Matthew Ellis, Mike Norman and Mark Bradburn visited One Four One Hair in Cirencester where their locks were shorn by Lorraine who kindly donated her time for free in the spirit of the cause.

Despite being a high-end women’s salon, proprietor Mike Smits agreed to get involved given that the inspiration for 3Sphere’s campaign is Sarah Burkill’s recent diagnosis.

Sarah (pictured below front) is a prominent member of the 3Sphere team and a popular figure in the office design sector.

All those involved with 3Sphere offer their total support to Sarah and our warmest thanks to the guys at One Four One Hair.

Vitra commissioned Basel-based architects Herzog & de Meuron to design the stunning structure in 2006 and it is now one of the company’s focal points.

3Sphere’s Brian Winward and Matthew Ellis (both pictured below) visited the building in July and were blown away by the sheer scale of the project. Futuristic from the outside, 12 separate internal spaces have been designed in the style of familiar domestic settings to showcase Vitra’s extensive furniture collections.

The project has already captivated the design-orientated media who have been inspired by the visionary concept that combines both architectural and interior design brilliance.

As the residential market continues to take influence from corporate office design themes, both Vitra and 3Sphere are perfectly positioned to benefit from our growing awareness of high-end furniture designers and brands.

For more information, please visit www.vitra.com

The event also showcased a multitude of customised Panton’s entered into the Vitra-organised competition to commemorate the provenance of this design classic.

Brian Winward’s trout-inspired design stood proudly among a diverse range of entries which highlighted the creativity and dexterity of the architects & interiors sector.

The ultimate winner was submitted by London’s Jump Studio’s who hollowed out the actual chair shell and replaced it with fishing line: the effective is both elegant and innovative. Second prize was awarded to Ben Adams Architects with the bronze award going to Maris Interiors.

The evening was a great success and one must applaud Vitra’s ability to devise unique and visionary events that both challenge notions of design whilst also being great fun.

Vitra showroom window resplendent with event branding

Clerkenwell is the creative hub of London’s designer furniture sector and was the location for a three day Design festival running from the 25th to the 27th May.

Inspired by a desire to celebrate the creative richness of the industry, Design Week was embraced by many of the leading furniture brands including Haworth, Vitra, Fritz Hansen, Knoll and Moroso among many others.

A series of seminars, workshops and product launches characterised the event which highlighted the fast-moving nature of the sector. The 3Sphere team attended the event and took the opportunity to meet industry contacts and many of their furniture partners. Haworth hosted a series of presentations within their showroom which was transformed into something best described as a ‘village high street’ complete with sweetshop, bank and pub.

To much fanfare, Republic of Fritz Hansen unveiled the NAP™ chair designed by Kasper Salto complete with a ‘grooved’ shell to stimulate airflow when sitting down. I was particularly delighted to meet Kasper in person and have a brief chat about the design process and inspiration for NAP.

3Sphere Designers Dave Kelsall & Leanne Rimmer try the Vitra 'Chairless'.

Vitra also trumpeted a new ‘chair’ but perhaps not in the form that one might expect! ‘Chairless’ is effectively a large rubber band that acts as a support for the body when sitting on the floor designed by Alejandro Aravena and inspired by a picture of a Ayoreo Indian using a strap to support himself. The image of 3Sphere designers’ Dave Kelsall and Leanne Rimmer speaks volumes.

More conventionally, Vitra screened a series of films by Charles & Ray Eames which serve not only as a design blueprint for their work, but also as a fascinating backdrop to the cultural times in which they were working. One was struck by the fact that even though times have changed alarmingly, time-honoured style and design principles remain largely the same.

Moroso share their two-tiered showroom with Flos and the combination of vibrant lighting and fabrics ablaze with colour creates a vibrant, almost phantasmagorical atmosphere which reminded me of Vivienne Westwood; ok, a different industry and perhaps even a different era, but the originality of both brand’s are equally challenging and forward thinking.

Quite apart from the sleek showrooms of the big players, there were numerous items of interest at the open exhibition housed within the Farmiloe Building on St. John Street. From the upholstered bright colours of Hitch Mylius and the Lammhults sofa in classic Paul Smith stripes, to the futuristic flexible love chair or the solid contemporary James Burleigh tables, the exhibition showcased a variety of stimulating products which highlighted the sheer variety of the industry.

The Expo. in the Farmiloe Building captured the essence of the event.

