Hi! Welcome to Little. This book aims to capture what it's like to work with us. Our mission of delivering Results Beyond Architecture is based on our clients’ success and always focuses on elevating their performance in a way that’s meaningful to them. If you’re excited about what you see, we’d appreciate the opportunity to partner with you.
Design isn’t simply about the beauty and function of a space or building. It’s about the things that a space or building help bring together. It’s about creating places that allow communities to thrive and that give back to our planet. It’s about elevating human and organizational performance. It’s about creating a better future.
Brilliant design begins with a question: How can we make your project everything you dream it can be? Our inspiration originates with your answers.
We start by understanding your goals and aspirations. Probing deeply to uncover opportunities that you may not have even imagined could exist.
Asking what if…until it becomes what is.
We view every project through a creative lens, inspired by research and understanding, to develop solutions that exceed your expectations.
We’re living in a time that demands new ideas. Innovative solutions that solve design challenges while anticipating potential future needs. We believe we’re in a perfect position to deliver them.
Our designs have a powerful and measurable impact on improving human and organizational performance – and business results. We accelerate recruiting and deepen employee retention. Enhance the learning experience. Stimulate retail sales. Improve the lives of patients and healthcare professionals. Help lower energy bills, boost visibility, reduce construction costs and bolster profitability. We create designs that directly advance your success. Designs that deliver Results Beyond Architecture.
First and foremost, we are partners – with our clients and with each other. We are forward thinkers and life-long learners. And, we are a team of believers – believing that it is our diverse expertise, cultures and generations, and experiences and passions that allow us to deliver remarkable, human-centered design.
Little’s goal is aimed at elevating the performance of our clients in the community, healthcare, retail and workplace industries by delivering Results Beyond Architecture.
We accomplish this by offering a comprehensive array of services rare among design firms today.
Our transdisciplinary approach unites architects, interior designers, engineers, land planners, graphic designers, animators and IT experts. This strategy assures you of the most creative, comprehensive and fully coordinated solutions possible. We’ve searched out the best of the best, so you don’t have to.
These experts collaborate with you and with one another, balancing the regional knowledge acquired through Little’s national network of offices with local, market specific needs to create the most effective design solution for you.
As a vital part of our ability to provide the best service to our clients, we put an emphasis on caring for others.
The ultimate goal of rethink is to improve peoples lives and their communities by encouraging large scale breakthrough thinking across our industry & those we serve.
Rethink teams are asked to respond to committee for feedback and final approval.
Describe WHY you are doing this project.
a. Describe your vision (You may use your 250 word
b. Explain why this project is important to Little.
Little’s LaceUp program is a catalyst toward a culture of breakthrough thinking. It connects the initiative of individuals with mini-grants for exploration, collaboration and testing.
c. Explain why this project is important to our current (25 pts)
Describe WHAT the premise is.
a. Describe your project.
b. Explain what breakthrough idea this project is trying
c. Explain what challenges your team is trying to address.
d. Has a similar project been done before?
e. Is this project implementable or speculative? (20 pts)
LemonAid is a monetary and service-based assistance program that empowers Little employees to help each other in a time of hardship.
WHO will be part of the team?
a. Describe your team.
b. Will a client be part of the team?
c. Will this be an interdisciplinary team?
d. Will this team have consultants? (15 pts)
If you ask people at Little what keeps us excited about coming to work each day, you’ll hear that it’s the people, our culture and the chance to be part of creating a better future through our work.
We’re committed to continuing the entrepreneurial spirit of our founder, Bill Little (below), and to giving people the freedom to take bold chances, to explore new ideas and to constantly act, learn and adapt. We embrace a culture of teaching and learning through cross-mentoring that spans generations, disciplines, talents and interests and we strive to give each person exposure to the widest possible array of experiences. We care intensely about our clients and each other, and we do our best to spark a spirit of creativity and excitement in everyone around us.
We believe that breakthrough ideas are most likely to come from the close collaboration of people from many different fields of design, building on each other’s ideas to create the new ideas that no single person could create alone.
That’s why we’re committed to building an increasingly diverse firm, made up of people with different areas of expertise, from different cultures and generations, with different talents, experiences and passions – because we believe that it is at those intersections where the next great ideas will emerge.
THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE’S LIVES
We start by listening. And, we dig deep to uncover opportunities maybe even you didn’t imagine could exist. Our customized approach ensures all projects receive the full force of our expertise, creativity and innovation –and always with a mindset aimed squarely at elevating the performance of our clients.
Our design approach is rooted in active engagement with our client from project inception through occupancy, enabling us to craft powerful design solutions that elevate their performance.
We gain a deep understanding of our client’s success drivers, then fuse that knowledge with our transdisciplinary, integrative design process and innovative thinking to unlock the full potential of every project.
Our focus remains steadfast on delivering measurable results that elevate the performance of our clients through design.
Our design approach begins with listening intently to our client. We probe deeply to understand their success drivers and project parameters, and to reveal potential opportunities for elevating their performance in ways they might not expect from a design firm.
Armed with knowledge and insights, we craft design ideas that holistically integrate our diverse disciplines. This transdisciplinary approach ensures that the design solution we implement capitalizes on the full force of our expertise, creativity and innovation.
Underscoring our approach is a mindfulness of the health of our planet; on seeking opportunities to create regenerative, high performance, high value design solutions for our clients.
Our end game is to deliver a design solution that optimizes human and building performance, that enriches the organizations and people we serve, and that delivers quantifiable results. Results beyond architecture that measurably elevate the performance of our client.
