KI Showcases Innovative Furniture and Architectural Wall Solutions at NeoCon 2016

CHICAGO - Visitors to KI's showroom (#1181) at the NeoCon® World's Trade Fair 2016 will see how KI's product solutions and architectural wall portfolio work together to create functional and harmonious environments that span all markets and applications.

“KI's NeoCon showroom represents a continuation of simplicity and unification of design,” said Shawn Green, vice president of design and product marketing, KI. “We're excited to meet with customers and share how our new furniture and architectural wall solutions can inspire them to create elegant, flexible, functional environments.”

The showroom features a wide range of new KI furniture and architectural walls solutions in a variety of applications and settings, such as administrative areas, lobbies, collaborative workspaces, conference rooms, classrooms and training centers.

New to NeoCon

Making headlines at NeoCon 2016 is a series of new products from KI:  Dōni Seating Collection, MyPlace, Evoke Architectural Wall enhancements, Lightline Architectural Wall enhancements and Connection Zone Collection enhancements.

Debuting in KI's NeoCon showroom is the Dōni seating collection, designed by Giancarlo Piretti. Dōni celebrates color, comfort and design. This comprehensive seating collection offers endless design freedom and superior comfort. The articulating chair delivers exceptional comfort and unlimited design opportunities.  Dōni is available in an extensive palette of materials, colors (including two-tone options) and base styles.

Dōni has the fluid appearance of a single-piece shell, but is actually a two-piece shell with hip-articulation and body-conforming curves. Its simple mechanism provides 17-degrees of backrest articulation and movement. The shell is created using a sophisticated two-shot injection molding process. KI is the only manufacturer in the United States to offer this two-shot process. Two-tone shells enhance visual appeal, encourage design expression, and provide branding opportunities for universities, corporations, sports teams, and more.

Also debuting at NeoCon 2016 is MyPlace. MyPlace is a simple, adaptive, configurable lounge system. It supports both private and open planning and serves as a backbone, accommodating a variety of work styles from individual, focus areas to open regenerative spaces. It allows you to work, relax, learn, focus, socialize, and collaborate in environments tailored to your needs. Its flexibility creates areas for small, private group work but transforms easily into larger configurations for large group and lounge environments. MyPlace creates functional spaces anywhere, within offices, classrooms, public spaces and lounges.

MyPlace melds to a user's desired work style. Its privacy panels, support posts, lounge elements and power components piece together like lego's, allowing for endless reconfiguration options. Varying panel heights create levels of privacy and space differentiation. 48” panels can be used to divide space without inhibiting communication; 64” high panels increase privacy levels. It also offers power at your fingertips, providing power throughout an entire lounge area. MyPlace's plug and play power system makes reconfiguration simple and can be added wherever it is needed.

NeoCon attendees will also be able to experience the introduction of the clerestory option for Evoke Architectural Wall. A glass transom, the clerestory option brings natural light into space while maintaining visual and audio privacy. Evoke uses ½” glazing to maintain its best in class STC value. It upholds the nearly seamless aesthetic Evoke is known for by using a seamless vertical mullion.

Evoke is a new paradigm in movable wall and permanent construction. It is more adaptable, seamless, movable, affordable, and creates quieter spaces than any wall system before it. It renders drywall virtually obsolete. Evoke installs quickly and easily. It can be painted and accessorized on site. KI offers inkjet printing on Evoke panels to feature unlimited textures, finishes or custom graphics. Evoke is highly recyclable. It is pre-assembled, minimizing dust and debris. Evoke is constructed with non-offgassing materials contributing to better indoor air quality for sensitive environments.  

 KI is also introducing a freeform option for Lightline Architectural Wall, a revolutionary way to create faceted curves and angles with standard unitized non-progressive architectural wall. Lightline allows for angles ranging from 90-180 degrees using standard panels and a clear rigid dry-seal connection while maintaining vertical panel height adjustability.

