We're Changing it Up. Meet River+
Interview | October 11, 2019
River+™ is the next generation of our highly popular lounge series. Now with industry-leading support for workplace, education and healthcare, River+ performs at three times the BIFMA standard for true 24/7 applications in demanding environments.
I sat down with the River+ design team to discuss what makes River+ different from its first generation and what sets it apart from other options in the market.
Q: How did the team arrive at the design of River+?
River+ is the next generation of this successful, modular seating series. It was born out of the changes that the 'new gen' has brought to the workplace in seeking a multiplicity of places to work, meet, collaborate and how they want to work. The design and development work also included extensive user validation, particularly with healthcare end-users to ensure River+ performed in these highly demanding environments.
Q: How does River+ perform at 3X the BIFMA standard?
BIFMA testing and approval requires office furniture to undergo a wide range of static and dynamic tests that simulate the 'daily' use of a product through its lifespan. To ensure the safety and functional integrity of River+ in a 24/7 application, we tripled the BIFMA cycles on key tests such as the demanding seat impact test, arm pull test and back pull test. And in some cases, we went beyond 3X BIFMA to ensure the best possible results in these demanding 'round-the-clock' applications.
Q: What sets River+ apart from other seating options in the market?
The changes that first emerged in the workplace brought by the new generation have quickly migrated to healthcare and education. What sets River+ apart from other products in this seating category are the features, options and configurations to support the unique requirements of education and healthcare.
Q: Can you give me an example?
On the educational side of this equation we wanted to ensure RIVER+ could be configured to support the new pedagogy as well as lower seat heights for young people. Healthcare can have a very demanding set of housekeeping and patient requirements that can be achieved with River+. We also offer a third seat height on RIVER+ to address patient needs in certain settings and we developed a new arm that is essential to healthcare applications.
Q: What is different about this new arm?
The River+ arm is able to withstand high traffic wear and tear, as well as hold up to strong chemicals used in harsh and frequent cleaning. It was designed to utilize the cleanout gap for its location and connection. We limited the amount of contact it has with other surfaces, creating space around the loop and upholstery for ease of cleaning. The width also provides good support for the arm in a rested position and grip for the hand when easing in or out of a seated position. The River+ arm can be moved or add on-site later.
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