CIVIC JUSTICE SCHOOLS
HIGHER EDUCATION
ACUTE CARE
SPECIALTY CENTERS
MEDICAL OFFICE BUILDINGS & CLINICS
OFFICE
INTERIORS
MIXED-USE
CRITICAL FACILITIES
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
FOOD SERVICE
STORE DESIGN
MULTI-USE & ADAPTIVE REUSE
Our wide-range of project expertise allows us the ability to design spaces that empower individuals and communities to thrive. We combine a thorough understanding of our clients goals with smart, thoughtful solutions that measurably elevate the performance of the people and organizations we serve.
ARCHITECTURE
INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE
BRAND EXPERIENCE
Our diverse array of services and proven expertise across a broad cross section of markets enable us to tackle the myriad challenges our clients may be facing and to uncover hidden opportunities for their success. This transdisciplinary collaboration, underscored by our focus on the health of our planet, results in smarter design solutions that elevate their triple bottom line, balancing their social and environmental impact with their financial performance.
ENGINEERING
Design
Construction Administration
Project Execution & Program Management
Quality Assurance
Interior Design
Programming
Space Planning
Occupancy Strategy
Change Management
Branding & Marketing
Branded Environments
Signage & Wayfinding
Structural Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Lighting Design
Low Voltage Engineering
Master Planning
PLANNING
Feasibility / Yield Studies
Development Strategy
Landscape Architecture
Civil Engineering
Land & Master Planning
SITE DESIGN
SMART BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES
Urban Design
Site Development / Entitlements Consulting
IWMS Implementation & Support
IoT Sensor Deployment & Integration
Workplace / Tenant Experience Apps
Building Analytics & Operational Insights
Sustainability Consulting
Certification Management
Building Performance Optimization
Energy Modeling
SUSTAINABILITY
VISUAL IMPACT
Daylight Modeling
Embodied Carbon Analysis
Life Cycle Analysis & Life Cycle Cost Analysis
Corporate & Building Feasibility Studies
Cinematic Storytelling
Immersive Experiences
Virtual Placemaking
WE WORK EVERY DAY TOWARD A GOAL OF DESIGNING PROJECTS THAT NOT ONLY DO LESS HARM, BUT ULTIMATELY DO GOOD –REGENERATIVE DESIGN THAT ACHIEVES A SUCCESSFUL BALANCE BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL, ECONOMIC AND HUMAN FACTORS.
ON EVERY PROJECT, WE FOCUS ON THE FOLLOWING AREAS OF MEASUREMENT:
We design environments that elevate the health and wellness of people who use them.
Design to promote occupant hydration and movement.
Increase occupant wellbeing by optimizing thermal, visual, and sound comfort.
Reduce toxicity of buildings by limiting use of Red List chemicals.
We use a smart, responsible design approach to reduce the energy demand of our projects and practice
Determine predicted energy use intensity (pEUI) to meet 2030 Challenge goals and design for Net-Zero Ready Study the climate and operational requirements to determine energy reduction strategies.
Explore building optimizations and energy reduction strategies through energy modeling
We design for the preservation and conservation of water
Reduce potable water use by a minimum of 35%
Perform water quality testing
Take a regenerative approach to optimize site design
We address universal design and social inequities through empathetic and intentional planning
Perform a community assessment
Design for public inclusion by providing amenities, use of outdoor space, and purpose after business hours
Design to “Be a Good Neighbor” in regard to air, access, light, waste, and water
Good design engages all of your senses, deeply connects your project to its community and drives the triple bottom line of social, economic and environmental vitality.
is intended
01 06 02 07 03 08
Good design reduces your energy use and gives you alternatives to fossil fuels while simultaneously improving the performance, function and comfort of your project.
Good design gives your project greater reach and impact; it enables you to be inclusive, to promote human connections, and to support health and resilience for the community.
Good design supports the health and well-being of the people whose lives are influenced by your project.
Good design helps people, provides elevates the ecological your project.
Good design depends to make your project healthy and sustainable.
intended to be accessible and relevant for every client and every project regardless of size, typology, or aspiration.
ECOSYSTEMS
helps you create healthier places for provides habitat, improves resilience and ecological health of the ecosystem of
RESOURCES
depends on smart material selection project economical, durable, safe, sustainable.
Good design conserves water, improves water quality and protects you from disruptions to your water supply during emergencies.
04 09 05 10
Good design takes the future into account, enhancing the adaptability, functionality and value of your project over time.
Good design adds value to your project by balancing first costs with long term value and by creating cost-neutral ways to elevate the performance of your project.
Good design includes a virtuous cycle of learning from past projects and using that data to elevate the performance of your next project.
We believe our accomplishments are more about what you’ve accomplished. Remarkable design makes a difference on human and organizational performance – and business results. Whether it’s stimulating sales, increasing productivity or helping you save the planet, our designs have measurable impact.
LITTLE'S CONTINUED ATTEMPTS TO EXCEED EXPECTATIONS HAVE RESULTED IN OUR PROJECT ACHIEVING NET POSITIVE RESULTS WHEREBY THE SCHOOL WILL PRODUCE MORE ENERGY THAN IT GENERATES ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
FIRST NET-ZERO ENERGY HIGH SCHOOL IN FLORIDA
AIA Northern Virginia Citation Award
Learning By Design Citation of Excellence Award
American School & University Outstanding Design
AIA Orlando Sustainability Award
American Society of Civil Engineers East Central Florida Branch Project of the Year
USGBC Climate Champion Award
1. Immersive Learning Environment
2. High-Performance Building Facility
3. Flexible & Adaptable
ENERGY THAN A TYPICAL SCHOOL
NeoCity Academy is a NetZero Energy, STEM-focused public high school. The building utilizes a highperformance tilt-wall envelope and MEP system that support the immersive learning environments housed within. The project was designed within the state mandated budget and realized a 40% energy efficiency over a typical school. With the added solar panels, the school has experienced over $112,000 per year in energy savings and a reduction in maintenance and operations cost.
