Contents
FEATURES
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The Future of Evidence-Based Design
All Form is Fair Game
PreFab For All
Prioritizing Project Management
Long associated with healthcare architecture, evidence-based design is making inroads into being part of the process for designing schools, office spaces, museums and more. We explore how data is informing design decisions and how it fits into the future of the industry.
Cincinnati-based product design firm Kaleidoscope identified six major furniture design trends at two of last year’s international furniture shows. We share those findings and examine their possible causes and effects.
Designers and architects have been experimenting more often with prefabrication as a means to deliver well-designed structures that feature clean lines and open floor plans. Take a look at the state of prefab in residential, school and commercial spaces today.
By Michele Meyer
By Clare Curley
Interior designers may not have entered the profession to become project managers, but today’s competitive marketplace requires more project management skills. Here’s how designers can hone those skills to set themselves apart and improve client satisfaction in the process. By Laura Schlereth
By David Whitemyer
THE JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL INTERIOR DESIGN ASSOCIATION
IN EVERY ISSUE 02
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From IIDA Derrell Parker, FIIDA Cheryl Durst, Hon. FIIDA
Design Dialogue Brian Graham
MythBusters Can different generations of designers work together?
Ahead of the Curve Kroon Hall, Yale University
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Resources By Elizabeth Cotner
Industry Members
Advertising Index
Viewpoints What space are you obsessed with and why?
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FROM IIDA
W
e travel. A lot. Each time we arrive at a new location, it’s invigorating to reconnect with Members on
the very intimate level of face to face, individual to individual, one at a time. We have been inspired — by tales from experienced Professional Members, who have lived through these economic times before; from Associate Members, who have had to reinvent how they seek employment to stand out from the crowd, and in the process are changing the way work gets done; from Student Members, who as the future of the profession are so enthusiastic and ready to take on any challenge; and from our broad range of Corporate Members, who continuously support our efforts and return to us repeatedly with partnership ideas. It is each one of you, and the hundreds more that you represent, that remind us why we get out of bed each day and do what we do for IIDA.
IIDA Headquarters is also reconnecting. If you haven’t opened the email link lately, check out DesignMatters. Communications Manager Carmen O’Donnell has reached out to readers for feedback and the resulting new DesignMatters — redesigned from top to bottom — is fabulous. Carmen, as well as Student Marketing Manager Michelle Kraker, pen interesting, insightful blogs with your business in mind. Find them on iida.org and bookmark them for regular inspiration. This is the year we celebrate and honor Designers, and show the world why Design is so important. There’s much more to come. If you haven’t checked out the Web site recently, spend some time perusing, playing and purposefully exploring news about the Industry. We are reconnecting about more than just the changes, including lots of interesting new content in the Knowledge Center.
Reconnection has already been a consistent theme for 2010. So many Design professionals are in states of change. Right now, many are reconnecting with just why they became a Designer in the first place. As we tell the stories of our journeys at the Texas/Oklahoma Student Conference, at Maison et Objet in Paris, at the 13th annual Industry Roundtable in Chicago, at the Architectural Digest Home Design Show in New York, and at the Chapter Leadership Council Winter Meeting, it is encouraging to see how many Designers have found meaning — either in what they do, how they volunteer, or the way they communicate Design (with a capital D), this is definitely the year to reconnect.
Last but certainly not least, the following pages burst with an exciting new design for Perspective. If new features like MythBusters and Design Dialogue don’t catch your attention, we promise the original art from graphics leaders will provide more than candy to the eye leading to questioning and deeper thought and, ideally, better Design. Connect with us at perspective@iida.org.
CHERYL S. DURST, HON. FIIDA, LEED AP IIDA EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CEO
THE ASSOCIATION FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS PERSPECTIVE IS THE JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL INTERIOR DESIGN ASSOCIATION, © 2010
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IIDA HEADQUARTERS STAFF 888.799.IIDA
President DERRELL PARKER, FIIDA
Michael Ancheta, Managing Director, Education Services and Programs, mancheta@iida.org
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Associate Director, Client Strategy RENE RYAN rryan@imaginepub.com Senior Art Director TIFFANY MEHNERT tmehnert@imaginepub.com
Lisa Romano, Membership Coordinator, lromano@iida.org
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Imelda Santos, Accounting Manager, isantos@iida.org
Managing Editor ELIZABETH ECKER lecker@imaginepub.com
Lisa Toth, Senior Director of Membership, ltoth@iida.org
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Sharon Williams, Managing Director, Operations and Administrative Services, swilliams@iida.org
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DERRELL PARKER, FIIDA 2009–2010 IIDA PRESIDENT
INTERNATIONAL INTERIOR DESIGN ASSOCIATION (IIDA), 222 Merchandise Mart Plaza, Suite 567 Chicago, IL 60654-1103 USA
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EVENT CALENDAR > http://www.iida.org/event-calendar
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ABOUT THE COVER
We approach our work with a very simple, conceptual-based manner. Style is often placed on the back burner. The hardest part in our creative process is not making something look pretty, but coming up with that perfect idea. Often times the idea will lead us in a stylistic direction. In approaching this illustration we wanted to visually represent that difficult portion of the process. What better way to speak directly to that part of creativity than to show the mind being physically manipulated?
The Heads of State is the design and illustration studio of Jason Kernevich and Dustin Summers. Founded in 2002, the duo has garnered dozens of awards for their posters, illustrations and book covers, which combine a restrained graphic style with a sharp visual wit. Whether working 3,000 miles apart in New York and Seattle, or three feet away from one another at their new home base
Now all the alluring colors and patterns in of Philadelphia, this duo collaborates on every detail. They’ve seen eye to eye and/or locked horns for clients such as The New York Times, Penguin, The School of Visual Arts, Starbucks, Wired magazine, as well as musical acts R.E.M. and Wilco. Together they teach at Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, where they both studied.
Johnsonite® sheet products like Optima®, Granit™, Melodia™ and Aria™ are available in tile. You can mix and match to create unique shapes and contemporary patterns for a floor that’s never been seen before. And that’s something our competition can’t offer. Finding the balance between spectacular and practical is not only possible, it’s the starting point. That’s what
CONTRIBUTORS
Balanced Choice is all about. So visit johnsonite.com and explore the possibilities.
Fresh-cut tile in virtually any arrangement. That’s Balanced Choice. 08 The Future of EvidenceBased Design David Whitemyer is a registered architect and Project Manager at Christopher Chadbourne and Associates in Boston. He writes about finance, workplace culture and design from his home in Rockland, Mass.
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16 All Form is Fair Game Michele Meyer is a regular contributor to Perspective, and writes about interior design, fashion and travel for Travel + Leisure, InStyle, W, GQ and Art & Antiques. Based in Texas, Meyer is a former Allure and Lucky correspondent.
Spring 2010
26 Pre-Fab For All Clare Curley is a Chicagobased writer who has written about business, nutrition and culture for publications such as BW Chicago, Dance International, Café Magazine and ADA Times.
32 Prioritizing Project Management Laura Schlereth is a Chicago-based freelance writer who has contributed to publications such as Discovery magazine, Create and PM Network.
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A peek inside the sketchbook and creative mind of San Francisco-based interior designer, Brian Graham, IIDA, IDSA, owner of Graham Design, LLC
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I’m the most productive between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., but I’m the most creative the first five minutes that I’m awake.
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Three things on my desk right now are: my BlackBerry 8830; a sample prototype of a drawer pull under consideration for a new line I’m working on; and a triangular architectural scale.
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My sketchbook is filled with concepts, details, diagrams, lists, notes, quotes, sketches for a new chair, concepts for some lighting and plays I think the San Francisco 49ers should run.
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The Future of Evidence-Based Design It’s not just for healthcare anymore. By David Whitemyer Illustration By The Heads of State
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Sunlight has a number of positive effects. It provides people with Vitamin D, and has even been shown to ward off depression. But can it make us smarter or more productive? Evidence points to yes. Students who are fortunate to be in a school classroom with large windows and skylights perform better on tests than those in rooms with very little natural light — between 7 percent and 18 percent better, according to research conducted more than a decade ago in the Daylighting in Schools study, administered by the Pacific Gas and Electric Co. Test scores go up even higher if the windows are operable.
“There is no single area of design that couldn’t benefit from this kind of knowledge and information.”
This is valuable information for an interior designer or architect hired to create an educational facility, which could potentially improve both teaching and learning, as well as the productivity of the space and client satisfaction. Evidence can be a powerful tool used to inform designers’ and architects’ decisions.
Amy Lopez, IIDA, AAHID, Principal in Charge of Marketing and Business Development at WHR Architects in Houston
Traditionally associated with healthcare architecture, evidence-based design (EBD) is making inroads into being part of the process for designing schools, office spaces, hotels, restaurants, museums, prisons and even residences. In short, EBD is when decisions about physical space are based on research and data. “EBD took hold in hospital design because of the existing evidence-based medicine culture,” says David Watkins, FAIA, Founding Principal of Houston-based WHR Architects, and co-author of Evidence-Based Design for Multiple Building Types (2008).