Lightline wall creates beautiful, adaptive, sustainable environments. It offers a seamless glass architectural wall solution with passive, light construction to support natural daylighting. Lightline integrates both freestanding furniture and permanent construction to unify space and provide an attractive aesthetic throughout a variety of environments. Lightline supports unlimited butt-glazing, eliminating the need for vertical posts between glass panels.

The KI showroom will also feature Connection Zone Collection enhancements that further expand the collection's planning continuum. Enhancements include Cafe Height Teaming Tables that facilitate impromptu gatherings. New frameless privacy screens offer a lighter aesthetic and open sight lines. Supporting privacy screens provide heightened privacy and support shelves and cubbies. Mobile Screens are available with magnetic steel inserts, bulletin boards and fabric inserts.

The Connection Zone addresses the human element of workspace. From benching solutions, mobile screens and storage to privacy booths, Connection Zone supports the shift from ME space to WE space, creating "zones" that foster performance and accommodate a variety of work styles. Focus zones, ideation zones, interaction zones and privacy zones are supported by unique elements designed to efficiently maximize workspace. It includes benching, storage, mobile screens and privacy booths.

New collections from Pallas® Textiles, a subsidiary of KI, will also be shown at NeoCon 2016, including Papillon, Trade Route and Popcorn.

Showroom Highlights

In addition to new products, KI's showroom features a series of established furniture designs and technologies for business, healthcare, government and education markets.

Highlights include:

• Sway™ Lounge Seating-The first of its kind, Sway lounge seating breaks free from conventional movement and enables dynamic orbital motion. Move front to back, side to side and everywhere in between with a smooth 360-degree swivel. Instead of a lounge chair that forces you to adapt, Sway adapts to you, responding to your natural body movements to provide superior comfort.
• MyWay® Lounge Seating-MyWay responds to the needs of each user with a wide variety of seating styles, allowing users to interact with the chair in varied unconventional seating styles-all while providing unparalleled ergonomic support. Users have the ability to sit on any horizontal surface and can sit in a variety of positions ranging from across the piece, diagonally, pretzel legged and more.
• Learn2® Seating-Designed for higher education and K-12 environments based on extensive student research, KI's award-winning Learn2 Seating is uniquely versatile and mobile and represents the natural progression of KI's product portfolio of collaborative educational furniture solutions. Whether for individual study, group projects, or traditional classrooms, this seat and surface combination personalizes the learning experience.
• Trellis®-Trellis is a simple, adaptive system that delivers power and data seamlessly to any freestanding table or desking solution. Trellis establishes the framework for modern, dynamic workplaces. It provides structure and power to environments that frequently flex based on user preferences. The system is easily installed and reconfigured with minimal tools, labor and cost. Cables and wiring are conveniently managed and may be removed as needed. Trellis offers power port locations that feature power receptacles and USB ports.
• Pirouette® Table-Designed by Giancarlo Piretti, the innovative articulating leg of Pirouette creates a leg-within-leg nesting solution unlike any other. As Pirouette's top is raised, the legs articulate. Pirouette easily reconfigures and nests for simple storage and adaptability. Pirouette is available in five different top shapes that support both training applications and learning configurations. 
• Soltíce® Metal Collection- Soltíce Metal maximizes purposeful form and function, resulting in a supportive solution for healthcare and high-performance applications. The comprehensive collection elegantly enhances space with its slim scale and universal appeal, while enabling incredible versatility in design and specification. The Soltíce Metal Collection features lounge seating, multiple seating (including guest and bariatric chairs), patient seating and occasional tables.

Also this NeoCon, KI is bringing back #NeoConography-a social media photography contest designed to showcase the creativity of NeoCon attendees. Attendees simply snap their photo, tag it with the #NeoConography hashtag and share it on Twitter or Facebook for a chance to win a custom watch and Instagram-inspired NeoCon photo book.

KI manufactures innovative furniture and moveable wall system solutions for education, healthcare, government and corporate markets. The employee-owned company is headquartered in Green Bay, Wis. and operates sales offices and manufacturing facilities in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe and Asia. KI tailors products and service solutions to the specific needs of each customer through its unique design and manufacturing philosophy.