4. Efficient & Effective $112k ENERGY COST SAVINGS PER YEAR ENERGY USE INTENSITY (EUI) COMPARISON EUI (Energy Use Intensity) measures building
Read more at www.littleonline.com/insights/ a-net-zero-energy-realitylessons-learned-from-adecade-of-high-performancezero-energy-building-design/
1. Establish a lifestyle oriented, Class A office building
2. Create a place of connectivity
3. Activate with ground-level retail and amenities
Located in downtown Raleigh, this industrial influenced office building is an integral component of the vibrant Smoky Hollow mixeduse development.
Smoky Hollow is a work-liveplay multiuse development sandwiched between two vibrant neighborhoods, bringing a distinctive, urban experience. The nine-story office building features refined industrial influenced design mixed with lifestyle-oriented workplaces such as large conference space, collaborative work areas, outdoor terraces and a bicycle center. The pedestrian experience is activated through an engaging promenade with inviting outdoor gathering areas.
TOGETHER, WE ARE HELPING TO ENHANCE THE DOWNTOWN LIFESTYLE FOR WORKERS, RESIDENTS AND VISITORS AND WE THINK THIS WILL BE A TRULY SPECIAL PLACE TO EXPERIENCE.
THE BEFORE AND AFTER IS NOTHING SHORT OF AMAZING. THE SPACE HAS A GREAT VIBE AND WILL BE A BLESSING FOR OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU FOR A JOB WELL DONE AND FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF OUR MISSION. THE HEARTEST YARD PEDIATRIC CARDIAC CENTER
DENTON WILSON VICE PRESIDENT PLANNING, DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
GOALS
1. Operate multispecialty care delivery in a repeatable clinic model
2. Improve patient/ caregiver experience
3. Consider growth opportunities for future expanded services
SOLUTION
A new standard for multi-disciplinary outpatient care.
Focused on improving the patient/caregiver experience, increasing staff efficiency, and enhancing multi-disciplinary sub-specialty care, our team developed an internal on-stage/ off-stage concept with an emphasis on positive distraction, wayfinding, and natural light. Each floor has a featured theme expressed through design, environmental graphics, and interactive experiences. Now, patients and their families can receive integrated, multispecialty care in a single, uplifting location.
Developed in collaboration with administrative and clinical teams, the aesthetic vision was to create an environment that improves patient, family, and staff experience through the holistic integration of design elements.
RESULTS
90%
FAMILY / PATIENT SATISFACTION WITH: WAITING AREA COMFORT
OVERALL COMFORT OF SPACE
OVERALL DESIGN OF THE CENTER AMOUNT OF DAYLIGHT IN THE SPACE
89%
CLINICIANS AGREE THAT: IT’S EASY TO NAVIGATE THE CLINIC
INTEGRATED MULTI-SPECIALTY CARE
MILLIONS OF PET PARENTS ARE EXPLORING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES AND TAKING THEIR PETS WITH THEM WHEREVER THEY GO. THIS FIRST-OF-ITSKIND BOUTIQUE FUELS THAT EXPLORATION BY GIVING NEW YORK CITY PET PARENTS A HUB TO BOND, RECHARGE AND FIND THE LATEST MUST-HAVE GEAR TO STYLE THEIR BEST LIVES TOGETHER.
KONAT
Design Works Award
1. Create a unique retail destination for fashionforward pets and their owners
2. Incorporate pet-centric, interactive experiences
3. A sustainable, speed to market approach
A new urban basecamp for dogs and their owners.
Serving New York City's 700,000 dogs, this is the first storefront concept and flagship for Reddy, Petco's lifestyle and fashion brand for dogs. The urban boutique located in Manhattan’s SoHo district incorporates an industrial design complemented by Reddy's signature bold color palette, patterns and textures. The store offers curated, petcentric shopping experience by integrating physical and digital interaction. Dogs and their owners enjoy a lounge area, adventure concierge, fitting station for selfies, customization services, “Bark Board” for community updates, a pet polaroid wall, complimentary pet treats and whipped cream cups, water stations and a food pantry. With sustainability top of mind, the store was created with materials such as reclaimed wood and salvaged brick.
ALL FROM THE
WE ALWAYS DREAM OF THE WAYS IN WHICH OUR PROJECTS CAN POSITIVELY IMPACT PEOPLE'S LIVES. IT'S INSPIRING WHEN THE STORY GOES BEYOND THOSE WILDEST DREAMS.
1. Reposition and modernize the East Orlando Campus
2. Unify two existing buildings into a holistic campus worthy of the Fairwinds brand
Despite a premier location, the two existing buildings on the Fairwinds East Orlando campus were approaching obsolescence and were becoming maintenance and fiscal liabilities.
Being mindful of the Credit Union's brand, the design team created a holistic campus by connecting the two buildings with a continuous, light-filled glass atrium that provides a single point of entry for all employees and visitors. A simple, folded plane simultaneously shades the building from the intense Florida sun, unites the two existing masses, and creates a unique entry procession through a series of lush garden spaces. The resulting campus is a story of transformation focused on human wellness, collaboration and a welcoming community presence.
CONSISTENTLY
THE BUILDING IS THE FACE OF THE COMPANY AND IT SAYS WE ARE HERE TO STAY – WE ARE SUCCESSFUL, WE ARE FRESH, WE ARE PROUD.
AIA Florida/ Caribbean Merit Award of Excellence for Renovations and Additions
AIA Orlando Award of Merit
2. Bring new meaning to Japanese culture by empowering customers with knowledge GOALS
1. Connect the community through a shared passion for food & culture
authentic, community-centered
This hybrid grocery store and eatery is designed as a cross-generational, cultural catalyst to bring Japan to the local shoppers of California while creating a new kind of retail experience through the sharing of recipes, culture and language. Inspiration derived from the traditional, vibrant outdoor markets of Japan is found throughout the space including the café/ dining area that features Horigotatsu seating, a traditional Japanese seating style. Customers are guided throughout the space with signage made of a transparent and textured traditional Washi fabric that incorporates bilingual text to signify the fusion of cultures. The result is a design that provides a more meaningful exchange between grocer and neighbor, while helping create a unique community experience.
