In February 2015, ITOKI CORPORATION (President: Tadashi Matsui) will launch its new “FIKA” series of furniture, which is designed to facilitate communication between workers and information sharing in office spaces.

Many business organizations have introduced common areas in their office layouts to encourage communication between different departments and between workers within the same department in the office. However, this approach has some issues, as space limitations may not allow for such areas, and the costs for made-to-order carpentry and/or furniture installation may be prohibitive.

These issues can be resolved by using a space on existing racks as a communication space, retaining existing storage capacity and eliminating concerns about creating extra spaces. Furthermore, such spaces can be located in different spots in the office for easy accessibility. Unlike made-to-order furniture, “FIKA” is modular, making easy to disassemble, relocate and reassemble, offering an affordable solution for office layout changes or relocations.

The “FIKA” office furniture series was designed to enable various communication styles by incorporating elements of the gathering, staying and interaction of people to share information related to work. The standing position (H1150) encourages communication with neighboring co-workers while the high position (H850) is for face-to-face discussions and sharing documents on the table. The sitting position (SH456) is for casual communication in a relaxed, laid-back posture. This solution helps create a better environment for productive information sharing in the office space.

ITOKI believes that there are four functions required for active communication in common areas: the function of gathering people, the function of making people want to stay, the function of facilitating interaction and the function of encouraging information sharing. Communication spaces require each of these four functions, and this series provides all four.

Origin of Name

“FIKA” was named for the Swedish tradition of taking a break and having coffee with co-workers, friends, loved ones and family members.

• Sales target: 100 million yen in the first fiscal year

Product Profile

• Name: “FIKA”
• Start of sales: February 2015
• Price: 489,800 yen (before tax)/double-end counter model Features

Modular furniture incorporating four elements essential for active human communication

		Slightly tapered table top edges
	The dignified made-to-order 50mm-thick design style of modular furniture reduces costs and design work hours and allows for easy disassembly and reassembly during layout changes, in comparison with other made-to-order furniture.

Specifications by Type

• [Back-to-back cabinet type]　Two to five rows
• Table top: Melamine facing plate
• Side plates: Steel, melamine-coated

• [Single side cabinet type] One to eight rows
  • Table top: Melamine facing plate
  • Side plates: Steel, melamine-coated

• [Other options]
• H850 table, H802 type desktop options, etc.

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