Bene Parcs - 10 Years

ABOUT BENE

The international office expert is a specialist in the design and furnishing of modern office and working environments. Bene defines the office as a living space, and its concepts, products and services turn this philosophy into a reality. The Bene Group is a globally active company with its head office and production facilities in Austria. Development, design, and production, along with consulting and sales, are thereby united under one Austrian roof. As a significant market player in Europe, Bene stands for innovative concepts, inspiring offices, and high-quality design. Bene develops and produces customised solutions for all company sizes – from one-person companies to SMEs and global corporations.

10 YEARS PARCS – THE REVOLUTIONARY FURNITURE RANGE CELEBRATES A MAJOR BIRTHDAY

In 2009 a new kind of furniture was launched: PARCS inspired unconventional office layouts, breaking out from established formats and routines. Jointly developed by the London design duo PearsonLloyd, it defined a new style of office interaction – informal, inspirational and communicative. Bene is currently celebrating the 10-year anniversary this colourful, creative furniture range that quickly became a classic and is now a standard feature of modern environments.

Today’s modern workplace setting is characterised by multi-functional, unstructured office layouts with open spaces that encourage dialogue and teamwork. That hasn’t always been the case. Aloof colour schemes and angular forms were typical for offices in the 1980s and 90s, right up to October 2009 when Bene launched its comprehensive PARCS range, breaking up the severity of traditional office for the first time. New colours, soft materials and innovative forms produced lively, fresh office landscapes that encouraged a new style of interaction. Communication and creativity, collaborating and exchanging ideas became key elements of the modern way of working, and improved the productivity of every organisation.

PARCS – its name derived from the concept of a “park” – was the result of a two-year research project on “New ways of working” and was developed in collaboration with the internationally renowned designers Luke Pearson and Tom Lloyd.

The designers drew inspiration from a rock formation in Northern Ireland, and a tribal meeting place in Mali. PARCS bears the unmistakable hallmark of Luke Pearson and Tom Lloyd, who have cleverly integrated organic forms into every element of the product range. In this way the form defines the function.

URBAN STYLE ENCOUNTERS IN THE OFFICE

With the introduction of PARCS, Bene made office layouts more open and more versatile. PARCS has influenced a new style of interaction in the office, and with it the entire working environment. Rather like a park in a big city, PARCS creates collective zones between workstations in the office, linking and inviting employees to get together. These areas make a significant difference to the quality of everyday life and interaction, giving people a chance to exchange ideas and work together. The analogy of the urban landscape is making office layouts more open and versatile.

Since the initial launch of PARCS in October 2009, Bene has used it for countless office designs throughout the world. PARCS added a new dimension to office interiors: places for relaxation, inspiration and exchange of ideas are seen as essential today.

INSPIRATION MEETS OPEN SPACE

This is how the industrial model of an efficient office is evolving into a social model, where new developments result from constant interaction. Employees today spend less time working at their own separate desks. More compact workstations allow more space for collaborative zones. This means you can choose the right setting to suit the requirements of the moment – a space for communication or to withdraw for individual focused work. PARCS creates open space for collaborative work and inspirational interactions.

Another significant change results from the integration of communal zones: office furnishings are becoming more colourful, with softer materials. The sombre cell-like offices of the 80’s and open-plan offices of the 90’s, dominated by beige surfaces and beech finishes, now belong in the past. PARCS breaks up the severity of traditional office environments and creates lively, fresh office landscapes. Spaces are defined by form and colour, creating surroundings that promote inspiration, interaction and personal development.

In today’s office, collaborative zones are at least as important as the actual workstations. Communication is the oxygen of the modern working environment and vital to the success of a company.

“The new working environment is individual, networked, digital and flexible. As trendsetters in the industry, Bene recognised this ten years ago: with PARCS we presented a social concept where ideas develop in an environment of constant interaction, as opposed to the old industrial model of an efficient office. Ever since, modern office environments have included zones for cooperative work and an inspirational exchange of ideas, alongside spaces for temporary retreat,” says Michael Fried