THE STORE IS SPLIT INTO EASY TO NAVIGATE AREAS, RATHER THAN ROWS OF AISLES, CREATING A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE AND FLOW AS YOU BROWSE THE STORE.
I LOVE IT HERE. I'VE NEVER BEEN TO JAPAN, HOWEVER I CAN IMAGINE HOW THIS PLACE IS LIKE JAPAN. I LOVE HOW YOU FEEL SO IMMERSED IN THIS MARKET.
WE ARE AN URBAN YMCA AND YET WE HAVE THIS INCREDIBLE SETTING. I TRULY BELIEVE THIS IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL YMCA IN THE UNITED STATES.
ANDY WARLICK CO-FOUNDER
IIDA Carolinas Chapter DesignWorks Award Business North Carolina Building NC Award Runner-Up
1. A place of wellness that unites the community
2. Actively responsive to the adjacent Robinwood Lake
Inspired by the beauty of the pastoral landscape, the concept for the Warlick Family YMCA was driven by two primary objectives: creating a focal point of a hearth that brings the community together to facilitate deeper connections, and also intertwining every touchpoint throughout the facility with the serenity and calm of the adjacent Robinwood Lake. The power of this project’s design lies in the simple and purposeful organization of its complex programmatic components; transforming them from an interior-focused exercise facility to an outdoor-focused ‘home’ that emphasizes wellness, transparency, and warmth and perhaps more importantly, provides the opportunity for community members to linger, learn and journey together in their pursuit of well-being.
BRINGING TOGETHER LOWER INCOME AND AFFLUENT NEIGHBORHOODS Hear more at www.littleonline.com/ explore/if-warlick-familyymca-could-talk
ELEVATING THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND PRODUCTIVITY OF VETERANS
1. Provide world class healthcare to the veterans in the region
2. Provide a facility design inspired by the historical architecture of Fredericksburg, VA
3. Elevate the quality of life for Veterans, their families and staff
One of the largest privately-owned VA medical centers in the country.
Located near Interstate 95 on a carefully crafted 48acre site, the new state-ofthe-art facility focuses on elevating the quality of life and productivity of veterans while also protecting the health, safety and welfare of veterans, visitors and staff. Surrounded by a healing garden and veterans memorial, the building is inspired by the old town of Fredericksburg, VA, acting as a neighborhood and creating a sense of comfort, familiarity and welcomeness.
FOR COMPREHENSIVE HEALTHCARE
SITE DESIGN THAT INCORPORATES 2.5+ ACRES OF OUTDOOR RESPITE AND HEALING
FOR PATIENTS, VISITORS AND STAFF
OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH LITTLE FOCUSES ON DELIVERING A BEST IN CLASS HEALTHCARE FACILITY THAT GIVES VETERANS ACCESS TO A WIDE RANGE OF SERVICES.
RUSTOM R. KHOURI III DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, CARNEGIE MANAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
IN ADDITION TO THE BEAUTIFUL WORKSPACE, WE WERE ABLE TO ADD SITE AMENITIES LIKE ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS AND AN AMAZING NEW PATIO, PLUS THE IMPRESSIVE NEW CHILLER PLANT ON THE ROOF!
GIEMZA INTERIORS PROJECT MANAGER LITTLE
1. Accommodate substantial growth and attract talent.
2. Implement the company culture and work style.
3. Support technical focused work balanced with a variety of collaboration styles.
4. Project a high-tech, yet hospitable, image.
FOCUSED ON EMPLOYEE COMFORT AND HIGHLIGHTING THE PEOPLE
With its fast growth in the Triangle, this technology giant required a multiphased, whole building renovation to accommodate its expanding team.
Including five renovated floors, this workspace welcomes the client's new emerging technology team. Needing to appeal to current and prospective employees, the design implements extensive corporate workplace standards with a regional, hospitality feel that fits the local community and the client's work.
The standards include proven team-based work areas that provide an open and flexible desking solution. The design team paired these areas with private focus and functional meeting spaces that achieve balance in a modern collaborative environment proven to work well for a technology workplace. Employees also enjoy public amenity spaces - both indoors and outdoors - that bring them together in comfortable and engaging social "hubs."
TO MICROSOFT‘S GOALS FOR THEIR BUILT ENVIRONMENTS
THROUGH REUSE OF SPACE
CoreNet Carolinas CORE Award
1. Reduce overall cost of implementation
2. Reallocate savings to improving experience alignment with brand goals
Ensuring the guest experience is environmentally friendly and as holistic as possible.
In re-positioning the Element brand for Marriott International, our design team provided solutions that elevate the guest experience and better align Element’s brand promise with guest expectations. Emphasis was placed on the entry and check-in sequence, public lounges complemented with a new bar and mobile selfserving drink station. Additional focus was placed on creating an "industry-first" room typethe studio commons combines four independent rooms that share a living room, kitchen, work area, and a large dining table – perfect for traveling groups that want to stay in and stay together.
See how Bon
www.youtube.com/user/Element
INCREASE IN GUEST SATISFACTION AND INTENT TO RETURN
ELEMENT HOTELS IS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO CONTINUE TO INNOVATE IN THE LONGER-STAY SPACE, SO THIS NEW DESIGN CONCEPT IS AN EXCITING NEXT STEP FOR THE BRAND. OVERALL COST IMPLEMENTATION REDUCED BY 20%
more at https://micro.littleonline.com/ Element_Hotel/index.html
THE STUDENT UNION ENHANCES THE EDUCATIONAL LIVES OF STUDENTS BY BLENDING THE ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE WITH SOCIAL OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE CAMPBELL GRADUATES WELLROUNDED, CONFIDENT, AND CAPABLE LEADERS OF SOCIETY.
