Locus™ Upright workstation from Focal™ may help prevent Sitting Disease in office

To counter the negative effects of inactivity during the course of a working day, many offices these days have begun to put in upright desks and standing workstations to promote healthy circulation and constant physical movement. The founder of hybrid footwear brand Keen Martin Keen too began using a standing desk a few years ago to boost his health though he constantly found himself adopting a bad posture or leaning on a makeshift seat to ward off weariness. And thus, the Locus™ Upright workstation from Focal™ was born.

Locus™ Upright workstation from Focal™

The industrial designer’s invention basically constitutes a small bench-like workstation that comes with a small leather-clad seat. This high chair is made to tilt at a downward angle that allows the user to lean against it though it doesn’t allow them to transfer their weight entirely onto the chair. The pivoting upright chair doesn’t let the user rest entirely though its maker claims that it allows them to improve balance and offers them a great range of movement even when seated which boosts physical activity. For support, the user also has a plywood footrest attached to the aluminum and a lather workstation’s base though we don’t really see how the design would be adapted to the majority of world’s working population that uses a computer.

Keen claims that he has hired an ergonomist to get an exact idea of how the seat could improve the well being of office workers though he debuted his prototype at the ICFF held in May. The Locus™ Upright workstation from Focal™ is currently being promoted with a tagline that says ‘Work Better. Live Better’ and its maker is hopeful that the upright workstation might just be the perfect solution for countering the sedentary lifestyle of office workers.

Made using a glass-reinforced nylon seat pan, EVA cushion, Delrin polymer, bent hardwood laminate, steel and aluminum, the Locus Upright Seat can be cushion covered or upgraded to a carbon fiber seat pan hand-laid to custom specifications for an additional charge. The Locus Upright Seat measures 37″ L x 25.5″ W x 31″ H in the shortest position, 45″ L x 25.5″ W x 41″ H in the tallest position and folds down to 37″ L x 25.5″ W x 8.3″ H for easy storage. The seat can easily accommodate users weighing up to 400lbs. The Locus Upright Seat retails for $500 and starts shipping in September, 2012.

Fitted with two cup/pencil holders, the Locus™ desk is fashioned out of Delrin® polymer, hardwood laminate, steel and aluminum and is domestically assembled in the USA. The Locus Upright Desk can be used comfortably by people in the 4′ 11″ to 6′ 8″ height range. The desk’s top measures 30” deep x 48” wide and can be angled from horizontal to 18 degree. The desk top can be fashioned out of White Oak or American Walnut woods. The Locus Upright Desk retails for $950 with the LED Desk Light costing an additional $125 and will start shipping out in November, 2012. the Locus™ seat and desk are also offered as a Limited Edition model which will comprise of just 1000 desks and chairs that will be signed and numbered by Martin Keen himself.

Via: Focal Upright Furniture/Fast Code Design