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p e o p l e

text Mavis ang photography wong wei liang

art direction kaffy tan

who george soowhy His office furniture designs Have recently won tHe singapore good design Mark.what gets him out of bed in the morning doing soMetHing today tHat will Make toMorrow better.

georges furniture is available at Xtra, #02-01 park Mall, tel: 6336-0688.

struck by the evolution of workspaces in recent times with forward-thinking companies gearing towards a more fluid work environment george approached local furniture retailer Xtra with an idea to ride on that wave. its a growing trend, for people to use office interiors to create movement in the workplace, states the industrial designer. so, i wanted to create office furniture that could empower people to use it in their own way.

the result was next, a 21-piece collection that straddles the fine line between corporate and cosiness, and eases people into more organic interactions while at work. for example, the High-eight (pictured with george) can serve as a mobile meeting space but, depending on its position, privacy can easily be achieved thanks to its high panels, saving firms with small workspaces the need for underutilised meeting rooms.

other outstanding pieces from the collection are grover and its smaller companion, Jones, both of which have been awarded the singapore good design Mark. they feature an angular back that people can lean on for those quick, five-minute chats, says george. the origin of their names, he shares, begins with their faceted silhouettes, which resemble uncut diamonds. i came across a story about grover c. Jones, a man who discovered the biggest alluvial diamond in north america in 1928 while pitching horseshoes. the story resonated with me.

since striking out on his own in 2011 as the founder of design firm fliq, george felt that he chanced upon a personal breakthrough with grover and Jones. with a well-rounded background in the furniture business having held positions from design to sales he is passionate about making the workplace a better environment for workers, and passionately believes that design is a tool that will benefit enterprises in every aspect of their business.

george hopes to encourage mobility within the workplace with his office furniture designs. below the grover and Jones seatings have slanted backs that users can lean on during casual work discussions.