AIA Charlotte Merit Award American School & University Showcase, Outstanding Design
1. Bring students together to study, meet, eat and get involved
2. Encourage the development of healthy lifestyles
3. Be the heart of the campus
The
new Oscar
N. Harris Student Union is the heart of student life at Campbell University.
With nearly 5,000 students on campus, Campbell needed a larger facility that would provide adequate space for informal gatherings, meetings, food service, fitness, spirit gear, and student services. Located on the historic academic circle, the student union promotes community through an open floor plan that brings students, faculty and the larger community together to study, eat, be in fellowship and get involved in activities on campus, as well as, community engagements. The student union is also home to the first and only movie theater in Harnett County, saving students a 20-25 mile drive to the next nearest theater.
OPTIMIZING THE PATIENT/FAMILY EXPERIENCE
1. Connect the child with his/her family
2. Accommodate a leadlined room, appropriate materials, flexibility and constant patient monitoring
In creating Charlotte’s first MIBG therapy suite, Atrium Health sought to develop an environment that promotes a more holistic approach to healing.
For children with neuroblastoma, MIBG therapy treatment can be life saving. As one of a few in the country, this space accommodates things like a lead-lined room, appropriate materials, flexibility and constant patient monitoring. It also incorporates a unique solution, alleviating the prolonged isolation MIGB patients experience due to the radioactive nature of treatment, by converting two existing rooms into a unique therapy suite design; one that features a treatment room for the patient and a protected adjoining room for parents, caregivers and staff, with a lead-lined window between.
THIS VIDEO WAS SHARED AND I THOUGHT IT WOULD MEAN A LOT TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM. IT IS REALLY BEAUTIFULLY DONE AND LITTLE HAS HAD SUCH A BIG PART IN THAT WITH THE AMAZING MIBG ROOM AND SO MANY OTHER THINGS. I HOPE IT CAN GIVE YOUR TEAM A LOOK AT WHY THE THINGS THEY DO MATTER.
Read more at https://www.littleonline. com/insights/charlottesfirst-mibg-therapy-suite/ ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S FEW MIBG THERAPY SUITES
1. Thoughtfully and successfully integrate office, retail, public space, hotel and parking deck
2. To create a community destination with a unique pedestrian experience
3. A workplace that would attract and retain the best talent
A 26-story mixed-use office tower located at the gateway to Uptown, Ally Charlotte Center uses community, stewardship and inspiration as the core design drivers. In partnership with Crescent Communities, the tower is designed to be the workplace of the future, with agile spaces, efficient floor plans, enhanced connectivity, and a strong focus on human and environmental health. The office tower uses a structural exoskelton grid to allow for column-free workspaces and is grounded by a public plaza, contemporary retail, and restaurants. The tower is WiredScore Certified Platinum, LEED Silver Certified and WELL Certified to the Gold level.
SOLD WITHIN 4 MONTHS OF COMPLETION
Charlotte Business Journal Heavy Hitters, Top MixedUse Development USGBC Carolinas Green Gala People's Choice and Innovation Awards
ORANGE COAST COLLEGE KINESIOLOGY & ATHLETICS COMPLEX
WE DEVELOPED SUCH A GOOD RAPPORT WITH LITTLE, THAT IT FELT VERY SEAMLESS. LITTLE'S ABILITY TO COLLABORATE WITH US WAS SUCH A KEY TO OUR SUCCESS AND WHY WE WERE ABLE TO COME OUT WITH A WONDERFUL BUILDING AND FACILITY.
JASON KEHLER
ATHLETICS DIRECTOR
ORANGE COAST COLLEGE
1. Serve as an “iconic face” to the campus athletics facilities
2. Be an inclusive, diverse, and welcoming place for the entire community
3. A state-of-the-art facility that advances an existing, strong program
Conceptualized with the simple idea of “movement," this facility puts OCC at the forefront of California Community Colleges.
Serving all students, the athletic community and future Olympians alike, this facility supports OCC's desire to advance the health and human condition of our globally diverse society. Integrating the expression of movement throughout the design, the team crafted a facility with ambitious programming within tight site and budget constraints. The complex houses multiple pools including an adaptive pool for students with disabilities, training facilities, instructional spaces, and conference space.
THE DYNAMIC OF THE WHOLE PROGRAM CHANGED ALONGSIDE THE POOL; EVERYONE IS MORE ENGAGED, WANT TO COME PRACTICE, AND THEY WANT TO SWIM THEIR BEST DUE TO THE BEAUTY OF THE NEW FACILITY.
See more here: https://vimeo. com/578154723/679aa2626a
1. Grow membership, focused on younger customers and families
2. Diversify services with existing members
3. Improve visibility and brand awareness
4. Integrate technology to improve customer service
5. Design and implement a unified service experience that differentiates Wescom
Breaking with convention, this branch provides an educational, entertaining and immersive specialty banking experience.
Dedicated to help its members build better lives, the new Wescom Credit Union prototype focuses on providing more meaningful interactions with its customers. With digital displays and new teller stations designed without dividers, the focus is on a more forward-thinking member experience. LEED certified, the floor-to-ceiling glass incorporates an extension of the architecture with the landscaped footprint. The community banking truck was a key focus of the new ground-up construction of this flagship location – the truck and the events surrounding the branch will remain a key driver for local foot traffic and for building brand awareness of Wescom in the community.
