Embody Be Thy Name

Green design embodies the concept that our buildings and all that are in them must support human health. This is most important in the piece of furniture that many of us spend more time in than any other. Nope, not our beds but our task chairs.

Enter Embody, Herman Miller’s newest entry into the market. Designers Jeff Weber and the late Bill Stumpf, working closely with a cross-functional team from Herman Miller, and in consultation with leading figures in academia, healthcare, and ergonomics, developed a chair that will actually enhance the occupant’s health.

"Embody is a health-positive seating experience," says Weber, "because it enhances both your intake of oxygen and the cellular exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide, improving your health, and ultimately fueling your brain."

Innovations include an instinctive back inspired by the human spine, a pixilated seat that moves with the occupant, zoned support to reduce stress on contact points, a tilt mechanism that encourages working in a reclined position, and one-size-fits-all versatility.

I don’t know enough about ergonomics and physiology to support the company’s claim that “Embody does better than any chair at maintaining oxygen levels in tissue, allowing people to stay focused and engaged.” The research is posted here. I’ve sat in it, however and it’s very comfortable.

I do know that Embody continues Herman Miller’s commitment to the environment, helping it reach its environmental sustainability goals of zero landfill, zero hazardous waste generation, and zero VOC emissions by 2020. Embody is MBDC Silver certified and GREENGUARD certified. It has 42 percent recycled content, is 95 percent recyclable, and is PVC-free.

And as would be expected from Bill Stumpf, designer or co-designer of Herman Miller’s Aeron, Ergon, and Equa work chairs, it’s eye catching.