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Knoll Designer Bios

Asymptote

Lise Anne Couture (b. Canada, 1959)
Hani Rashid (b. Egypt, 1958)

Since Asymptote’s founding in 1989, the firm has been a pioneer of technological innovation in architecture and design. Asymptote has completed substantial projects in the U.S., Europe and the United Arab Emirates, earning several awards for their building designs, planning, art installations, exhibition and product design, and cutting-edge digital spatial environments.

In 2001, founders Lise Anne Couture and Hani Rashad co-designed the A3 system for Knoll. A3 featured independent workstations that could be freely and easily reconfigured without affecting other workstations. The concept was driven by the so-called ‘laptop age’ and the associated demand for increased mobility and flexibility. Inspired by the ultimate mobile environment — the camping tent — the workstations were light-weight, adjustable, and shaped with a profile that encouraged collaboration.