WE’RE COMMITTED TO SERVING ANAHEIM BY OFFERING A
DIFFERENT BANKING EXPERIENCE -- ONE THAT MAKES OUR MEMBERS’ LIVES EASIER WITH CONVENIENT BANKING SOLUTIONS INCLUDING MOBILE BANKING APPS AND FINANCIAL EDUCATION TOOLS -- AS WELL AS BY BRINGING OUR SIGNATURE WESCOM KINDNESS EFFORTS TO THE ANAHEIM COMMUNITY.
Read more at https://www.littleonline.com/ insights/building-better-lives/
See how our Digital Visualization team brought this project to life before it was complete: https://vimeo. com/167464526/77ffcb61a5
Project video after completion: vimeo.com/327019557
EVERY DAY AS I DRIVE UP TO THE BUILDING, I THANK MY LUCKY STARS THAT THE LITTLE TEAM CREATED A PHYSICAL PRESENCE THAT SO REPRESENTS WHAT I WANTED TO ACHIEVE AT LCI.
DR. DEREK RAGHAVAN
1. Achieve a world class facility to house a Top 10 cancer care program
2. Provide contiguous growth for the Institute
3. Consolidate staff
4. Enhance patient experience
5. Provide convenient access to patient arrival & parking
6. Design for flexibility
First multi-site cancer center in the world to be certified by the Planetree Organization
The design of this expansion to the Levine Cancer Institute focuses on providing a comforting experience for patients, families and caregivers as they journey toward healing. Patient experience workshops, facilitated in collaboration with the Patient/Family Advisory Council, informed the design’s core guiding principles of celebrating interaction, supporting the journey, providing holistic care, and honoring mind/body/ spirit. These principles are embodied in the numerous experience elements found throughout, namely the interfaith chapel, centralized lab/registration area, improved dining facilities, infusion bays with vegetative roof garden views, and extensive natural light.
THIS PROJECT ORIGIN BEGAN AS AN INTERIOR RENOVATION. WHEN THE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE TEAM GOT INVOLVED, IT SUDDENLY BECAME A LANDSCAPE PROJECT. THE WAY THE TEAM BLENDED METAPHOR, SYMBOLISM AND FUNCTIONAL EXECUTION BROUGHT THIS ENTIRE PROJECT TOGETHER. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY A LANDMARK PROJECT FOR THE AREA AND CHAPEL HILL.
1. Reposition an aging property to Class A office space
2. Transform the building's site
3. Enhance the simplicity and scale of the rhombus structure while creating an amenity-rich workplace
Utilizing our transdisciplinary design team, Little reimagined this iconic but aging 1973 building. Respecting the simplicity of the original design, our team made significant, strategic design interventions to reposition this property to command Class A office leasing rates. The landscape included renovating a large concrete plaza into a 90,000 sf green roof that stitches together the park like campus. In addition, a large oak bosque with outdoor work areas, a new entry lobby and a brand refresh serve as the backdrop for attracting future tenants.
BY REMOVING LARGE AREAS OF CONCRETE AND REPLACING WITH CANOPY TREES AND
The relocation of employees from one workplace to another presents an ideal opportunity to assess, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the subsequent changes in behavior, morale, workstyles and processes. These impacts can be proactively shaped through purposeful design strategies and thoughtful engagement with employees throughout the relocation process.
When Little moved its largest office of 200 people to a different location within the same city, the leadership team established WELL certification as a primary goal for the new space. The project team was also asked to develop and implement a robust change communications plan to keep employees informed and excited about the workplace being created for them.
By taking a human centered approach when solving for a complexity of issues that people face in the workplace, designers and the project team moved past checklists and implementation to the analysis of how design decisions can evolve and influence personal changes over time.
As part of their own office pre- and post-occupancy studies, Little not only validated its WELL strategies but also gained a deeper understanding of their impact, and that of the project team’s thoughtful change management approach, on Little employees, its physical environment and how they will work in the future.
WELL-related post-occupancy metrics showed improvement in all key wellness categories. This progress not only enhances the overall environment, it also quantifies the positive impact on employee health and helps inform future decisions regarding wellness and change management strategies.
As a result of implementing a thoughtful WELL Silver certified workplace, Little employees are more active, and more attuned to hydration and nutrition choices, resulting in greater energy levels and a better connection to their own personal wellness goals.
25% 70%
INCREASE in personal water consumption
INCREASE in movement during the day
17% REDUCTION in eye strain
40% IMPROVEMENT in food & nutritional habits
55% SATISFACTION with thermal comfort
When people are engaged at work, they are happier, more productive and more effective. While not an earth-shattering revelation, this fundamental premise is often overlooked during a transformational period for employees. Just as important as the benefits to a WELL certified workspace, is empowering people and acknowledging possible personal disconnects. For that to be realized, wellbeing requires people to make their own decisions that are in the best interest of their mental, emotional and physical wellbeing, and to acknowledge the complexity and intricacies between these three areas. This acknowledgment requires adoption of new behaviors and even beliefs, which is a critical component of the wellbeing equation – specific to the WELL certification.
53%
ENGAGEMENT with surrounding community
Despite a robust change management program, the compressed move schedule required employees to acclimate and absorb various levels of information upon relocating to their new home. Although a typical approach within the industry, a broader, phased strategy that allows for expanded training, revisiting and reinforcing protocols after the initial relocation phase makes for a more successful adoption. Most importantly, this allows organizations to help employees absorb the “why” behind many of the WELL concepts within the workplace while adjusting to their own personal changes. To execute this approach, think about change management strategy & planning in three phases:
61% BELIEVE workspace accurately reflects organization’s values and brand 35% HAVE an ease of understanding mission & values through environment 24% AGREE that allocation of space and amenities is fair and equitable
12% INCREASE in feeling that everyone is focused on the same goals and objectives
Employees STRONGLY AGREE that performing well contributes to personal satisfaction.
