Wire and Cable Management Takes a Distinctive Form When a major technology company redeveloped 50,000 square feet of existing office and laboratory space into a new marketing and training center, "the challenge was to keep the space flexible and give it a contemporary atmosphere," recalls David McCarty, an architect with Chicago Design Network. "This is a new marketing group at this facility and they wanted a distinct, progressive look." Providing power and communications in a large open area was a particular concern. So was cost, especially the cost of future moves, adds, and changes. "Dropping cabling down from overhead helps hold down cost, but we didn't want to use conventional power poles," McCarty explains. In searching for a solution, McCarty and his design team learned of an innovative new product from The Wiremold Company. The Vista™ Series for open-space power and communications delivery consists of two half-round or square end channels that contain wires and cables and also support a decorative center panel. It can feed directly into modular furniture or incorporate power receptacles and data/communications jacks. The modular Vista Series is easily relocated to accommodate changing space requirements, and in the event of redecorating, the center panels are easy to replace. Maximum design flexibility is made possible by an unlimited selection of panel materials, including solid metal, perforated metal, glass, and wood or metal laminates. For the new workspace, McCarty and the design team selected a milled aluminum finish for the end channels and perforated metal center panels. The result complements other high-tech finishes, including overhead light boxes that are fabricated from an electric blue aluminum. A Variety of Applications A total of 33 Vista Series units were installed in the renovated space. In open space areas, the 10-foot tall Vista Series drops wires and cables to clusters of modular furniture. "It's a very versatile product with plenty of volume to handle large amounts of cable," says Al Brewton, construction manager for Lockwood Greene Engineers, the firm that provided electrical and other design services, as well as project management. In the reception area, Vista Series units were incorporated into a decorative canopy that projects off the wall. "The Wiremold Company matched the center panels to the milled aluminum for a seamless look. We had structural supports incorporated within the Vista units, which also provide convenient power receptacles and communications ports," says Brewton. Designers were so impressed with the visual appeal of the Vista Series that the units were even used to define a "virtual hallway" through the workspace even though no power or data connections were required in that area. "We saw the Vista product as a piece of the architecture," comments McCarty. According to Brewton, "It's also a unique solution to managing wires and cables."