Recently used as a shoot on Guy Richie’s version of Sherlock Holmes, the location was perfect for such an event; set within spaces and floors created by seemingly derelict buildings, one could see the girders and brickwork of buildings from a previous age, from a different London when the city was untouched by the onslaught of modernity and architectural sophistication; the juxtaposition was most appropriate.

Despite feeling that I only just scratched the surface of the event, Clerkenwell Design Week provided many highlights and stimulations. Our fascination for all things ‘new’ shone through and the ever more adventurous imaginations of designers continues to amaze. Both the brand leaders and the independents jostled for the attentions of an audience clearly intrigued by the breadth of both product and talent on view.

The presence of writers from Wallpaper is perhaps an indicator of the events cache and posts from the expo. was added to the magazine’s iphone app within hours.

You see, design never ends and Clerkenwell Design Week provided a snapshot of where the industry is today; by next year, it will have moved on again as our appetite for cool environments, stylish furniture and authentic design grows ever more intense.

…the crucial momentum for boosting productivity originates in the office. This is where innovative ideas take shape, where plans are developed and where decisive discussions take place..

The aforementioned quote has been lifted from the opening page of the Orgatec website (www.orgatec.com) and it seems to sum up both the very essence of the office furniture and design industry and, in particular, 3Sphere. Of course the industry has pure design excellence at its heart, but it is the desire to create stimulating, inspiring and contemporary working environments that remains the sectors ultimate purpose. We know that the office-based business community is slowly understanding the direct relationship between staff productivity and stimulating work spaces. Spending lavish budgets on cool, funky offices has for too long been the preserve of the cash-rich corporates, but design trends are now permeating the consciousness of smaller operations who just want their offices to be stylish, inviting and memorable.

Orgatec 2008 was held in the distinctly modern city of Cologne that appropriately conjures up images of a sophisticated European chic in the minds eye. For five days, the industry flocks to the vast expanse of the event which featured over 700 exhibitors from forty countries attracting a mammoth 60,000 visitors including three happy souls from 3Sphere; Matt Ellis (Sales Director) and uber-babes/ Account Managers, Sarah Burkhill and Lisa Preece. Quite apart from giving them a break from the distinctly gloomy UK economic climate, Orgatec provided the 3Sphere team with an opportunity to view the latest products and ideas that are driving the industry.

Quite apart from the obvious social benefits, Matt, Sarah and Lisa immersed themselves in the galaxy of innovation that characterises the event. Matt has waxed lyrical about the Vitra presence ever since on account of the futuristic vision of the workplace that comprised their stand. A jaw-dropping (predominantly) white colour scheme provided the landscape for Vitra’s design brilliance incorporating furniture, work stations, lighting and soft furnishings.

Almost resembling a scene from Star Trek, Vitra once again set the standard for aspirational work environments and cultures. As a respected Vitra dealer, it is particular gratifying that 3Sphere can access these breathtaking products and concepts in the course of their own work with a discerning UK-based clientele. Highlights included the luxurious softshell chair from Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, Fog office systems from the ultra-fashionable Frank Gehry and Matt’s personal favourite, the Basket (which resembles a hammock) designed in association with Werner Aisslinger to create an “island retreat” within an open plan office.

Sarah was particularly taken by Allermuir’s new soft seating Bison tub chair range designed by Simon Pengelly for use in informal, lounge and breakout areas. Compact, but deceptively comfortable due to a subtle flexing of the arms, backrest and sprung seat, Bison is a welcome addition to the Allermuir portfolio. As is the funky and fun range of Jaks seating solutions created by John Coleman that comprises a variety of interlocking modular shapes, playful colours and tessellated patterns to form a ‘cross’ configuration.

For Lisa, Camira’s new range of fabrics took her eye including fabrics actually manufactured from nettles which takes the green theme to a new level. Brilliantly titled the Sting range, these fabrics combine the raw fibres of the common stinging nettle woven with pure new wool to create a unique, high performance, fire retardent upholstery fabric. Launched in September 2008, Sting comes in a variety of natural colours inspired by the English countryside and is perhaps the ultimate Eco-friendly statement.

An exhausting trip for the 3Sphere trio, but they came back to the office energised by the Orgatec experience. Witnessing at first hand the next generation of products that will soon grace offices the world over is essential for a company like 3Sphere who place great emphasis on being ahead of the game. We have added a gallery of images which both illustrate the products that inspired the team and highlight the pleasurable element of the trip.

Particular thanks to Matt Ellis, Sarah Burkill and Lisa Preece for their contributions to this blog entry.