RESEARCH INFORM DATA EVALUATION PROCESS
Proof is in the Pudding After hospitals, schools are probably the second most obvious building type for using EBD, according to Watkins. In addition to the 1999 daylight study, there’s a growing collection of information linking colors with child behavior; classroom layouts
FACTS
RESULTS ACCOUNTABILITY with effective teaching; and finish materials with safety, all helping to improve the way education facilities are designed. A 2009 Herman Miller study showed that the adaptability of classrooms — such as seating, furniture and operable windows — actually heightened the learning experience.
Watkins suggests that EBD, less formally, already occurs in designing other building types. “We use facts to inform our designs,” he states, noting that rational experience, building codes and guidelines, as well as existing practices, such as post-occupancy evaluations, all provide designers with solid information that directs design decisions. His goal, through authorship and his practice, is to make it apparent that EBD cuts across all aspects of building design, and he pushes for a cultural shift in industry thinking, to include EBD as part of design services. In his book, Watkins defines EBD as “a process for the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence from research and practice in making critical decisions, together with an informed client, about the design of each individual project.” Watkins aims to broaden the healthcare-focused definition to include all building types and built environments.
“EBD took hold in hospital design because of the existing evidencebased medicine culture.”
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A world away from schools, corporations have spent significant funds compiling data about the science of shopping. For example, men prefer stores with metals and dark woods. Mall pedestrians tend to walk on the right-hand side. Food shoppers spend more money when the store’s circulation is clockwise. Much of this research is included in the bestselling book, Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping (1999) by Paco Underhill, which should sit near any designer of showrooms and retail interiors.
It makes sense that EBD has its roots in healthcare, where lives are at stake and legal implications are palpable, outcomes are fragile, and decisions need to be justified by hard data. Watkins says, however, that this need for justification is becoming
David Watkins, FAIA, Founding Principal of Houstonbased WHR Architects, and co-author of EvidenceBased Design for Multiple Building Types
Spring 2010
more commonplace in most other building designs. “Clients take risks when they make decisions, often having to defend their decisions to a board or their supervisors,” he says. It then trickles down, where the building professionals are held to a higher accountability for their design solutions.
According to a 2009 Herman Miller study, the ability to move and adjust furniture, seating, whiteboards, and tables supported students’ heightened learning experience with increased seating comfort (32 percent), being able to clearly understand the professor (14 percent) and view materials (17 percent).
The amount of well-researched building and user information keeps growing. Studies have been done on prison cell size, color and texture, and the connection of those qualities to inmate depression and violent behavior — useful data to have when designing or modernizing a corrections facility. In museums, observations have shown that 70 percent to 80 percent of visitors turn to the right when entering a gallery. Surveys of white-collar “knowledge workers” indicate that open plan workplaces contribute to effective productivity. And the data goes on, supplying plenty of usable evidence for designers. “There is no single area of design that couldn’t benefit from this kind of knowledge and information,” says Amy Lopez, IIDA, AAHID, Principal in Charge of Marketing and Business Development, WHR Architects, Houston. “Substantiated research can help all designers make better informed decisions.” Where EBD is making major strides is in green design, suggests Linda Nussbaumer, Ph.D., CID, ASID, IDEC, Professor of Interior Design at South Dakota State University and author of Evidence-Based Design for Interior Designers (2009). “There’s a clear connection between sustainable design and the need to collect evidence,” she says. Thanks to the eco-friendly bandwagon, there is a rapidly growing body of performance data on mechanical systems, lighting, building orientation, water and energy usage, and indoor air quality. Often the results show links between these things and the well being of facility users. This trend will continue as manufacturers
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of green materials invest heavily in research, as more clients seek LEED certification, and as the USGBC requires measurable results. In an effort to pair evidence with interior design, Nussbaumer has researched and written extensively about multiple chemical sensitivity, a medical condition sometimes exacerbated by exposure to products such as synthetic fabrics, paints and petroleum-based building materials. As part of an interior designer’s responsibility to protect the health, safety and welfare of building occupants, clearly any evidence linking a material with user discomfort — or worse, illness — should directly inform design choices.
GRAPHIC Distinctively...beautiful. functional. sustainable.
Face the Facts Nussbaumer echoes Watkins’ hope that EBD eventually becomes a standard part of the design process. “We need to research what other designers have done and learned about similar situations before jumping into design ideas,” she says. As part of the pre-design process, she recommends “digging through articles and observing the project users.” But for it to be evidence-based design, beyond just gathering information and conjecture, is to do what the healthcare design field has done and follow a somewhat structured process. Rob Tannen, Director of User Research and Interaction Design at Bresslergroup, a product development firm in Philadelphia, advocates the use of EBD in interiors. He explains, “EBD has three main components: doing the research, testing and seeing the results.” It’s similar to the scientific method, learned by most people in grade school, where experimentation and outcomes either support or disprove the hypothesis. Tannen adds that there’s no hard and fast rule for information gathering; EBD allows for multiple research methods. He recommends a balance of objective, quantitative studies, with interviews and observation.
Linda Nussbaumer, Ph.D., CID, ASID, IDEC, Professor of Interior Design at South Dakota State University and author of Evidence-Based Design for Interior Designers
The Daylighting in Schools study noted earlier was appropriately rigorous. It began with an assumption that natural sunlight has a measurable effect on learning. Research involved the analysis of more than 2,000 classrooms in school districts from three states, and investigation into the math and reading test records of more than 21,000 students. The results continued through the scientific mill by going through a meticulous peer review by statisticians at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. It’s this sort of strict process that lends credibility to EBD solutions. Except for very large firms that can afford to employ researchers and ergonomists, most interior designers don’t have the luxury to afford the staffing and scheduling required for this level of pre-design research. Tannen points out that a number of materials and furnishings companies are already funding good research that can be used by interior designers. Herman Miller and Steelcase, to name a couple, provide research results, case studies and white papers on their Web sites, all in the spirit of helping designers to create better, safer and more comfortable environments. Many trade organizations also distribute information, such as the IIDA online Knowledge Center (http://knowledgecenter.iida.org) and AIA’s Soloso (http://www.aia.org/akr), which offer designers a database of articles on different project types.
“There’s a clear connection between sustainable design and the need to collect evidence.” 12
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“It won’t be long before interior designers are doing research and looking for data on all types of facilities.” YAPA (Yet Another Professional Acronym) Rosalyn Cama, FASID, EDAC, interior designer and author of Evidence-Based Healthcare Design (2009), illustrates how EBD is taking off exponentially. In 1998, she says, the Center for Health Design contracted Johns Hopkins University to analyze all published research that showed a connection between design interventions and medical outcomes that met the rigors of the medical establishment, such as where to place sinks to encourage hand washing, and how to position rooms and windows to reduce length of stay. The result was 84. The survey was repeated with Texas A&M and Georgia Tech in 2004 with a finding of about 600 studies, and in 2008, the tally was near 1,200. That’s a 1,300 percent increase in just one decade. Cama expects EBD to eventually become as common in the built environment as green design recently has, where it’s automatically part of the process. “In the future, I don’t know how you’re going to be an interior designer and not use EBD for accountability,” she says. In healthcare facility design, it’s not at all uncommon to see EBD included in RFPs as a project requirement.
Rosalyn Cama, FASID, EDAC, interior designer and author of EvidenceBased Healthcare Design
Just as sustainable design has added “LEED AP” to the business cards of interior designers everywhere, right after IIDA and CID, The Center for Health Design recently created EDAC, short for Evidence-Based Design Accreditation and Certification. The exam was opened to the public last April, and according to The Center for Health Design, about 250 people were accredited by the end of 2009, and at least 500 more are expected to become accredited in 2010. The EDAC exam is still highly focused on healthcare design, though it’s only a matter of time before it broadens its subjects. “It won’t be long before interior designers are doing research and looking for data on all types of facilities,” Cama says. She believes that clients will expect interior designers to know the evidence-based ins and outs of what they’re being hired to design. EDAC adds some credibility to professionals providing EBD services.
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That said, there isn’t only one way to handle EBD; it’s open for interpretation, says Lopez. And while she is in favor of more advanced coursework and accreditiation, she believes clients shouldn’t assume that just because a designer has EDAC after his or her name, they can apply EBD to all projects. “Accreditation is extremely valuable,” she says, “but it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s being applied in everyday practices.” Now you can balance sustainability and performance. Aesthetics and long life.