Week 1 Occupancy 1st week of relocation
39%
Preparation & Management at least 12 months pre-occupancy INCREASE in attention to personal wellness
Reinforcement 12-18 months post-occupancy
39% IMPROVEMENT in daylight & views
Influences from the 2020-2022 global pandemic continue to reveal themselves and the definition of wellbeing continues to develop. While personal wellbeing and overall health & safety will remain a priority and be expected by our employees, Little will continue to adjust and reset its focus in order to accommodate:
Employee Mental & Emotional Wellbeing
Workplace Policy & Guidelines
Planning & Design Guidelines
Facilities & Operational Management & Roles
Technology Innovations
Having an eye on the horizon is important –not only for our own organization but for the organizations of our clients. With change as our only constant, we are adaptable and committed to uncovering ways we can continue to elevate the performance of those we work with in a way that matters to them.
IT HAS BECOME INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO ME TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE ENVIRONMENTS I’M CREATING HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE PEOPLE THAT THEY ARE BEING CREATED FOR.
CAROLYN
RICKARD-BRIDEAU AIA, LEED BD+C, WELL AP PARTNER + CORPORATE PRESIDENT
At Little, we're committed to an integrative and regenerative project approach to help elevate the performance of our clients. The integrative process is an ongoing transdiciplinary collaboration that begins early in design and involves all project stakeholders, community members, designers, engineers, contractors and product suppliers. The integrative approach ensures a shared understanding of project goals through collaborative workshops held at each key phase of the project with a focus on continuous value optimization.
See more at vimeo.com/645377245/533e7ce683
vimeo.com/585954604
EDDIE PORTIS AIA, CDT, LEED PARTNER + WORKPLACE STUDIO PRINCIPAL
Eddie.Portis@littleonline.com
In a world grappling with climate change, adaptive reuse— repurposing existing buildings rather than constructing new ones—has become a key strategy for reducing our environmental impact. According to the World Green Building Council, construction contributes 11% of global carbon emissions. What if we could reduce that to 10% or 9% by simply taking advantage of our existing building stock?
A prime example of successful adaptive reuse is Truliant Federal Credit Union’s conversion of a former Macy’s department store into their new Operations Center. After an economic analysis, Truliant found that transforming the old building would save them over $10 million compared to building a new facility. This project not only cut costs but also lessened the environmental burden, as fewer materials were needed for the core structure. Truliant further enhanced sustainability by installing solar panels and beehives on the roof, illustrating how adaptive reuse can improve both the environment and financial health.
In downtown Rock Hill, SC, another adaptive reuse project is turning an old warehouse into a vibrant mixed-use space called The Thread. This development incorporates retail, office, and residential spaces while preserving the character of the original structure. Little’s use of the Cove Tool app demonstrated that reusing the warehouse would reduce embodied and operational carbon emissions by over 20,000 metric tons over 50 years compared to new construction. This shows the significant environmental advantages of reimagining old buildings.
Beyond the environmental and financial benefits, adaptive reuse offers valuable lessons for the future. As office spaces become vacant and housing demand rises, converting office buildings into residential units is seen as a solution to the housing crisis. However, these conversions come with challenges, such as mismatched building typologies and inefficient mechanical systems. Learning from these difficulties can guide future design, encouraging flexibility and scalability to meet evolving needs.
Ultimately, adaptive reuse is not just a response to current challenges but a long-term solution that envisions a future where construction emissions could be drastically reduced. By embracing the interconnected nature of our cities, we can create sustainable, flexible spaces that benefit both people and the planet.
Improve the health, productivity and connection to the community of its inhabitants
A multi-dimensional, occupiable space for people and the environment, technology and humanity, inside and outside.
Through the frame of Air, Water and Well, the design rethinks the concept of façade and expands the definition into a device that has a measurable, beneficial impact on the building occupants. By this means, the curtain wall becomes the foundation for every element of the building.
The 30-story, module-based, unitized tower embodies WELL building design with the intent to improve the health and productivity of its inhabitants and connection to the community. Pulling the building up off the ground, community gardens and a three-story winding boardwalk ramp engage the community at the ground plane while concepts like active design, biophilia, measures that promote circadian rhythm and the creation of community have been designed into the building itself.
By Scott Brideau
Regenerative Development is the next level of sustainability. It changes the focus from the project as a singular thing to recognizing its role as part of a larger system, and allows us to focus on balancing and harmonizing the factors that contribute to the long-term viability of that project. It seeks to better connect it to place and the integrated systems necessary to support and help it evolve over time.
Depending on your point of view, the sustainability movement has either made great strides in becoming a baseline consideration for the way we develop space or isn’t doing nearly enough to minimize and reverse the negative impacts of how we create our built environment. Either way, most people will at least acknowledge that we can be doing much more to reduce our impact on the natural systems of which we are an integral part. This forces us to recognize that we’ve spent the last few hundred years collectively not paying much attention to the consequences of our methods. But, we are becoming more aware of the negative impact those methods have on the health and well-being of both our environment and the people who live, work and play in our developments.
In the last quarter century, that awareness has grown to cause significant alarm in many sectors and a ho-hum reaction in others, pitting sometimes extreme viewpoints against one another. But where is the middle ground that will let us end the arguing and start working towards the common goal of survival? Perhaps we can start with updating the definition of Sustainability, which has become watered down and only equated with energy efficiency and earth-friendly material choices, and ask “What, exactly, are we trying to sustain?”.
The answer should be “Life.” When we zoom out to that level, the playing field of considerations changes drastic. It brings into focus the need to see and understand larger systems – living systems that are interconnected and are becoming unbalanced by our actions. When seen through this lens, Sustainability takes on a much deeper meaning.
This definition begs plenty of follow-up questions. Yes, energy efficiency and environment friendly materials matter. So, too, does wellness, resiliency, emerging technologies for smart buildings and cities, and most of the related niches that people diligently focus on improving. But until we consider that larger picture and the intrinsic relationships that nature has established, our design choices will fall short of delivering projects that can integrate with their Place and contribute positively to the system they exist in.
