Not Your Father's Conference Table

Another exciting design challenge came my way recently involving a client who wanted a new table for their conference room. Their existing table had a few issues which needed to be resolved, namely:

1. The legs interfered with the chairs.

2. The integrated power and data ports were outdated.

3. the outlets on the floor were clearly visible with unsightly cables hanging out.

4. The finishes didn’t match the other newer furniture in the room.

After I got the dimensions of the room and the location of the outlets, I set out to design a table which would solve the various issues. It was important that it be constructed such that they could fabricate the metal structure on-site (client has a prototype shop). Also, the existing table was very large, so it was essential that the new design could break down into manageable pieces that would actually fit through the door. At the client’s request I created several different designs, but the one depicted below got the nod. It was my favorite, too.

As you can see, one of the pedestals doubles as a conduit and covers up the floor outlet completely while still providing easy access. The center of the table is basically an access panel to the cabling so that it can be wired easily.

What do you think?