The future use of EBD in the interior design of building types beyond healthcare will be pushed forward by both clients and designers, and by rapid changes in technology. “This industry moves and changes because design moves and changes and because we can impact positive outcomes for the human condition,” Cama says. As construction costs rise, codes increase and human-centered considerations flourish, clients will demand accountability and data-proven justification for most design decisions. Interior designers, in their effort to remain both competitive and innovative, will seek strategies that allow their expertise to shine. Technology will improve the ease and availability of existing research, and will improve digital user-feedback and data gathering systems. It’ll be a group effort. “Evidence-based design is going to have to be embraced by our whole profession and those who contract our services,” Cama says. Eventually all interior designers will open their windows, let in sunlight, and become more productive and smart, using evidence-based design.
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ALL
FO R M
MASH AESTHETICS
UP TO ELEVEN
BACK TO BAUHAUS
FOLLOW THE LIGHT
CONCRETE JUNGLE
SUPPLY & DESIGN
I S FA I R G A M E You sit, sleep and eat on them. But do you pay home furnishings enough respect?
THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF SIX RECENT FURNITURE DESIGN TRENDS. BY MICHELE MEYER
“Furniture can push the boundaries of design, inspiring style upward to the buildings and rooms that contain it and downward to handheld objects,” says Demetrius Romanos, Vice President of Design at product design firm Kaleidoscope in Cincinnati. He and his colleagues there and in Manhattan spotted (and titled) the following six emerging themes at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York last May and The Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan last April: Mash Aesthetics, Up to
Eleven, Back to Bauhaus, Follow the Light, Concrete Jungle, and Supply and Design. The firm posted their predictions, thoughts and images on the Web.
These trends not only mirror their makers’ sensibilities, but also influence the design of interiors, exteriors and fashion. “There’s a sensibility in the air,” says Manhattan architect Joerg Schwartz. “All designers breathe in some of that and apply it to their disciplines.” Here’s a closer look at these six major furniture trends and how they’ve made their way into other design arenas in the months since Kaleidoscope first posted them online.
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MASH AESTHETICS
UP TO ELEVEN
BACK TO BAUHAUS
Like a musical mash-up of rap and reggae, combining design concepts, eras and forms holds our attention. But the effect from bumping Victorian against mid-20th Century, geometric against baroque and ultra-functional against decorative can seem chaotic.
A new version of materialism revels in the ingredients themselves, pushing them to their limits for glorious results, such as table legs made of stacks of stones, richly hued and polished metal lamps or un-sanded slab wood tables. They make you view fabric differently, as did blown-up houndstooth on recent runways.
As we’re bombarded with images and information, interiors free of distraction have become the ultimate luxury. “Home becomes the escape,” Roller says.
Kaleidoscope’s team witnessed unapologetic pairings of polar opposites, such as a white plastic sofa with tufted grey leather cushions, neon pink wing-back chairs and glass cubes printed with gold lace doilies. “With so much noise and so many messages out there,
While a drop in production costs lets furniture makers decorate mirrors and tables with foil, raw woods and other natural substances have particular appeal.
“Craftsmanship has become the new luxury,” says Sung Jang, an instructor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and furniture/light designer at Chicago-based design firm gregorysung, which displays dangling light tubes fashioned out of unfinished tree trunks. “Unlike technology, it’s not something second-tier competitors can duplicate quickly, if at all.”
the best way to have your design heard is by screaming or whispering,” says Michael Roller, Senior Industrial Designer at Kaleidoscope. “There’s no middle ground anymore.” And therein lies the danger: Not everyone has the skill of artist Julian Schnabel to juxtapose wisely and with restraint, as he did with New York City’s Grammercy Hotel lobby and its wildly different rugs stitched together, a look also seen on spring fashion runways. Done well, mash-ups warm chilly ingredients, such as distressed wood with metal or concrete with glass. “But you can’t take a phone and wrap it in fur and declare it avant garde,” Romanos warns. “It should be unexpected, not ludicrous.”
And so chairs and benches forgo arms and other adornment, as they’re stripped down to angles. Color becomes the selling point for cubes of acrylic that recall the form of crates. The careful and calculated geometry of Bauhaus is a natural response to the ‘90s. “It was the decade we realized the amazing things we could do on computers,” says Mari Hulick, graphic artist and head of the Communications Design department at The Cleveland Institute of Art. “Suddenly, playing with layers and transparencies could be done in a flash, so we used it all at once.
Now we’re over that.” But this century’s zen is warmed with rounded corners, as we see in everything from skirts to cars to fast-food signs. “This adds sumptuousness to a hard aesthetic,” Schwartz says.
Demetrius Romanos, Vice President of Design at product design firm Kaleidoscope in Cincinnati
“FURNITURE CAN PUSH THE BOUNDARIES OF DESIGN, INSPIRING STYLE UPWARD TO THE BUILDINGS AND ROOMS THAT CONTAIN IT AND DOWNWARD TO HANDHELD OBJECTS.”
A BRIEF HISTORY OF FAMOUS FURNITURE
1929 Barcelona Chair, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
1937 Tea Cart, Alvar Aalto
1946 Plywood Coffee Table, Charles and Ray Eames
1952 Ant Chair, Arne Jacobsen
1960 Stacking Chair, Verner Panton
1979 Mac Gee Bookshelf, Philippe Starck
1991 Soft Heart Rocking Chair, Ron Arad
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FOLLOW THE LIGHT
CONCRETE JUNGLE
More sofas, flower pots and outdoor benches are lit from within, boosting practicality and theatricality. Whether fashioned from natural alabaster or acrylic,
Cold urban living has led furniture creators at all price ranges to incorporate a sense of nature to comfort consumers. Thus, a floor lamp’s post may be shaped like tree branches or room dividers made with ribbons of wood to evoke waves crashing on a beach. Floor tiles are printed with leaves or a tiny pine tree sprouts from a table top, while African tribal prints of woven straw and canvas have replaced metals in handbags, shoes and jewelry, as shown at furniture fairs and fashion runways late last year.
“light is the product,� Roller says. “By blurring boundaries, designs are richer. You create atmosphere and context, making products that attract or repel purely with light.� Thanks to new technology, the heat, cost and energy generated by lighting has dropped, making it possible to create internally illuminating outdoor lounge chairs, round fluorescent tubesinks and wall hangings with folds and ribbons of fabric that beam brightly, much like Hong Kong’s towers transform its skyline into a light show.
“Today, people can go through life without walking past a tree,� Roller says. “This
[trend] is an ironic, cheeky way to bring nature into your home. And they take you to a place in your mind where you couldn’t go otherwise.�
6 SUPPLY AND DESIGN Eco-chic is not new, but the latest incarnation uses reclaimed materials, such as chandeliers made from plastic milk jugs or egg cartons as fine jewelry displays.
Salvaged furniture design companies such as Cleveland’s APOC and New York’s Urban Archaeology and Olde Good Things recycle fixtures, siding, studs, rafters and pipes from about-to-be-bulldozed buildings to create furniture and countertops. Interior designers also mine salvage yards and elsewhere for used doors, mantelpieces, carpets and restaurant equipment. Similarly, fashion designers seek fabric from ‘50s mens’ suits at used clothing stores, and card makers recycle ink and paper.
“These objects often have a beautiful patina you can’t replicate
Expect this trend to become the norm once the economy recovers, says Jeremy Levitt, Furniture and Lighting Director at AvroKO Design in New York. “It can be more expensive when you use reclaimed and sustainable items,� he says. “It’s a Catch 22: You’re not typically helping your budget, but you’re giving the public what it wants by contributing to the preservation of the environment.�
Jeremy Levitt, Furniture and Lighting Director at AvroKO Design in New York
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE TRENDS, GO TO: HTTP://WWW.SLIDESHARE.NET/FINNMCKENTY/
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“It’s not like going to a chain store and grabbing everything,� says Scott Richardson, owner of Richardson Design and visiting instructor of Interior Design at Cleveland Institute of Art.
— and each piece has a story behind it.� His firm bought and repurposed a dilapidated barn in Ohio Amish country to adorn a restaurant’s walls. They’ve also used church pews as seating and shipping palette wood to cover a bar. “It authenticates a new interior.�
“IT’S A CATCH 22: YOU’RE NOTTYPICALLY HELPING YOUR BUDGET, BUTYOU’RE GIVING THE PUBLIC WHAT ITWANTS BY CONTRIBUTING TO THE PRESERVATION OFTHE ENVIRONMENT.�
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Yet the concept of generational gaps is still pretty ubiquitous in today’s culture. Just look at the names created to categorize the different age groups — the Greatest Generation, Baby Boomers, Gen X and the Millennials. Given these divisions of age and mindset, it’s no surprise that in the workplace, many people cite generational differences as a barrier to collaboration. But in the real world of Interior Design, the successful partnering of different generations is an invaluable business model — because in today’s non-stop business climate, it’s collaborate or fail.
LET’S GET TOGETHER
Tom Szumlic, Academic Director of Interior Design and Foundation Design at The Art Institute of Tampa in Florida, who’s been in the industry for 40 years, believes that design above all is a social
By Sara J. Robertson
If you think the myth that professionals can’t work
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act. “It’s rare to think any one designer is a master craftsman and takes something from start to finish on [his or her] own as a lone wolf practitioner,” he says.
ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS STRAEHLA
MYTHBUSTERS
a set of towers he was designing in downtown Los Angeles, world-famous architect and designer Frank Gehry said, “It needs a mix of populations. It’s got to be a mix of different age groups, economic groups and ethnic groups to really function.” In those words he caught the essence of how all design functions — through holistic collaboration.
And that means it’s an inherent part of a smart business to include people across generations. “It’s ridiculous for Interior Designers and society in general to assume that different generations don’t work successfully together,” says Turner Duncan, Chairman of Design at DESIGN Duncan Miller Ullmann in Dallas, who’s been working in Interior Design for nearly 25 years.
gap
“There’s a senior citizen attitude with some firms and principals that ‘Nobody can do this as good as me,’” he says. “I’d rather approach design to teach other people how to do it so your life can be more fulfilled, your career expands and life becomes even easier.” At DESIGN Duncan Miller Ullmann, all projects have an established team that includes members with anywhere
successfully across generations is true, think again.
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between one and 20 years of experience, so the age group and the experience level is threaded throughout the entire team structure.
After working with more than 200 interns in her 40 years as an interior designer, Marilyn Schooley Hansen, FASID, Owner of The Designers Omaha in Omaha, Neb., knows a thing or two about mentoring. “Designers get bogged down in the doing and the process, and they sometimes think, ‘I can do it better myself,’” Hansen says. “But if somebody doesn’t mentor you, then how do you grow? If we don’t mentor others, then what kind of profession will we have in the end? A bunch of people competing with each other and not moving the profession forward.”
Megan Ybarra, LEED AP, a young designer at DESIGN Duncan Miller Ullman, values the collaboration across generations at her firm. “I think that we have a pretty rounded set of people,” she says. “We don’t have job-specific people. Everyone can do a little bit of everything.” IT’S JUST A NUMBER
For 55-year-old Bill Clegg, FIIDA, LEED AP, Partner at Schoenhardt, Inc., in Tariffville, Conn., age is just one of many traits that make an individual designer unique. “We’ve had younger designers, architects and interns work for us, and to me, age is never really a factor,” says Clegg, a 36-year Interior Design veteran. Demonstrating that point is Clegg’s partner who is 16 years his junior.
“I appreciate all generations and points of view because I don’t know everything. I don’t see everything.
“I appreciate all generations and points of view,” Clegg says, “because I don’t know everything. I don’t see everything. For somebody else to have a fresh idea or a thought I haven’t thought of — that’s what makes design great.” At Pye Interiors in Charlottesville, Va., having different generations working together ultimately contributes to the firm’s bottom line. “The generational
differences of our designers allow our firm to efficiently respond to a variety of project types with users of all ages, from an assisted living facility for seniors to a university recreation center for students and faculty,” says Linda Pye, IIDA, CID, ASID, Principal Designer at Pye Interiors.
“The biggest misconception about working with a generation different than your own is that it will be a negative experience,” says Pye, who has 25 years of experience. “I have found the opposite to be true.” That’s not to say designers don’t all want to showcase their own unique personalities. “The truth is we’re all kind of divas — we’re artists,” says Michelle Workman, owner of Michelle Workman Design in Los Angeles, who’s been working in Interior Design for 12 years. “Nobody wants to hear someone else’s opinion about your artwork, but to say that it’s a generational thing is sort of an excuse more than anything else.”
MENTEE TO MENTOR
To make successful relationships work across generations, the key is developing strong mentor and mentee partnerships. Sarah Nielsen, IDS Associate, DCI, Owner of FRESH Interior Design in Charlotte, N.C., has only been working in the industry for eight years, and she attributes much of her success to her mentor — a designer in her 60s who has been in the industry for more than three decades. “She’s been instrumental in introducing me to some great techniques in design and helping to further my design education,” Nielsen says. “Without her, without having that sounding board, I can’t imagine how I’d do it.” Finding a mentor takes some effort and a willingness to let down your guard. “At first when I met her, I was a little intimidated,” Nielsen says about her mentor. “In the industry, there is that fear that designers don’t want to help out other designers,” she adds. “You have to have an open mind and be appreciative of new ideas whether they’re from someone who has had 20 years of experience or someone who is straight out of school.”
Lisa McDennon, Allied Member ASID, Principal at LRM Interior Design in Laguna Beach, Calif., who’s celebrating her business’ tenth anniversary this year, has experienced the difficulty of not having a mentor in her career. So she recently set out to find one. “I’m at a point where my business is ready to jump to the next level, and I feel like I could really use some help and guidance,” she says. She created her own business to counter the experience of not having a mentor. “One of the reasons I started my business was to provide an atmosphere for designers to have a safe, nurturing, fun and healthy environment to do what we love to do.”
For somebody else to have a fresh idea or a thought I haven’t thought of — that’s what makes design great.”
The most successful firms value each designer’s unique creative ability and nurture the lifelong learning process no matter their age. “Everybody in a collaborative setting has something to offer, whether it be experience, design knowledge or technology innovation,” Clegg says. “Leaders always need to remember that and coax it out of every generation.”
Bill Clegg, FIIDA, LEED AP, Partner at Schoenhardt, Inc., in Tariffville, Conn.
For her, the key is also teamwork. “Interior Design has to be a collaborative art form, and once you get over your own ego, you can work that way.”
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PREFAB FOR ALL
Designers and architects have been experimenting more often with prefabrication as a means to deliver well-designed structures that feature clean lines and open floor plans. So what’s the state of prefab in residential, school and commercial spaces today? BY CLARE CURLEY ILLUSTRATION BY THE HEADS OF STATE
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DWELLING IN STYLE … AND EFFICIENCY
PREFABRICATED CONSTRUCTION is the building method of choice for many clients looking for a fast turnaround at lower construction costs, whether for a sophisticated retail facility or a standalone classroom. And since prefab companies tend to have staffers who oversee their designs inside and out, interior designers should be forming alliances in the prefab sector to expand their own business offerings. To proponents of prefabricated building, the movement toward factory-built construction is nothing short of a cause — whether to save the environment, create healthier schools, or rescue us all from generic tract housing. As Toby Long, AIA, Principal of tobylongdesign and Clever Homes, LLC, in San Francisco, puts it, “There’s a nobility to this that’s interesting to us.” In theory, prefab does seem like a logical solution to more than a few construction woes. Whether the buildings come in kits or as large chunks rolling down the highway, they arrive with interior and exterior finishes intact, not to mention plumbing and electrical rough-in, potentially saving clients time and money. Since less material and manpower goes to waste during the construction process, the green argument for using prefab is as embedded as the flooring is. Some prefab companies take the spirit of recycling a step further. Take Manhattan Beach, Calif.-based Logical Homes, which develops homes from discarded cargo containers from ships. “The containers go through a whole adaptation process to arrive at modern architecture,” says the company’s CEO Michael Sylvester. “In essence, we’re just using them as steel modules.” To the average client, though, prefab is simply a faster way of building. Almost anything that doesn’t have tall, spanning walls can be built off-site. Everything from the fixtures to the paint color on the walls is determined before construction begins.
It’s still a tiny niche within a start up industry, however. And the frozen credit markets have forced many boutique prefab companies into a holding pattern along with much of the construction industry. “The slowing economy has also resulted in opportunities,” says Sam Tikriti, Vice President of Strategic Markets at ModSpace, a Berwyn, Pa.-based firm that provides modular buildings for commercial, educational and civic spaces. “Whether they’re charter schools or businesses, the earlier opportunity to move into their facilities can ultimately help them reduce operating costs and increase revenue generation.”
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The company has made a name for itself with such prefab wonders as their Utah house, a solar-powered home that relies on a geothermal heating system and a well for water. “It’s totally independent but connected completely to its environment,” Marmol says. In response to other concerns, the company offers more on-site management of storm water and designs that incorporate passive energy.
The state of Massachusetts recently expanded its Model School Program, which seeks to identify successful, newly constructed school designs to adapt and reuse in other districts.
