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Design Has A New Address: Allsteel Inc. Opens New Dallas Resource Center In The Dallas Design District
DALLAS –– At the intersection of design and creativity, in the incomparable Dallas Design District, you’ll find the new Allsteel Resource Center. The interactive showroom, designed to serve as a resource for clients including dealers, architects and designers, features Allsteel furniture solutions displayed in an exciting, colorful interior.
“Allsteel has thrived in Dallas for years, and we saw an opportunity to grow our business in a top U.S. design market by moving our resource center to the bustling Design District,” said Lynda Whittle, Vice President, Marketing. “With its evolution over the past 50 years, the modern Design District is a major destination that is not only revitalizing downtown Dallas, but also influencing design nationwide.”
Allsteel, along with design firm Benson Hlavaty Architects, sought to reinforce the essence of the Allsteel brand keeping in mind the experience the space will deliver. Benson Hlavaty aimed to create an engaging backdrop for the furniture that, first and foremost, demonstrates the flexibility of solutions in the different spaces while incorporating the “modern cool” of Dallas.
“Upon arrival to the resource center, visitors will first experience the Allsteel brand. From the literal, with the reuse of an Allsteel monument sign repurposed from their previous facility; to the poetic, a wall of colors and shapes borrowed from Allsteel’s branding materials, the essence of Allsteel is expressed,” said Gregg Hlavaty, partner, Benson Hlavaty Architects. “These initial impressions culminate with a wall of motion reinforcing Allsteel’s commitment to, ‘Never Sit Still.’ The motion comes from an art piece of flying birds by Dallas artist Alison Starr, which is mounted on a wall of recycled wood. The wall and the artwork, constructed from recycled shopping bags, speak to Allsteel’s commitment to sustainable environments.”
Included within the resource center is a complete library – making the space a true resource for architects and designers. The Discovery Room is an informal, reconfigurable space for training, client meetings or other events and is enclosed on two sides with folding glass walls, allowing the room to open completely to the showroom. A Texas and regional reference is defined by a photomural of Big Bend National Park.
Guests will immediately notice the abundance of natural light. Although the building originally had very few openings to the exterior, over half of the existing masonry-bearing walls were removed and replaced with an energy efficient glazing system and sunscreens to minimize heat gain. The resource center was planned with Allsteel’s products placed adjacent to the new exterior openings to expand the sense of space and enable favorable viewing.
The new Dallas resource center is built on a platform of sustainability including features such as the installation of LED lamps and other energy efficient light fixtures. Additionally, a new wrap of thermal insulation around the building envelope, all new high efficiency air conditioning and electrical systems, water reducing plumbing fixtures and other state of the art sustainable design practices led to application for LEED Silver certification for the space. Visitors may also recognize a number of features reused from the former location, like the iconic Tumbleweed lamps and Allsteel monument signs that welcome visitors.
As in every Allsteel resource center, visitors are treated to many conveniences and comforts. It begins in the community center characterized by a coffee bar, kitchen and casual seating area. The space is equipped and encourages visitors to set up remote workspaces.The new space occupies more than 10,000 square feet in the thriving Dallas Design District on Oaklawn Ave. More than 300 guests are expected to join Allsteel for the official opening celebration on Nov. 1.
The Dallas resource center is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The showroom can be reached by calling 214.740.1612. For more information on the Allsteel resource center, visit the Allsteel website or the electronic presskit.
About Allsteel
Allsteel Inc., headquartered in Muscatine, IA, has been designing, building and delivering award-winning workplace furniture solutions since 1912. As the originator of the lateral file, Allsteel continues its commitment to innovation with its extensive product portfolio. As a dedicated steward of sustainability, Allsteel was the first contract furniture manufacturer to have all products certified either Indoor Advantage or Indoor Advantage Gold. The entire product line can contribute to LEED credits. Additionally, Allsteel strives to attain the highest certification level for all that it manufactures. The company has Resource Centers in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, New York, San Francisco, Santa Monica and Washington, D.C., as well as in Toronto, Canada. For additional information, visit www.allsteeloffice.com or follow Allsteel on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or YouTube.
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