Integrated prefabricated furniture system for fitting-out open plan building space

Abstract

An integrated prefabricated furniture system is provided for fitting-out a building space of the type having a generally open plan interior defined by fixed walls. The furniture system includes a wall-covering frame, freestanding partition frames, and floor-to-ceiling frames that can be interconnected to subdivide the building space. The wall-covering frame is constructed to be positioned against and selectively cover portions of the fixed walls, and the portable partition system and the floor-to-ceiling frames are constructed to spatially divide the building space into a plurality of work areas, with at least one of the freestanding partition frames having an end abutted against the wall-covering frame. A plurality of cover panels are removably attached to the wall-covering frame and to the freestanding partition frames for covering the wall-covering frame, the freestanding partition frames, and the floor-to-ceiling frames. The cover panels include upper and lower cover panels that have bottom and top horizontal edges, respectively, that are spaced vertically apart to define a belt-high utility zone therebetween. The belt-high utility zone has a relatively narrow vertical dimension and extends continuously horizontally along the wall-covering frame and the freestanding partition frames at a common worksurface height to present a uniform horizontal appearance datum throughout the building space. Some of the upper cover panels on the wall-covering frame and on the freestanding partition frames have an identical size and shape, so that the identical upper cover panels can be selectively interchanged between the wall-covering frame and the freestanding partition frames. A horizontal row of slots is provided on one or more of the horizontal structural frame members of the wall-covering frame, the freestanding partition frame, or the floor-to-ceiling frame to provide attachment sites for connection to the frames.