“There’s a new world emerging. Call that survival or whatever you like, there’s a trend toward efficiency,” Marmol says. “Everyone’s reevaluating their priorities — how much we really need versus how much we want — so the trend is toward less.” Despite a generally sluggish residential market, there are stirrings of movement around the country that could signify things to come. For example, Method Prefab, a company that makes cabins, is creating a home that is only ten feet wide in places to accommodate a client’s narrow plot of land in Seattle, where Method Prefab is headquartered. Such space squeezes are
ideal for prefab, since there’s no construction site filled with people, debris and dumpsters. That people are requesting smaller houses than they would have two years ago isn’t necessarily considered a bad thing. “We see that as an incredibly healthy, positive tendency in the market,” Marmol says. “From a sustainable perspective, that’s exactly what we’re dreaming of.” THE SCHOOL SOLUTION
Across the country, school districts are starting to turn to prefab for various reasons, not the least of which is to save time and money. The state of Massachusetts, for example, recently expanded its Model School Program, which seeks to identify successful, newly constructed school designs to adapt and reuse in other districts. These prefabricated schools can curb the cost that goes into school construction, simplify the design process and reduce project time. Other areas view prefab as a better-designed, more sustainable alternative to portable classrooms. Sylvester, who also edits and publishes Fabprefab.com, an online resource dedicated to investigating the market for affordable modernist factory-built residential architecture, says, “There’s been an explosion in charter school construction in southern California.” The quality is a “completely different universe” than portable classrooms, he explains, with a higher quality of finishing and materials. Toby Long has a background in residential prefab, but he recently designed two prefabricated classrooms for the Chartwell School in Seaside, Calif., one of the first LEED
PREFAB
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The residential industry’s top innovators have taken great strides to stand out, thanks in part to the demands of homeowners. In Los Angeles, Marmol Radziner offers a family of modules that they combine into custom designs. Managing Principal Leo Marmol, FAIA, recently inducted into the Interior Design Hall of Fame, says he sees a growing interest in modernism, as well as homeowners who want to feel connected to their environment.
FAST FACTS
Amount of construction waste reduced by Method Prefab Price per square foot to build a CleverHome in California Number of modular buildings in ModSpace’s fleet Year Marmol Radziner began incorporating prefab modules into large commercial projects IIDA.ORG
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!T THE CONVERGENCE OF MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS A DECISIVE MOMENT
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Platinum campuses in the country. “[They were] designed to complement the green buildings on campus,� he says, with such sustainable attributes as no-VOC paints and coatings; water-efficient plumbing fixtures; daylight and occupancy sensors for fluorescent lights; and recycled rubber flooring. Another plus? The classrooms went up in three weeks.
THE CHOICE FOR MAXIMUM žEXIBILITY
standard in-stock buildings, or something based on their specifications. The company’s modular approach lends itself to shapes with edges. However, if someone has their heart set on, say, a round entrance, ModSpace would take a hybrid approach — developing the majority of the building off-site, then adding the curved features on-site at the end.
“We’ve noticed that with all the economic pressures, clients are becoming more involved in the design and construction process.�
STAYING ENGAGED
To an interior designer, the fact that something was prefabricated should make little difference other than the timeline, as the interior work is often done before the building ever arrives on-site. Still, Sylvester says, “There is a chance that the role of the interior designer could be diminished.� He suggests working with architects during product development to define a menu of pre-configured interior choices that fit with the off-site fabrication process, yet offer more choices to the homebuyer.
“One of the main reasons [schools] come to us is they want it faster, sooner, they want to move in quicker,� says Tikriti, adding that ModSpace also follows high-efficiency industry standards. Sam Tikriti, Vice President of Strategic Once the units are assembled and welded to the Markets at ModSpace in Berwyn, Pa. foundation, he says, “It would be very difficult to distinguish between our building and a conventionally-built As the process requires coordination between many entities structure.� early on, interior designers sometimes get lost in the shuffle. The earlier they get involved, the better, recommends Chris COMMERCIAL SECTOR FINDS MIDDLE GROUND Adams, AIA, architect for Bensonwood Homes, a Walpole, The Southwest Marine’s administrative building in San Diego, N.H.-based prefab company. Once the home design is comgreets visitors with an airy, two-story atrium. It probably pleted, he says, “We’re at a point where we’re locked in. We’re wouldn’t occur to most people standing under the atrium’s not changing the spaces and ceiling heights, so we want their vaulted glass ceiling that most of the 23,400-square-foot input much sooner.� building was hauled to the site in boxes no more than 14 feet According to Maryann Thompson, who teaches at the Harvard tall. The recently completed building is among the variety of University Graduate School of Design in Cambridge, Mass., offices, medical facilities, laboratories and university dormitoaligning with prefab construction companies is also a way of ries undertaken by ModSpace. creating a brand for yourself — particularly in commercial “We’ve noticed that with all the economic pressures, clients areas such as retail that use a prefab shell and then hire a are becoming more involved in the design and construction designer to do the interior after the fact. process,� Tikriti says. “They’re becoming more savvy and The industry still lacks the scale to bring affordable custom requiring more from their buildings in terms of sustainability prefab to the average homebuyer, says Thompson, who worries and energy performance.� about a lack of individuality in some modular construction. Of course, prefab has its drawbacks. Typically, floor plans are Still, in the future, she says, “What prefab could do is bring selected from a limited pallet of shapes, widths and heights, really good and interesting design to a larger group of people.� which in the U.S., are restricted to five stories. But designers And democratizing decent architecture may just who cater to their clients’ requests shrug off any suggestion be a cause worth backing. that prefab buildings are somehow boxy or unimaginative.
#ROSSROADS #OLLECTION
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“There’s really no limitation to what we offer in terms of materials and finishes,� Tikriti says. People can opt between
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PRIORITIZING
tasks that might not have pertained to you in the past in order to make you more marketable, according to Bartlett. “The industry has changed so much with new technology,” she says. “Everything’s becoming But in Interior Design, clients desire more than artistic talent. Designers must also know how to navigate the business side in order to set themselves apart.
DESIGN THRIVES ON CREATIVITY.
MANAGEMENT
PROJECT
Interior designers may not have entered the profession to become project managers,
but the current business world is requiring more project management skills, and they’re going to have to step up if they want to stand out.
BY LAURA SCHLERETH
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“Construction of any sort is in desperate need of project management,” says Laura Ramsey Engler, ASID, CID, Design Principal at Ramsey Engler, Ltd., in Minneapolis. “As a creative profession, we’re pretty fertile with wonderful ideas, but if we can’t execute and coordinate them, the project won’t work.”
and says a project manager is always checking his or her cell phone and email to make sure a project is running smoothly at all times.
Engler says that project management is essential for Interior Design because the complicated fabrication process requires constant communication and accountability.
“In an interior design project, it’s a daily, even hourly conversation with the client and consultants,” he says. “A project manager is there from the kickoff to project close.”
“You can’t always count on meeting and producing the project face-to-face; you need communication systems and document management that transcends locale,” she says. “And when you’re conceiving things that haven’t been done before, there needs to be record-keeping and accountability.”
SCENE CHANGE Maturing technology and the current economy has made Interior Design a different industry than in the past, says Mary Bartlett, IIDA, AIA, LEED AP, Associate Partner of Marmon Mok Architecture in San Antonio. With technology bringing more integration, people are also expecting more from their designers. This means taking on additional
Cary Johnson, FIIDA, Chicagobased Senior Associate and Project Director at global architecture, design, planning and consulting firm, Gensler, agrees
more and more integrated; projects are becoming leaner.” For example, Bartlett says she sees the integration in Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology, which consolidates the design information in one model shared by the architect, engineer, interior designer, contractor and owner. Moving from a two-dimensional set of drawings to a three-dimensional model (which includes structural members, ductwork and actual building materials) provides the capability of the interior designer to be an integrated team member, according to Bartlett. “The more informed the interior designer is on the project, the more effective they are on the team,” she says. “Also, today’s economy is such that projects and profit margins are leaner than ever, so efficiency is critical. If an interior designer has multiple skills sets and can design, detail construction drawings, and manage a project, that is a valuable employee.” Rusty Meador, a Real Estate Consultant with Plantation Development Services, a condominium development and
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consulting business in Wilmington, N.C., regularly hires interior designers through contracts and agrees that with the current economy, people are looking for a package deal — someone who can offer multiple services in order to provide more value per project. Meador says it’s a challenge to find project management skills in creative people because three to five years ago, the business responsibilities would to fall to someone else.
“If an interior designer has multiple skills sets and can design, detail construction drawings, and manage a project, that is a valuable employee.” Mary Bartlett, IIDA,AIA, LEED AP,Associate Partner of Marmon Mok Architecture in San Antonio
“It’s becoming more and more important that my clients work with designers who understand the whole process,” he says. “There’s an expectation that they recognize the technical details of a project.” ALL IN THE PREPARATION Phyllis Harbinger, ASID, CID, Principal of Design Concepts/Interiors, LLC, in Cortlandt Manor, N.Y., and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) says that the importance of project management is more valued in today’s Interior Design education. Interior Design students at FIT are taught comprehensive project management skills in “professional practice” courses. In the lower division, they learn the aspects of running a business, such as creating proposals and drafting invoices. In the upper division, some of their studio course work requires them to do group projects where they learn specifications on a commercial level and also how to work as a team. Usually one student takes the main leadership role and then delegates responsibilities, such as research, drafting plans, rendering and conducting interviews.
