Folding Functionality
The iconic bandana informs the design of Furniture Marketing Group’s office and exclusive Haworth® furniture showroom.
Location: 701 E. 5th Street, Austin, Texas
Project type: Commercial | Office and retail
Project size: 6,000 SF
Furniture Marketing Group (FMG) is a national Haworth furniture distributor located in Texas. The Austin-based office design includes a Haworth showroom, meeting spaces, private offices, workstations, and break areas that showcase the breadth of Haworth’s furniture collections.
Spanning two levels, the design exemplifies Haworth’s philosophy of creating organic workspaces that align people and space for optimal performance. Each space in the FMG design is built to show a variety of Haworth furniture configurations to clients, as well as meeting FMG’s own workspace needs for collaboration, connection, creation, and innovation.
Form + Function
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Symbiotic relationship
The bandana has a rich global history with ties to Willie Nelson and Austin’s cosmic cowboy music scene of the 1970s.
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Function in beauty
The bandana informs the design of FMG through traditional dye and embellishment techniques coupled with its folding methods and seemingly infinite array of uses.
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Folding connections
The versatility and functionality of the bandana inform the space planning and architectural elements of the design.
Ground Level floor plan
Level 2 floor plan
Spaces for collaboration, connection, creation, and innovation
Beverage and snack counter
FMG’s showroom houses a centralized break area for staff members and visitors.
Third place
Haworth furniture featured in the open lounge provides a variety of seating and work surfaces, creating a third place for employees to work and meet.
Sales department
Sales desks located within the showroom allow staff to greet clients.
Materials library and small conference room
The library and small indigo conference room allow FMG employees to meet with staff and clients while showcasing natural dye-inspired carpet by Shaw® and Baux® acoustic ceilings.
Huddle rooms
The monochrome color schemes of the huddle rooms represent the natural colors rendered from native Osage orange trees, prickly pear cacti, and black-eyed Susan flowers.
Huddle rooms empower employees to choose where they work depending on their needs.
Large conference room with bluescape® technology
The large indigo conference room pulls in the blue hue of Texas bluebonnets. Color is applied to the floor, back wall, and ceiling to create a folding effect around the room’s occupants. The bluescape touchscreen along the left wall allows for responsive digital brainstorming.