Monthly Archives: February 2024

Two exciting announcements to share today: 

1. Merger of OEC and Machabee Office Environments  

2. Restructure of both companies under the new name — Create Spaces   

Merging of two great organizations 

Last October (2023) OEC acquired Machabee Office Environments—. The merger creates a larger company that spans both Nevada and Idaho, with offices located in Boise, Las Vegas, and Reno. With over a century of combined market leader experience, our unified mission is clear: to deliver exceptional spaces on time, on budget.  

From Snow-Capped Mountains to Shimmering Desert 

Our service area now reaches from the tip of Northern Idaho to the Mojave Desert in Southern Nevada— and everything in between. This extremely diverse area will be serviced by an installation team of nearly 40 skilled tradesmen. Our skilled labor force is one of our key strategic resources and enables us to take on some of the largest and most complex projects in Nevada and Idaho. 

Furniture + Technology + Prefab Construction 

Each business brings something unique to the table. Machabee has long specialized in furniture for Government and Education spaces. OEC specializes in furniture, audiovisual technology, and prefab construction for corporate and healthcare spaces. The unified suite of offerings will include furniture, technology, prefab construction, and skilled labor services in all markets.  

Create Spaces 

In the original planning of the merger, we were either going to keep the OEC or Machabee name. However, after discussion and consideration, our leadership team wanted to create an entirely new brand identity that could be more than either company has been in the past. The name Create Spaces was introduced by one of our employees at a daily team meeting. The name immediately took hold, and we ran with it. Our hope is the simple and modern name Create Spaces will resonate with customers who will trust us to help them elevate their work, education, and collaboration spaces. 

Updated Showrooms, the future of work 

Create Spaces operates showrooms in Boise, Las Vegas and Reno. These active worklabs focus on the latest in furniture, cutting-edge audio-visual technology, and innovative prefabricated walls. Create Spaces is an authorized Steelcase dealership and features partnerships with many other furniture and technology manufacturers. We’re excited about the upcoming updates and renovations planned for the Las Vegas and Reno locations. Stay tuned for our open house events later this spring where we will showcase the future of work.  

Scott Galloway 
President 
Create Spaces 

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Imagine an office space that puts you at ease and makes you feel valued, productive and engaged from entry to exit. Now consider someone very different from you – would they experience the space the same way? Would they feel accommodated or excluded, connected or discouraged by unseen barriers?

More than ever before, organizations are connecting their inclusivity goals with the design of the workplace. Creating inclusive spaces, where employees feel a greater sense of belonging requires celebrating and building upon what is working well, while also critically examining who feels left out.

When we set out to create inclusive spaces, products and experiences, we intentionally co-create with people who have experienced exclusion, by reaching out to what Steelcase Culture and Diversity consultant Mary Brown calls the ‘unusual suspects.’ “Working alongside unusual suspects should make you question how space and culture impact someone’s life which differs from you,” says Brown. “It’s about seeking people, and perspectives that challenge the status quo.”

1. Start with an inclusive design mindset that breaks down barriers.

While most leaders and designers agree they want to create inclusive spaces, many do not have a shared understanding of what that means or how to begin.

Inclusive design requires us to go beyond codes and compliance to see the role identity and bias play in decision making. Engaging the perspectives of people from different socioeconomic backgrounds, races, disabilities, ages, sizes, and genders, or who identify as neurodivergent, adds value to any project. It’s less about reaching a perfect outcome and more about uncovering barriers with unheard voices to drive innovation.

Signals of Inclusive Design

It can be difficult to pinpoint what makes a space great, but people instinctively identify shortcomings and potential barriers.

2. First Impressions

As you walk into space, you are welcomed by signage, thresholds, furniture settings, sounds, smells, artifacts, and artwork that set the tone and signals who belongs – and possibly who does not. The best way to attract diverse, dynamic community of people is to ensure they feel seen, supported, and accommodated as they enter. Does artwork reflect the community? Are there touchdowns and accommodations for people with functional limitations? Does signage use symbols to help everyone navigate How are hypo- and hyper-sensitivities impacted as people enter? These questions drive new possibilities.

3. Diversity of Settings

When people think of traditional office spaces, they tend to imagine spaces with the same workstation repeated over and over. While this may create a sense of equality, it doesn’t show how people work differently and how our needs vary. Inclusive workplace neighborhoods feature a diversity of postures, boundaries, and intentional adjacencies. Provide places for everyone to be productive, without sacrificing equity and forcing one-size-fits-all.

4. Range of Furniture + Technology Solutions

A range of solutions enables different groups of people to share the same space in different ways. Seating diversity that supports visual consistency, while offering choice in firmness and arm rests ensures everyone is comfortable. Diverse table shapes and heights – with space to approach – provide everyone with a seat at the table. Accessible writable surfaces that can move and adapt encourage community building, collaborations and wayfinding. Don’t forget about power that’s easy to access, without crawling or bending under furniture. These choices provide dignity and allow everyone to contribute.

5. Spatial Perception + Sensory Control

Control over your environment can be tough to find in the office, but it is possible. When designing for neurodiversity, we encourage user sensory control, which has proven to enhance the spatial experience for everyone. Have you identified areas for focus, or no technology? What about flexible sensory spaces that support rest and rejuvenation? Or reservable hoteling stations where people can control visual privacy, lighting, noise, and ventilation? If the answer is no, your space could do more to be inclusive.  

The Takeaway

While inclusive design offers many opportunities, we acknowledge that this work can be challenging – especially for strong advocates. “Even when you have a heart for inclusion and innovation, it can be incredibly taxing to be the go-to person for a perspective,” says Brown. As we navigate our ever-changing world, inclusive design serves as an intervention to challenge exclusion, and build informed and impactful spaces to work, learn, heal and ultimately live better.

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