Case Study: ScienceFirst

ScienceFirst has achieved success in the medical field by helping clients work smarter through an integrated marketing and education process. Naturally, they would make similarly wise decisions when it came to furnishing their own, new facility in Northern New Jersey. With a limited construction and furniture budget and high aesthetic expectations; every dollar had to be used wisely.

One objective of their Architect, David J. Fournier, principal of The Aztec Corporation, was to come up with a design incorporating the existing architectural elements within the space. NBI proposed a turnkey build out inclusive of reception area, MORSPACE workstations, private offices, mail / fax room, conference rooms and break room. As part of the landlord’s build out allowance was to go towards the construction of walls within the space, ScienceFirst determined they could realize a cost reduction and a tax deprecia- tion advantage if they substituted new drywall construction with MORSPACE 84" high panels.

The MORSPACE walls served two purposes: to divide space and to act as the spine wall for clustered stations positioned against it. In addition to lowering cost, the tile selection on the MORSPACE partition walls blended with the aesthetic of the workstations making the look seamless. Coverseal wood pattern work surfaces were selected for workstations and wood veneer tops and tiles were placed in reception and conference areas. These accent finishes played off of the existing wood columns that defined the space. Banded glass was chosen for the workstations to compliment the glass walls fronting the conference rooms.

From a technology standpoint, power poles were required to access voice / data and power within the ceiling. As the panel frames were being completed during installation, the contractor decided to change the access point for the utilities to columns and walls. MORSPACE was able to quickly substitute several electrical components without causing delay to the electricians’ schedule.

ScienceFirst realized the true flexibility of the MORspace system when we were asked to make minor reconfigurations to private offices and workstations within several weeks of moving in.

Said Mr. Fournier, "often times clients come to us looking for the least expensive furniture solution, which often leaves no choice but to consider pre-owned furniture which inherently has its functional and aesthetic limitations."

The new MORSPACE systems’ competitive pricing that included tasteful selections of wood, glass, fabric and paint, still allowed ScienceFirst to shift extra dollars toward higher grades of wall treatment and carpeting. With 6,000 square feet of space furnished with systems furniture, conference rooms, a kitchen and reception for $18.21 per square foot delivered and installed, both the Architect and End-user were elated.