“In addition to their individual performance grades, they’re evaluated on how well they work as a team and how they delegate,” Harbinger says. “All of that helps prepare them on how to work in the real world.” Having taken graduate classes in management, marketing and economics, Bartlett recommends checking a local university to see if it offers business law courses or management classes to get a better understanding of project management. Once you attain the proper training, it’s important to present that knowledge effectively. Meador says that when he interviews interior designers, he expects them to prove that they know the process. “One of the most important things to me is whether I understand their plan,” he says. “I ask them if they can define what their critical path process is.” Being able to speak on all major elements of a project such as scheduling, risk management and working with other contractors, will show that a designer understands all the comprehensive requirements, making the recruiter more confident in their skills. Meador says that if they can demonstrate their decisionmaking ability and how they’ve resolved conflict without going over budget, they can become a front-runner for the job.
GREAT EXPECTATIONS “It’s about stepping up and taking more responsibility,” says Bartlett, who thinks the strongest interior designers are the ones who show competent leadership skills because, acting as project managers, interior designers set the tone for the whole job. “Good leaders should have the ability to see the big picture,” she says. “They understand that there are many viewpoints and ideas and are committed to the very best project outcome and able to produce results.” Johnson says that because the project manager merges all different objectives — of the client, architect and contractor — he or she might not always be the most popular person. The project manager is the one who delivers the bad news, such as preliminary pricing from a contractor coming in higher than what was budgeted. But he says the key to being a successful project manager is being able to offer a solution, such as making cuts elsewhere where the effect will be least felt. “A good project manager knows how to say: ‘These are our issues,’” he says. “They deliver the message right away and deal with the problem directly rather than just throwing their hands up.” Bartlett agrees and says the true talent is in managing client expectations as well as the design team members’ time and schedule because they don’t always complement each other. “For example, if a project manager promises a client finished renderings by the end of the
celebrate THE WINNERS OF THE 37TH ANNUAL INTERIOR DESIGN COMPETITION FIDM, San Diego Clive Wilkinson Architects LYNNsteven, Vancouver mgb ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN Inc. Rennie Art Gallery and Offices, Vancouver mgb ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN Inc. Dubai Mall Medical Center, Dubai NBBJ
Westin River North Hotel A special thanks to the evening’s Host Sponsor The Mohawk Group For Table or Ticket information Jenny Palmer at jpalmer@iida.org
Guess? Inc. Headquarters, Los Angeles STUDIOS Architecture MUMUTH Music Theatre, Graz, Austria UNStudio
& THE WINNER OF THE 18TH ANNUAL WILL CHING DESIGN COMPETITION Kubrick Bookshop and MOMA Movie Centre, Beijing One Plus Partnership Limited
For details about IIDA at NeoCon 2010, go to iida.org 34
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Web-based portal that allows users to store documents, photos and use automated emails. Harbinger recommends Design Manager or Studio IT, project management software made specifically for interior designers that also incorporates accounting capabilities, such as budget analysis. For conferencing, Harbinger suggests GoToMeeting, which allows users to conference via microphones or Webcams and to record meetings.
week, but the team is committed to another deadline, it causes stress and frustration on all sides,” she says. “It takes the ability to see the big picture to ensure that the best results are met.” Harbinger says that project management can increase the professionalism of Interior Design because clients’ expectations of accountability are higher. “I think clients are much more savvy today,” she says. “They’re asking you to follow up on every little thing, including price validation and getting different quotes from multiple resources. They’re requiring that much more checks and balances be employed in the specification process.”
“Using project management tools and software allows you to set up a work flow for the project.” Phyllis Harbinger, ASID, CID, Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology and Principal of Design Concepts/Interiors, LLC, in Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.
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More accountability means designers are liable for every single thing, and according to Harbinger, applying project management methods of planning and recording will not only result in a happier client but also safer business practices. WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO Instilling project management requires a more organized and methodical approach to interior design work, and Engler says it includes simple practices such as regular team meetings to check in and guarantee that all areas are being covered. “Make sure you’re creating that chain of communication so that information is being properly disseminated,” she says. Engler also recommends documenting every decision and transcribing important discussions, making them available to everyone on the team. It saves time
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because it gives a record to reference if an issue comes up, and it makes the process as transparent as possible, which will ensure that everyone is on the same page. Luckily, there is a great deal of software available that can create a project Web site or shared server so that everyone on the team can access information easily. Email communication is effective, but Engler says it’s also very helpful having “one project war room” officiated by an administrator and accessible to team members. Having everything, such as schedules, renderings and documents, electronically merged in one place will prevent miscommunication and streamline information exchange. Engler recommends the construction software Procore, which offers a
WORK WELL WITH OTHERS Interior Design is an integral part of construction, but it’s one of multiple professions involved. Project management not only helps things run more smoothly on a team, but it also aids collaboration with other teams. Decisions and tasks are rarely isolated. For example, Harbinger is currently working on a residential project where the client requested a specific wooden inlay border in the foyer, which flows into the living room and dining room. Harbinger says the decision involves discussions with the client, builder, architect and floor installer who “all have their opinions and input.” She says that although it’s a smaller part of the larger project, it requires many emails, site visits and documentation to make sure everyone is on board with the decision-making process. Applying the methodical system makes for smoother collaboration, which makes for a more successful project, says Harbinger. “Using project management tools and software allows you to set up a work flow for the project,” she says. “Being able to show ‘these are the steps you take for this task’ makes everything seamless.”
expo and conference. May 19-21, 2010 green day. May 18, 2010 Sands Expo and Convention Center Las Vegas, NV hdexpo.com
The Center of Design and Innovation Hospitality Design Exposition & Conference is THE source for the newest and most inspiring hospitality products and services and most importantly your connection with the wider hospitality design community. New this year, the winners of the Sustainability Suite Competition will build and showcase their winning concept, Haptik, right on the show floor of 2010 HD Expo. To receive FREE Expo Registration, visit hdexpo.com and use registration code: HABB9. *This offer is for qualified attendees only and does not apply to non-exhibiting manufacturers, producers and suppliers. Visit hdexpo.com to view the complete NONEX (Non-Exhibitor) policy. HD Expo is a tradeshow. No children under 16 are permitted. Proof of age is required.
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Produced by Nielsen Expositions, a part of the Nielsen Company
A sustainable building needs to be an integrated building. To that end, it takes a team of committed consultants to work together to make it work. And everything needs to serve double, or triple duty. For instance, the rain gutters collect water for recycled use, protect against snow fall, shade the third floor windows in summer, and provide a base for servicing the solar collectors. The structural concrete not only holds up the building, it serves as a finished wall in its natural state, and more importantly, absorbs daytime heat for nighttime radiation.
AHEAD OF THE CURVE
— Mark Simon
The School of Forestry and Environmental Studies had pushed for 10 years to build a new central building for its school that was super sustainable. Their department had grown over the years and ended up spread out among many smaller buildings, including old houses. So they wanted their department reunited for the sake of their faculty, students and program. And Yale University wanted this building to be their flagship for their new drive towards sustainability. — Mark Simon
DRIVE TOWARDS SUSTAINABILI
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KROON HALL
Kroon Hall is the new home of Yale University’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Completed last year, the 58,000-square-foot space is Yale’s greenest building and was erected as a symbol of the school’s ideals and values in built form. The three-story, light-soaked structure — built on the spot where an early-20th-century power plant once stood — was designed to use as little energy as possible. And as a nod to Yale’s aggressive green building efforts, Kroon was deemed a 2009 IIDA/Metropolis Smart Environments Awards winner.
WARM AND FRIENDLY
I hope that architects, designers and clients can see that a super-sustainable building can still be warm and friendly. In fact, it should be warm and friendly. — Mark Simon
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Serving as a showcase of sustainability and the new center for environmental activities on campus, Kroon was crafted by a team of international designers and architects, including Mark Simon, FAIA, Partner at Centerbrook Architects & Planners, LLP, in Centerbrook, Conn., and Mike Taylor, Director of Hopkins Architects, Ltd., in London. Perspective asked both to share their thoughts on their Ivy League project.
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INTEGRATED
There are number of technical things that hadn’t been done by the University at that point, such as the external wooden shading, the underfloor air distribution, the integrated engineering and the optional natural ventilation mode. So I’m proud of the fact that we’ve started to change the way they build and use buildings, and how that’s created a new way of thinking for University projects. — Mike Taylor
NEW WAY OF THINKING
The wood used inside the building is about 50 percent from Yale's own forests, which are managed by the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. It is especially nice to use elements that have a direct connection to the place you’re working on. Overall, it was an honor to work on this project. The process was unusually rewarding to us all. — Mark Simon
UNUSUALLY REWARDING
We wanted to achieve three main aims: First, to make a building in the Connecticut climate that would be as close to carbon neutral as we could manage within the University's constraints; second, to create new open spaces for the University to benefit Science Hill; and, third, to create a sociable new focus for the School that would stand the test of time. — Mike Taylor
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CARBON NEUTRAL IIDA.ORG
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The case studies featured in the book offer solid evidence of the staggering influence effective design can have over any kind of company, whether it’s a booming corporation, an educational institution or a government entity.
