Therefore launches desk system

Information and communications technology supplier RM is to launch a computer desk designed by Therefore which targets the schools and colleges market.

The desk is designed to save space by combining computer-led and traditional desk-based learning. The first batch of 100 IntelliDesks has already been produced and will be available to schools from September.

The group worked on the project for a nominal fee, but will take a royalty, believed to be less than 10 per cent, from sales.

The desk allows teachers to integrate information and communications technology with other subjects, such as languages, without having to decamp to dedicated computer rooms, says Therefore project manager Andrew Nairn.

A flat screen is housed on the underside of the desk lid and the keyboard and mouse slide out on a tray when the desk lid is lifted. The IntelliDesk has been designed to last for ten years, outliving the computers it will house.

Following successive pre-production sales, a ‘mark two’ version of the product is planned.

Classroom furniture has become a growing market for designers, following the Government’s drive to improve education environments.

Furniture for the Future, launched recently by the Design Council, has so far received interest from Ideo, Pentagram, PSD Fitch and Tangerine.