Case Study: Severn Bancorp Headquarters @ Annapolis, MD
Severn Savings Bank in Annapolis, Maryland, is proud of their new corporate headquarters. A showplace from every angle, the executive training room is no exception. Severn Bank’s Vice President and Chief Information Officer Dale Camara was the driving force in bringing together the interior design choices for a professional atmosphere and a conference table with the Information Technology requirements for the space: the Piatto 14.
Real wood veneer, matching wood edging and flipIT lids combine for a richness in look and feel that sets the tone for positive communication.
At the heart of Piatto’s design is the integration of computer workstations throughout its structure. Dale Camara selected the Piatto™ by SMARTdesks because it featured flipIT® LCD workstations to enable the training area to be multi-functional. The patented flipIT® workstations rotate the LCDs under the table top when they are not in use, clearing the table top to function as a traditional conference table. Ideal for video teleconferencing, the screens are presented only eight inches above the table. This keeps the monitors from obstructing cameras and people’s lines of sight. Neck and eye strain are reduced with the monitors in this position. Longer sessions can be more easily sustained with comfort.
The Piatto™ multi-function conference table supports an emerging paradigm. Today, there is little distinction between the processes of business communication and the processes of training and education. They share the same internet, and they run similar applications for video teleconferencing and e-learning. The need to interact between students and teacher is parallel to the needs for players in business to present and exchange ideas and information. Interiors for these process are increasingly becoming centered around a multifunctional conference table that transforms into a computer-enabled theater for learning and communication. Piatto® brings these features together with distinction.
For Severn Bancorp, Piatto’s veneer surface and hardwood molded edges were custom finished to match other wood surfaces in the space. Equipment and cables are kept out of sight and organized. Mini CPUs are mounted to the Piatto’s wire channel keel and panel structures. From underneath, IT access is easy. From above, the user gets a sense of the technology emerging from the table without anything getting in the way. The Piatto™ may also be configured to accommodate larger CPUs, top-side access to data and power, installation of microphones and other equipment, such as KVM switchers.
SMARTdesks' approach to design is to configure the table, starting with the user’s requirements for space, number of people, types of computers or laptops, and above all, the aesthetic of the finished product. The goal is to make Piatto™ the ideal solution for each communication environment, because each organization is unique in its corporate culture and how people interact with the world. Piatto™ conveys a richness in refinement that is at home in the office chambers of the elite, as well as the learning environments of the computer-enabled corporate culture.