Steelcase Opens New WorkLife Centre

Co. Profile C overing more than 12,740 square feet, the WorkLife Centre allows visitors to experience human-centeric spaces designed for collaboration and individual focus-tasks, as well as high-performance shared spaces that are based on Steelcase’s six key ancillary principles: privacy, posture, proximity, personality, productivity and psychological comfort.

Customers are greeted in the Oak Café and WorkCafé, informal spaces, where guests and Steelcase employees can dine, meet, socialise and connect, imbibing the need for workplace settings that allow focus, collaboration, connecting and rejuvenation.

The blueprint of this WorkLife Centre pays tribute to the city’s traditional past while honouring its technology-driven present and future. Inspired by India’s ‘Garden City,’ the architecture makes use of natural materials, textures and colours, letting the diligently curated collections to be the focal point.

Praveen Rawal, Managing Director of Steelcase India, SARRC and Design Application APAC said, “The opening of this new WorkLife Centre in Bengaluru comes at a time when leaders and organisations in India are focused on staying ahead in the disruptive economy. This space will serve as a platform for our customers to experience our innovative workplace solutions surrounding people, place and technology, helping them create a new kind of work space and culture that will lead to better employee experiences and support their business growth.”

Products and solutions showcased here are wide. They include the Migration SE Pro, a new generation Steelcase Opens New WorkLife Centre Steelcase, the front runner in workplace solutions, furniture and technology, officially inaugurated its Bengaluru centre. Axor MyEdition Single lever basin mixer height-adjustable desk platform that can be ergonomically customised.

The Flex collection, winner of the NeoCon 2019, is an integrated range of furniture and accessories you can find here. The collection includes moveable desks, tables, marker boards, carts, screens and accessories that are easy to move.

Alongside the Flex collection, Orangebox’s award-winning Air³ acoustic pod can act as a freestanding meeting room, private space, phone booth or touchdown room.

On the other hand, the Umami seating, tables and screens offer a variety of configurations, sizes and material options designed to create informal spaces that promote creativity.

Providing high performance comfort and support, the Brody WorkLounge featured has a patented LiveLumbar™ technology that reduces neck and shoulder strain, while the SW_1 is a lounge-inspired conferencing solutions collection designed by Scott Wilson. Covering more than 12,740 square feet, the architecture makes use of natural materials, textures and colours The WorkLife Centre allows visitors to experience human-centeric spaces 1

Also available here is the LexCo desk system with modular configurations that open up the workspace, while the Series 1 office chair (one of Steelcase’s signature seating products) has adjustable lumber support, adaptive bolstering and 4D adjustable arms. Steelcase Bengaluru WorkLife Centre is located at 1320, Indiranagar Double Rd, Eshwara Layout, Indiranagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka. Contact web: www.steelcase.asia Mr. Praveen Rawal, Managing Director, Steelcase

Co. Profile

Last year was a record year for U.S. hardwood exports to India with the value of hardwood lumber and veneer exports totaling USD 6.448 million, according to the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), the leading international trade association for the American hardwood industry.

The top six American hardwood species exported last year were hickory (USD 727,000 and 1,229m3), red oak (USD 466,000 and 920m3), walnut (USD 329,000 and 282m3), white oak (USD 262,000 and 358m3), ash (USD 242,000 and 356m3) and maple (USD 140,000 and 240m3). Significant increases were seen in the value and volume of exports of all species. A sector with tremendous potential is the Indian wooden handicrafts and furniture manufacturing industry. Increasing certification requirements, and both the restricted and deteriorating quality of supply of domestic species is driving Indian manufacturers to look at viable alternative hardwood species not only for the domestic furniture and interiors market, but also for re-exports of valueadded products.

Given that Indian exporters of wooden handicrafts and other wood products are facing stricter norms in the European Union, the United States and Australia, the U.S. hardwood industry is well placed to service this demand as American hardwoods are both legal and sustainable, and do not need to be certified in order to enter in to these markets.

With India making positive progress towards fulfilling its potential as a major market for U.S. hardwoods, AHEC recently participated at INDIAWOOD with an American hardwood pavilion, which includes several U.S. based hardwood and veneer exporters.

AHEC also hosted a seminar in partnership with NürnbergMesse India, the organizers of INDIAWOOD.

U.S. Hardwood Exports To India On The Rise Limited domestic hardwood supplies, coupled with strong sustained growth in the retail furniture, handicraft and hospitality sectors is driving demand for new species, making India an attractive long-term prospective market for U.S. hardwoods.

AHEC has been actively promoting American hardwoods in India since 2003 targeting specifiers (architects and interior designers), end users (furniture and joinery manufacturers) as well as importers and distributors

The seminar focused on all aspects of the American hardwood resource, sustainable forest management, production, kiln-drying and the wide range of species available, in addition to new technologies that allow American hardwoods to now be used in exterior and structural applications.

A closer look at the numbers for 2019 reveal that total hardwood lumber shipped from the United States to India increased by 72 percent in value to USD 2.356 million (up from USD 1.369 million in 2018) and by 140 percent in volume to 4,082 cubic meters (up from 1,698 cubic meters in 2018). At the same time, direct exports of American hardwood veneers to the market increased by 4 percent to reach USD 4.092 million. According to AHEC, limited domestic hardwood supplies, coupled with strong sustained growth in the retail furniture, handicraft and hospitality sectors is driving demand for new species, making India an attractive long-term prospective market for U.S. hardwoods.

“AHEC has been actively promoting American hardwoods in India since 2003 targeting specifiers (architects and interior designers), end users (furniture and joinery manufacturers) as well as importers and distributors. Our participation at INDIAWOOD is the first in a line of many activities planned for 2020 aimed at building on the current knowledge of American hardwoods in India.

Looking ahead, the plan is to host lumber grading workshops and design and manufacturing seminars in a number of metropolitan areas around India, while also maintaining a constant on-the-ground presence and technical assistance through our representative based in Bangalore. The American hardwood industry is committed to servicing growing Indian demand for hardwoods,” concluded Roderick Wiles, AHEC Regional Director. Contact web: www.americanhardwood.org