Written By: Shannon Redetzke, Scott Rice
I recently had the opportunity to travel to 3Form headquarters and participate in their Dealer Champion Training. Over the last few years, 3Form has taken a new approach to the market and has established a Dealer Program in major cities, across the US and Canada. Scott Rice was excited to have the opportunity to secure this partnership in Kansas City and grow with 3Form. Naturally, it was a perfect fit, since CIC (Scott Rice Integrated Company) is the local certified installer for their products.
Visiting 3Form was an inspiring experience. I think back to my days as a designer and how I had specified some of their legacy products such as Varia and Chroma. I was blown away with their growth and breadth of product offerings! They are a company that specializes in high volume “custom” products. If you can imagine it, they most likely can make it. It doesn’t stop just at design. 3From has dedicated much of their efforts towards supporting environmental improvements through sustainable practices, acoustical consulting and impactful lighting. There is so much more to their story and offerings, but these are the three I have chosen to focus on.
Sustainability | 3Form has established multiple programs that support sustainable practices through manufacturing of recycled products, as well as sustainable economic practices for under privileged countries. Their Full Circle Empowerment Program is a partnership with various communities around the world, teaching local artisans how to make a sustainable living through education, protected worker rights, fair wages and safe working environments. These partnerships create beautiful products, including the artisan inlay series which incorporate farmed and harvested products and hand-made goods. They are unique, organic and incorporate an element of biophilia.
Another practice that is deeply engrained is the dedication to implementing responsible practices within their factory by following an impactful framework which focuses on human well-being alongside design methods and manufacturing processes that conserve and restore the planet. This framework is made up of three pillars – People, Product and Planet. One of their newer products,Flek, is made up of 75% recycle content from factory scraps. This is just the beginning in taking steps to pursue a zero-waste manufacturing practice.
Acoustics | Acoustical studies, consulting and design provides a valuable layer into workplace environments today. As offices continue to open up, the ongoing battle of distraction through sound grows. 3Form has dedicated themselves to being a leader in understanding acoustics in space and managing it. Their partner Acoustician, Zack Belanger, has been working with the 3Form team and its clients to study each project and provide the best solutions. Products such as Clairo, Tetria, Hush Blocks, and Seeyond not only provide high acoustical properties, but also architecturally appealing installations.
Lighting | Impactful lighting can be more than what comes from the ceiling. 3Form has perfected best practices when fabricating lit architectural elements whether in a reception desk, wall feature or through wayfinding. The factory produces in-house, entire kit of parts, from the architectural elements, to the light box and LED lighting to properly illuminate it. Seeing, first hand, the thoughtful construction of each light box was additional proof of 3Form’s commitment of high quality products and installations.
All in all, my experience at 3Form will be one to remember. Meeting the members who contribute to its success was energizing. As I mentioned before, their breadth of offerings is extensive. They are a great company with a solid foundation and a drive to enhance our surrounding environments, because of this, Scott Rice is proud to call 3Form a partner.