RESOURCES By Elizabeth Cotner
process that draws from designers’ methods, creativity, empathy and judgment to create practical solutions that respond to people’s needs.
The book’s design is as carefully planned as the pristine building interiors and exteriors featured in the text. It integrates several photo spreads, graphs and statistics to demonstrate that innovative design can cultivate energy, passion and productivity in the workplace.
BOOKS Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation By Tim Brown, 272 pages, HarperBusiness (Harper Collins), October 2009, $27.99
Brown insists that design thinking isn’t just for designers; today’s leaders must apply principles of design — such as observing, prototyping and implementing — to discover efficient products and processes. IDEO has successfully employed design thinking to create positive solutions for several institutions, and Brown tells these stories to make his case. From advising the Transportation Security Administration on identifying potential terrorists in airport security checks to improving patient care for the health organization Kaiser Permanente, IDEO’s results prove that design thinking can act as a remarkable agent of change and innovation. Human behavior lies at the heart of design thinking, Brown says, since it first observes human behavior and then reacts to those findings. But it’s far from a cut-and-dried strategy: Design thinking is as elusive and outside the box as the strategist needs it to be. Even Brown admits it has challenges and failures.
The role of design and designers in society is evolving. While designers have always helped beautify our world, some innovators are now realizing that the designer’s tool kit is a valuable instrument for solving perplexing problems challenging business, government and society. At least that’s what Tim Brown, CEO of the global design consultancy IDEO, proposes in his book Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation. Brown introduces design thinking as a
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In Change by Design, Brown pioneers the 21st century designer as an emerging leader in society: While designers traditionally have focused on the design of material objects, design thinking allows them to tap into the skills they’ve had all along to create a better world. Brown leads this pack of icons, inspiring designers, creators and innovators from all walks of life.
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section that provides juicy tidbits about goings-on in the design world. Dezeen is so cutting edge that both Time and Design Week, the U.K.’s leading design Web site, listed it as one of the most influential forces in the design world.
Change Design: Conversations About Architecture as the Ultimate Business Tool By NBBJ, 187 pages, Greenway Communications; Second edition, October 2009, $59 Let’s face it: Ugly spaces foster nothing but boredom. And in the workplace, that doesn’t do much to motivate productivity or creativity. The global architecture, planning and design firms NBBJ and Bruce Mau Design, Inc., partnered in 2006 to tackle this problem. The team explored methods, tools and strategies for “developing environments that are performancedriven, humanistic and sustainable.” They published the results of their findings in Change Design: Conversations About Architecture as the Ultimate Business Tool, demonstrating how building designs influence not only a company’s culture and work environment, but also a business’s image and competiveness in the marketplace. The second edition of this book builds on the first. It holds additional interviews with business leaders and essays by designers, writers, architects, politicians and physicians. There’s also a new section on up-and-coming projects that are the future of building design, like the Gates Foundation’s headquarters in Seattle and a sustainable addition to Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital.
Innovator Bruce Mau poses a question in his essay that gets at the essence of the challenge Change Design aims to address: “If you go back to the history of architecture, the building isn’t the project. How to live — and how to work — is the project. So, another big question arises: How do you get back from 20th century architecture to more holistic thinking?”
Change Design is a step in the right direction.
WEB SITES dezeen www.dezeen.com With more than one million visitors each month, dezeen is a hot spot for the latest projects in architecture, design and interiors from around the world. The blog claims it’ll bring you the latest news and trends in design “before anyone else.” In addition, the site features interviews with top designers, podcasts and even a gossip
Inhabitat
DESIGN THINKING IS AS ELUSIVE AND OUTSIDE THE BOX AS THE STRATEGIST NEEDS IT TO BE.
www.inhabitat.com Inhabitat is a hub for designers committed to the green and sustainability movement. Started by New York designer and architecture student Jill Fehrenbacher, the site examines the impact innovative technology, building practices and products have on society. The blog’s tagline, “design will save the world,” reflects its creator’s belief that sustainable building practices will build a smarter future. The bloggers also uphold the modernist philosophy that good design is only achieved through a proper balance of style and substance.
This Ain’t No Disco (it’s where we work) www.thisaintnodisco.com This Ain’t No Disco (it’s where we work) peeks into the walls of design, advertising and media agencies around the world, from well-known companies to smaller, obscure ventures. Vibrant photos of each office space are proof that commercial design can nurture a culture of creativity in the workplace: Office spaces don’t have to be simply
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plain and functional. The best part is that anyone can submit a photo of his or her own office for a chance in the spotlight. A welcome message on the site tells visitors, “Try not to drool too much.” Too late: We’re drooling, oohing and ahhing.
Daily Icon www.dailyicon.net
in modern interior design, architecture, furniture, décor, fashion and technology. The writers and editors of the site know design and designers: They demonstrate their expertise through thoughtful analysis of their subject material and give due credit to the people who created and worked on the projects. If you still can’t get enough, head over to Art Milk (www.art-milk.com), the recently launched sister site that hosts the work of budding artists.
This online magazine is an imagefocused site that showcases designers, architecture and products. Daily Icon emphasizes furniture, accessories and lighting, but there’s also a library teeming with book reviews and sections on other topics like building interiors. The site presents eye-popping pictures that cover unique spaces and quirky products from several angles, putting each place into perspective. Visitors can count on frequent updates on their favorite topics, since there are regular columns and a theme assigned to posts for each day of the week. Themes include architecture icons on Mondays, best interiors on Tuesdays and food and travel on Fridays.
THE BLOGGERS ALSO UPHOLD THE MODERNIST PHILOSOPHY THAT GOOD DESIGN IS ONLY ACHIEVED THROUGH A PROPER BALANCE OF STYLE AND SUBSTANCE.
Design Milk www.design-milk.com A favorite of folks in the design, entertainment and publishing industries, Design Milk is a popular online magazine that keeps an eye on the latest trends
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CoolBoom www.coolboom.net CoolBoom underscores the news, trends and achievements across the globe in the interior, architectural and landscape design worlds. A blogger named Sylvia, who is based in Valencia, Spain, packs the blog with dynamic photos and insightful commentary on a broad range of topics, from the design of restaurants and office spaces, to creative ways to use materials, to multimedia that will help designers succeed in their profession. As a bonus, the “Weekend Links” section directs readers to an abundance of the latest design resources on the Web.
INDUSTRY MEMBERS* With thanks to our industry members for their continuing support of IIDA.
$7,500 LEVEL Allsteel Amtico International Architex International Armstrong World Industries Inc. Atlas Carpet Mills, Inc. Bentley Prince Street Blueridge Commercial Carpet Dal-Tile Corporation Formica Corporation Geiger International Haworth, Inc. Herman Miller Humanscale Corporation InterfaceFLOR J+J/Invision Kimball Office Knoll LG Surfaces Masland Contract MDC Wallcoverings Milliken Carpet National Wallcovering OM Workspace – IL Panolam Industries International Paoli, Inc. Pittsburgh Paints / PPG Industries Inc. RJF International Corporation Shaw Contract Group Sherwin Williams Steelcase, Inc. Tandus Teknion, LLC The HON Company The Mohawk Group The New Patcraft and Designweave Williams Sonoma Inc. Wilsonart International Inc. $5,000 LEVEL Carnegie Crossville, Inc. Janus Et Cie Lutron Electronics OFS Brands Roppe Corporation $3,500 LEVEL Benjamin Moore CBC Flooring Davis Furniture Industries, Inc. Edelman Leather FLEXCO Forbo Linoleum, Inc.
INSTALL Floorcovering Professionals Keilhauer Maharam Mannington Commercial Merchandise Mart Properties,Inc. Trendway Corporation $1,500 LEVEL Adleta Corporation AGATI American Seating Company American Tile Antron / Invista S.A.R.L. Arizona Tile ARK Ascend Performance Materials Bernhardt Design Bonitz Flooring Group, Inc. Creative Office Pavilion Draper, Inc. Fashion Wallcoverings LLC Garrett Leather Global – The Total Office HBF (Hickory Business Furniture) Hill-Rom InPro Corporation Inscape Solutions Integra, Inc. izzy KI Lamin-Art Inc. Luna Textiles M.O.I., Inc. McGrory Glass MEES Tile and Marble Momentum Group National Office Furniture Pallas Textiles POLLACK Porcelanosa Surface Materials Tayco Toto USA Traditions in Tile and Stone Tri-West, LTD. whitespace Wolf-Gordon Inc. $900 LEVEL 24 Seven Inc. A.D. Wynne Company Acousti Engineering Company of Florida Inc. Alfred Williams and Company Allermuir Altro Floors American Office
*As of March 10, 2010 Bold type denotes Charter Industry Member.
