Action Office evolves for you. The world's first open-plan office system, it's a proven, practical, and economical performer that continues to adapt to changes in the workplace. That's because the fundamental principles of designer Robert Propst's original system still apply: space-saving benefits, durability, design options, and interchangeable components. It offers you exceptional value through simple specifying, installing, configuration, management, and updating.
Action Office Refreshed
New product choices refine the appearance and enhance the performance of Action Office. A thin base option (with quick-connect base power), enhanced glazed-panel aesthetics, and refined trim lighten the scale for a clean, inviting look. All new choices complement existing Action Office components.
Simple, Practical Performance
Fast, simple installation. No panel system is easier or quicker to install and reconfigure.
90- and 120-degree planning. Action Office can take the shape that helps people work at their best and helps organizations use floor space most efficiently.
Panel choices. A variety of sizes, shapes, and surface treatments; stacking panels let privacy levels be controlled and varied.
Never obsolete. Components manufactured today are compatible with the original generation.
Quality and Strength
Sturdy connections. Rigid, full-length connectors automatically align panels; steel construction ensures connectors do not weaken with repeated reconfiguration.
Hard-working panels. Stress-skin construction allows panels to meet or exceed industry requirements for strength and durability.
Technology Support
Lay-in cabling. Avoids extra work and possible damage due to cable threading.
Plenty of cable capacity. Up to 49 Category 5e or 38 Category 6 4-pair UTP cables at a 60 percent fill rate in the powered thin base; in the traditional powered base, 83 Category 5e and 65 Category 6 cables; without power in the thin base, 96 Category 5e or 134 Category 6 cables; in the traditional non-powered base, 173 Category 5e or 75 Category 6 cables; in the powered vertical cable management panel, 50 Category 5e or 39 Category 6 cables.
High-powered. 4-circuit, 8-wire system with 1 dedicated circuit; combinations include 3 general circuits and 1 dedicated circuit, 2 general and 2 isolated, or 1 general and 3 isolated.
Work surface access. A vertical cable management panel provides power and data access at work surface level.
Earth-conscious Design
Strict standards. Action Office adheres to McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC) Cradle to Cradle Design Protocol; it is GREENGUARD certified and can contribute to LEED certification..
Powder coating. On all metal parts; no VOCs.
Water-based stains. No solvents.
Sustainable wood supplies. Only from managed forest resources.
Design Story
When Robert Propst began developing the original Action Office system in the 1960s, his goal was to improve the state of the office and its workers. In his landmark book, The Office: A Facility Based on Change, he wrote, "We find ourselves now with office forms created for a way of life substantially dead and gone." So Propst put traditional, inflexible forms aside in favor of a concept that fit the way people really work and could adapt to ever-increasing rates of change.
In 1968, Herman Miller introduced the fruit of Propst's 10-year effort to rethink the office: the first panel-based office furniture system in the world. It was a system of components that could be combined and recombined to become whatever an office needs over time. Designer Jack Kelley worked side-by-side with Propst throughout the 1960s and early 1970s and played a pivotal role in the design of many Action Office components.
The $8 billion installed base and a continuing demand for Action Office prove Propst's original ideas sound. Action Office has stood the test of time because it evolves as office dynamics change. Herman Miller has regularly enhanced and updated it to accommodate greater technology requirements, meet the changing needs of workers, and support new work processes. By continually adapting, Action Office preserves your investment.
Today, Action Office continues this tradition by offering aesthetic refinements, as well as changes that enhance performance. At the same time, Action Office remains true to the fundamental principles of the system: space-saving benefits, simple ordering and inventory, design options, interchangeable components, and adaptability to shifting conditions in the workplace.
Herman Miller supports Action Office furniture with a 12-year/3-shift warranty and a continuing commitment to research and improvement.
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Learn, Play, Browse
Experience how Action Office has evolved for you with enhancements that adapt to the needs you have today. (Requires Flash)
Accessories
The Be Collection is a comprehensive array of versatile accessories that enhance the experience of work and encourage personal choice, comfort, and expression. Click to link to The Be Collection product information by category:
Worldesign Congress 1985 to the Action Office system as the world's most significant industrial design for the years 1961-1985
An Action Office About Face workstation with adjacent touchdown space integrates well with a Meridian pedestal and bookcase, Stoa modular rail system from The Be Collection, and Teneo storage furniture.
Action Office combines a simple, clean look with traditional veneer surfaces for a practical, elegant private office; full glazed panels keep it light and open.
With varied panel heights, Action Office balances individual work and collaboration; D-shaped surfaces connect work areas, while overhead flipper door units and Tu filing and storage accommodate individual needs.
Action Office offers economical 120-degree planning for open and accessible individual spaces; panel-hung components help individuals meet, present, display, and store.
Action Office creates cost-effective benching for simple touchdown spots; glass stacking panels provide a sense of privacy while Meridian cushion-top storage cases add guest seating and divide space.
Action Office blends seamlessly with Avive tables and Ethospace screens for a flexible, light-scaled, linear configuration; glazed panels let in natural light while defining space.
The standard Action Office base option lends a traditional look.
The Action Office thin base option lightens panel scale, minimizes shadow lines, and tightens reveals between bases.
Action Office glazed panels (glazed, partial-glazed, stacking glass, and door) have a clean aesthetic with minimized glazing frames and trim; infill can be clear or opal.
The refined Action Office finished end and change of height finished end reduce top-cap scale, provide cleaner lines, and create a cohesive look.
The Action Office thin base option is available powered with a snap-in harness that installs with no tools for easy installation.
Full-length steel connectors are the key to Action Office's strength and durability; they require just two tools and one person for easy, fast installation and reconfiguration.
