. “Now students are ex- pected to work in groups, express their ideasand thoughts and earn alongside the instructor” “These changes to the way students work creates new de- ‘mands on furniture within the classroom: increased mobility, adjustability and durability. “A lot of elements are changing in society." he said. “With this platform, we can get ergonomics ‘to ll different kinds of students with one desk.” Optir is actually divided into two collections: Optiv.move and the Opti~be. The Opti+.move desk has a adjustable height footrest that slides up and down the central pedestal leg. There is an elastic o-ring that moves and fits into groves located at various heights along the central leg. The footrest fits over this ‘o-ring and secures the footrest into placeaat the desired height. “The Optt+.move desk features an elevated frame that comes in two different heights to increase the view of the student snd put the student and teacher on the same visual plane. The Optit.be desk is available in five fixed heights and one height aaljustable version. The two collections, with their various siz- ‘5 allows for stadium seating options and numerous arrange- ‘ments within the classroom. ‘pti+ is designed to truly support ergonomics in the class- room. Traditionally ergonomics was looked at with the idea Of creating 90-degree angles from the spine to the hips and the hips to the floor. Heyvaerts said thatit is now known that sustaining that posture for more than a few minutes is very hard, especially in a classroom. Opti+ approaches ergonomics from a different point of view; it uses the “Balanced Seating Philosophy.” which brings users closer to the natural resting position by opening up the angles between the spine, hips and feet. simply, st Ops allows the student to stretch out a bit while stil si ‘The Opts design team lead by Heyvaerts was infuenced «greatly by the Balanced Seating Philosophy as well as the be- lief that creating the same eye level between both students and teachers breaks down the barrier between them and enhances, the learning process. ‘Stelter said redesigning the classroom is one of the most im- portant challenges the country faces in the coming decade. He pointed to President Barack Obamas focus on education dur- ing his State of the Union address as proof of the importance, and while furniture isjust a tiny part of improving the nation’s educational system, Stelter said Opti+ is a step in the right di- rection. Innovation comes with a price. While a traditional hard plastic chair might cost about $40 to a school, Opti+ might come in at shout $52. But over the life of the chair -- say 15, years ~ itis a small price to pay for added student comfort ‘nd productivity, Stelter said. Opti+ isn'tfor the school district ooking to serimp on furniture costs. Instead, it is For schools, that have engaged design professional and who want to inno- ‘vate when it comes to learning spaces. ‘Vanerum Stelter designer Brett Willink worked on turning Opti+ into a product more suitable for the North American market. Willink’s wife is a teacher, so he knows the market better than most. “Students are learning all over the place,” he said. *So their furniture needs to be comfortable and flexible in how ttcan be used.” Optit is being launched simultaneously in North America ‘nd Europe. The product will be made in Belgium for the Eu- rTopean market. Parts will be source in West Michigan for the product in North America. In addition to the furniture, the collection will also have a number of accessories, such as un- der-desktop trays and cabinets. While the Opti+ platform can work with any educational level, Stelter believes it fits especially well in the community college sector. Community colleges continue to boom as gov- ernment funding for worker retraining programs pours in. “Education is broken in the Us? Stelter sald. “Furniture like this is just one way we can help get it on track. We think the retooling of the classroom is going to be a significant move- ment. We think itis incredibly positive that we are goingto be at the front of the wave.” ‘Vanerum Group is 2 $100 million business globally, though North America accounts for only a small, but growing part of that total. *Adjustable Schooling Opti+, the company’s new seating and desking platform that for the first time, addresses all of the elements required to reach the ideal ergonomic posture within the classroom. By Rob Kirkbride