Bene Office Furniture

Bene Invites Design

Relax Zone: Competition Brief
Bene is seeking out the next generation of design talent and ways to create a happier workforce. It is doing so in association with Injection, the new magazine for young architects and designers and annual industry showcase 100% Design. Bene Invites Design, the competition, is open to architects and designers aged 35 and under

Brief
We are looking for a workplace room, piece of furniture, or device that also allows the user to relax and even take a power-nap. The brief is deliberately broad so as to maximize the scope and variety of entries. These should be submitted as high resolution scanned drawings or 3D visualizations together with 250 words on your design and why the workplace needs it. E-mail to craig.raeside@bene.co.uk

Timeline
Thursday 20th July 2006 - Launch
Thursday 31 August 2006 - Closing date for entries
Friday 8th September 2006 - Shortlist of 20 designs selected by Bene for manufacturability
Friday 15th September 2006 - Winner selected at a meeting of the Judging panel
Friday 22nd September 2006 - Winner announced at 100% Design

Reward
Cash prize of £1000.00
Flights and accommodation for a trip to the Bene Factory in Waidhofen conduct a feasibility study with the in-house design and production team
Enjoy a cultural visit to historic and beautiful Vienna
Assuming successful feasibility, close collaboration in development to manufacture
Involvement in product marketing and sales evaluation
Free stand at a future 100% Design to launch the concept or product
Named association with product and copyright to own design and features

Judges
Our panel of judges has been selected because of the specific expertise offered by each individual. They combine to create a unique team that encompasses design, manufacture, specification and end-use. The winning Relax-Zone concept will be aesthetically pleasing, of practical value to the office and ultimately demonstrate that new ideas can improve the place that dominates the lives of millions: work.

Thomas Bene Managing Director, Bene AG
Kai Stania Product Designer, Bene AG
Matthew Hilton Furniture designer and consultant
Luke Pearson Founding partner PearsonLloyd, product designers
Neil Wells Director, Aura Consulting (UK) Ltd
Robert Wright Global Head of Workplace Strategy, ABN Amro Bank

Thomas Bene
College for Interior Furnitures in Mödling- Austria. Thomas Bene studied Business Administration at the "Johannes Kepler University" Linz, Austria. He then went on to work in various Bene offices and also spent some time working for Haworth in the U.S.A. He then went on to be head of Marketing for Bene and then Director of Marketing and Portfolio. He now sits on the board as an executive board member for Marketing and Portfolio for Bene.

Kai Stania
Kai studied Industrial Design at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, under Ron Arad. He then went on to do a second degree at the Technical University of Vienna in Architecture. He is still teaching at the University of Applied Arts under the guidance of Professor Will Alsop. He is responsible for a large proportion of Bene's product portfolio - amongst others Bene's signature AL Range. He has also had his own office for 5 years where he designs for international companies such as Wittmann, Cerruti, etc

Matthew Hilton
Matthew Hilton is one of the UK's most successful furniture designers. His work has helped to shape the style of contemporary domestic interiors and many of his pieces are already considered modern classics. A graduate of Kingston Polytechnic, Matthew built a highly productive relationship with the pioneering British manufacturer and retailer SCP; he made his name in the late 1980s with sculptural furniture and tabletop pieces including the Antelope table and the Flipper coffee table, going on to develop a highly successful series of curvaceous upholstered pieces, such as the Balzac armchair. He has also worked with leading European furniture and accessories producers, Authentics and Driade and is the former head of furniture at Habitat

Luke Pearson
Luke trained in Industrial Design at The Central St Martins School of Art in London, (BA Hons 1991) before completing a Masters Degree MA (RCA) in Furniture Design at the Royal College of Art in 1993. He then worked as Senior Designer with Ross Lovegrove in London and on a variety of furniture & product design projects of his own before joining Tom Lloyd to found PearsonLloyd. Luke runs a Platform on the Design Products course at the Royal College of Art. PearsonLloyd has won numerous awards throughout Europe and America for its work including 11 for the Upper Class Suite the firm designed for Virgin Atlantic Airways. The company is due to launch MP3 players for AVC Japan plus numerous furniture projects for high-end manufacturers such as Tacchini, Allermuir, Senator, Knoll International and Walter Knoll. www.pearsonlloyd.com

Neil Wells
Neil is Director of Aura Consulting (UK) Limited and is working as UK Property Services Project Manager ABN AMRO Bank where he is responsible for an annual budget in the region of £5m across the company's 500,000sqft of UK real estate. Aura Consulting provides professional services for other clients, and has worked for companies such as Lehman Brothers, Thomson Financial and other Private Developers across a number of markets. Neil specialises in uniting a team of individuals to carry a project through from inception to completion. He has worked recently on a number of projects that focused on flexible working and bears witness to a real drive amongst employers to give greater credence to break-out and relaxation areas that will improve the working environment for staff. www.aura-consulting.co.uk

Robert Wright
Rob Wright joined ABN AMRO in February 2002 as Global Head of Workplace Strategy, with a brief to develop space efficiencies throughout the global portfolio. Over the past four years he has identified significant saving opportunities through standard measurement practices and setting strategic targets in the office environment. Key focus is now directed towards developing desk sharing concepts and greater functionality of space. Prior to working with ABN AMRO was Head of Space Planning for Citi Group EMEA region where, as well as implementing 12,500 moves in one year, he was instrumental in the delivery of the .5msqft Citigroup Centre (phase 1) building at Canary Wharf. Rob established his expertise with DEGW and Shell International (1986 - 1996). In July 2004, the Global Property & FM Services team at ABN Amro Bank won the RICS Occupation Management Award