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Andreu World America Apex Facility Resources Inc. Arc-Com Fabrics Arcadia / Encore Seating Inc. Architectural Systems Inc. Architemps, Inc. Arden & Associates Artistic Tile ASI Signage Innovations Associated Office Systems Authentic Models AWE Corporate Interiors Azor Workspace Solutions Baker Audio, Inc. Bank & Office Interiors Barclay Dean Bauhaus Interiors Group, Inc. Beaulieu Commercial (Bolyu/Cambridge) Bellacor.Com Best Tile Distributors of New England Best Tile of North Carolina Bill Thomason & Associates Inc. Business Interiors by Staples – North Texas Business Interiors by Staples – Portland, OR Business Interiors by Staples – South Texas Business Interiors by Staples – Tennessee Business Interiors by Staples – Baton Rouge, LA Byrne Electrical Specialists Inc. C & A Furniture, LLC C.H. Briggs Caluco LLC Cambria USA CaraGreen Carpet and Rug Institute CertainTeed Corporation Cibola Systems Corp. Clestra Hauserman Inc. Clipso Colebrook Bosson Saunders Colt Industries Inc. Commercial Office Interiors Commercial Services Grp. – A Div. of Sam Clar Office Furniture Commodore Builders Connect CONRAD Imports, Inc. Constantine Contract Furnishings Contract Group, Inc. Contract Wallcoverings Corporate Business Interiors Corporate Interior Systems Corporate Source Ltd. CORT D.L. Couch Wallcovering, Inc. Dallas Desk Danzer Specialty Veneer Inc. Dar|Ran Furniture Dates Weiser Furniture Corporation Dauphin North America David Edward Company Davis + Associates, Inc. Design Materials Designtex
DFB Sales Inc. DIRTT Environmental Solutions Ltd. DX To the Trade – The NJ Decorating Exchange Eggers Industries EvensonBest LLC Executive Flooring Systems Forms+Surfaces Fortune Contract, Inc. Fritz Hansen Fry Integral – A Fry Reglet Company Fullmer Contract, LLC G&L Marble GCI General Contractors Global Views Govsolutions, Inc. Gunlocke Company Haakenson Group Office Hafele Hamilton Parker Company Hartman Ltd. Inc. Heins Marketing Hekman Furniture Henriksen Butler – NV Henriksen Butler – UT Hightower Group Hirshfield's, Inc. Howard Building Corporation Indiana Furniture Infinite Furniture Solutions Innovations In Wallcoverings, Inc. Interior Construction Group Inc. Interior Furniture Solutions, Inc. Interline Creative Group Interscape Commercial Environments ISG – Installation Service Group Ivan Allen Workspace JAIPUR RUGS, INC. Jasper Group Jofco Johnsonite Jones & Cook Stationers Jules Seltzer Associates Kayhan International KBM Workspace Lacour Inc. Landscape Forms Len-Tex Corporation Longust LSI Wallcovering Lyons Company LLC M2L, Inc. Master Tile Maya Romanoff Corporation MBI Michael Halebian Co., Inc. Michael Trayler Design Ltd. Midwest Office Midwest Tile,Marble & Granite,Inc. MTS Seating Murals Your Way By Environmental Graphics Nora Systems, Inc. Numark Office Interiors Nydree Flooring – Gammapar/Permagrain oBJEKTS, LLC Office Environments of New England Office Resources Inc.
Okamura Corporation Olde Savannah Flooring One Source One Workplace Pacificrest Mills Parkwood Chicago Inc. Patterson Pope Peabody Office Furniture Corporation Pental Granite & Marble PGAL - Pierce Goodwin Alexander & Linville Pivot Interiors PPI Precision Countertops Prescolite Prime Design Millwork Professional Flooring Supply ProSource Wholesale Floorcoverings Quality Office Furnishings, Inc. RBC Tile + Stone Reader's Wholesale Dist., Ltd. Resource and Design Inc. Robertson Furniture Company, Inc. Rosenberry Rooms RT London RTT USA, Inc. Schonbek Worldwide Lighting Shannon Sales Inc. Shaw Hospitality Group Sickler Organization LLC Sidemark Corporate Furniture Sit On It Seating Skaar Furniture Associates Smith Lighting Sales, Inc. Source Four Inc. Spec-Solutions Spinneybeck SR Wood, Inc. Stone Peak Ceramics Stone Traditions Surface Solutions, Inc. Tangram Interiors Terrazzo & Marble Supply Companies Texas Wilson Office Furniture & Services The Scheffey Group Inc. Three H Furniture Systems Transact Commercial Furnishings Inc. Transwall TRI-KES Tufenkian Artisan Carpets Unisource Solutions United Tile USG Interiors USM Modular Furniture Versteel Walker Zanger – Dallas Wall/Goldfinger Watson Furniture Group WB Wood NY West Coast Industries Workplace Resource of Oregon Workscapes Inc. Workscapes South LLC World Market Center – Las Vegas York Wallcoverings, Inc.
NEXT ISSUE
ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE
The Summer 2010 issue — our annual Power of Design edition — will highlight several of the industry’s most influential women.
31 Architectural Response Kollection (ARK) 888.241.7100 www.ark-inc.com
We’ll also explore how perseverance through the recession is paying off for a few out-of-work designers, and will discuss how the latest sustainable strategies can do more than help save the environment. The Summer issue of Perspective will debut at NeoConŠ World’s Trade Fair 2010, June 14 – 16 at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago.
47 ARCHITEMPS, INC. 312.649.0912 www.architemps.com 13 Carnegie 800-727-6770 www.carnegiefabrics.com 45 HospitalityDesign Expo and Conference www.hdexpo.com 35 IIDA Cool 888.799.IIDA www.iida.org
5, 15, C4 Johnsonite 800.899.8916 www.johnsonite.com 21 Juxtaform, LLC 888.589.8236 www.juxtaform.com 7 KI 800.424.2432 www.ki.com 5 National Terrazzo & Mosaic Association 800.323.9736 www.ntma.com 45 NeoCon www.neocon.com C2 Williams-Sonoma, Inc. 888.837.4888 www.WSIDesignerMarketplace.com
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WHAT SPACE ARE YOU OBSESSED WITH AND WHY?
TERRAZZO FLOORING Big Impact. Little Environmental Footprint.
VIEWPOINTS
DIANE TAITT CHANDLEUR, IIDA, ASSOCIATE AIA, DIRECTOR OF INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE FOR THE WASHINGTON, D.C., OFFICE OF LEO A DALY ERICA MUHLENBRUCH, IIDA, LEED AP, SENIOR DESIGNER AT HELIX ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN IN KANSAS CITY, MO.
The Sidi Driss Hotel in Matmata, Tunisia. It’s an underground circular desert cave dwelling, called a troglodyte. Cool during the summer and warm in winter; my feet in mother earth, and the surreal blue sky, the ceiling. It fills me with a sense of absolute connection, comfort and inspiration to this day.
Recently a friend sent me images for a project called Moomin Valley, based on a series of Finnish children’s books. The designer recreated the whimsical sketches and imagination in the books and translated them to spaces for family use. The project looks so innovative, surreal and beautiful. I’d love to see more like it.
CHARLES J. UEHRKE, IIDA, PROJECT DIRECTOR, HUNTSMAN ARCHITECTURAL GROUP IN SAN FRANCISCO For me, the Pantheon in Rome is the most compelling space I’ve ever experienced. The interior dome is a marvel of engineering, symmetrical restraint and classic form. I have visited it at least six times and never tire of standing beneath the oculus and watching the light change on the coffered span.
Nonporous and mold-resistant, environmentally responsible, cost effective, beautiful, and healthy—the finish does not support microbes and moisture won’t accumulate— Terrazzo is the perfect solution for a discerning public’s buildings. Terrazzo—a floor that truly performs!
MARC HERNDON, IIDA, ASID, ASSOCIATE INTERIOR DESIGNER AT RNL IN DENVER I lean towards the contemporary in my day-to-day, but I’m obsessed with Thomas Jefferson’s estate, Monticello, in Charlottesville, Va. The neoclassic plan is both restrained and inventive, with lots of angled windows, natural light and well-orchestrated surprises. It’s a testament to Jefferson’s Renaissance tastes, as well as the true power of design.
Contact us at: 1.800.323.9736 or visit us at: WWW.NTMA.COM
Terrazzo A PERFORMING ART
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12"
PLANK
PLANK
6"
12"
SQUARE TILE SQUARE TILE
6"
12"
STANDARD TILES
{
BALANCING ACT NO 3.
STANDARD PLANKS
}
Modularity + Maintenance. SOLUTION:
Mesto™ Configurations Rubber Tiles and Planks
Now it’s possible to achieve a modular look without giving up the easy maintenance of rubber. That’s quite a balancing act. We call it Mesto Configurations. It’s a unique collection of marbleized rubber tiles in a variety of tones and shapes. So every design is as unique as it is refined. Mesto Configurations gives you real Balanced Choice. Only from Johnsonite. For more information, visit johnsonite.com.
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