“WHERE IS THE MIDDLE GROUND THAT WILL LET US END THE ARGUING AND START WORKING TOWARD THE COMMON GOAL OF SURVIVAL?”
So how do we accomplish this? First, by starting any project with consideration of the Place it will live, and to what system(s) it is connected. If we view a project as a convenient leverage point to affect a system, we can begin to recognize the ways it might have positive (or negative) impact, which can help guide our design choices. More specific, we can focus on the inherent potential of the project and the role of the people related to the project, and set goals that have a deeper purpose. From here, it’s easier to create a roadmap for how the project team needs to collaborate around that purpose, maximizing each team member’s contribution.
Five areas of capital can be considered and affected through the project: Human, Financial, Natural, Social and Produced. While the equation is never the same for each, healthy systems always find a dynamic balance between these factors in order to sustain life within that system. When this is accomplished through a project being not just inserted in, but deeply connected to its place, the result is a regenerative contribution to the system that is truly sustainable.
Note of Interest: Little employee Garrett Herbst is currently a member of this research and design team led by Kyoung Hee Kim, AIA, UNC Charlotte associate professor of architecture and Integrated Design Research Lab Director. We love it when our employees are able to participate in such forward-thinking research which permeates into our culture and adds to our sustainable mindset.
This microalgae facade system improves occupant wellness through improved indoor air quality while producing a renewable energy source. The development is being led by the Integrated Design Research Lab (IDRL) at the University of North Carolina Charlotte and is unique from exisitng microalgae facade systems because of its open pattern that allows views out and daylight into the interior. The microalgae grows with sunlight; in turn, producing oxygen pumped into the HVAC system. Fresh microalgae are pumped into the top of the system, while the carbon-loaded algae sink and exit through a pipe at the base. The harvested algae are transferred to a dewatering facility and then converted into biofuel.
DRIVING SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH MOVEMENT
1. Focus on sustainability, placemaking, stewardship, and partnerships
2. Themes to surround Land Use, Open Space, Mobility, Water, Energy, and Campus Identity
What if a building could capture energy with every step, and turn it into electricity that would power the facility?
This project is about movement. Each of the decisions made in developing this building was thought of in terms of how movement in and through the building coincided with the university’s primary program held in the building, kinesiology and wellness center. From the very most universal movement – that of the sun’s path – to the most personal movement – that of foot traffic on the walking surfaces – everything in this building reinforces the idea of movement and the subsequent energy that can be produced from it.
524,596 GALLONS OF WATER COLLECTED
324,000 KWH OF ENERGY COLLECTED PER YEAR
What does the future of your industry hold?
Our Community Practice encompasses several project types - K-12 schools, higher education and civic facilities.
Many schools were built in the 1960’s and 70’s and may have reached their lifespan, so major renovations, additions or replacements will be needed over the next 5-10 years. And while numerous factors have and will continue to shape the design of schools, some of the more important ones are:
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Security
• Educational Programs
• Sustainability
• Equity
In higher education, public and private education is costly, especially to those with greatest need. Non top-tier private colleges are competing to maintain enrollment while public universities are seeking partnerships as public funding continues to decline. Both have outdated buildings that likely will need to undergo renovation.
Flexibility and adaptability continue to be important, impacting the need for and use of numerous higher education facilities. For example,
• Libraries are being reconsidered
• Office space is being reassessed
• Student support spaces need expansion or centralization
Other significant trends impacting the future of higher education include:
• A likely decrease in student housing
• A fluid need for sports and recreation and other student lifeoriented facilities
• Continued growth in Science and Technology
• Increased interest in brand and identity
From a civic perspective, funding at the state, county and municipal levels has been scarce but the demand for civic facilities will grow, especially in urban centers. Many key influencers are being re-evaluated, prompting the need to remain nimble as the types of facilities needed is determined.
• Arts facilities have been devastated by the pandemic, but pent up demand may lead to more funding
• Museums and other cultural facilities are increasing in high growth areas
• A rise in parks, community and recreation centers to help improve neighborhoods and quality of life is a definite possibility
• Policing is being re-examined, likely resulting in different kinds of facilities to serve the public
• Many cities and counties are seeking carbon neutrality by 2030
INTENSITY (EUI) COMPARISON
Generally speaking, interest in partnerships among public entities continues to increase, as does the desire for healthier and more sustainable buildings and the expectation of equity within design.
ROGER WILKERSON
EDAC PARTNER + HEALTHCARE PRACTICE LEADER
Roger.Wilkerson@littleonline.com
From your perspective, what’s the future of your industry?
The future of the healthcare industry is strong, dynamic and complex and will continue to demand forward thinking planning and design solutions. Individuals will continue to shop around for healthcare services because more of the increased cost is being transferred to them, heightening the importance of creating a positive customer experience as hospitals compete for market share. The patient has become a customer.
And despite the massive, multibillion-dollar size of the industry, when a loved one is affected it becomes intensely personal. This is another extremely important reason we focus on experience design. Our passion is about impacting lives – those of patients, loved ones, care givers and the community.
Several other factors will impact the future of our industry:
Higher acuity of patients – Hospitals are dealing with more complex cases than ever before and seeing patients survive that would not have just ten years ago. Patients have co-morbidity of chronic diseases which drive the need for multi-disciplinary care models.
Infectious diseases are changing the way we design and care for those affected by them.
Increased emphasis on outpatient services – The move to outpatient services continues to accelerate. Outpatient centers (clinics, urgent care, ambulatory surgery centers, free-standing emergency departments) offer convenience, more affordable care, and services that were only performed in a hospital setting just a few years ago. And with 1 in 31 hospital patients acquiring a healthcare associated infection on any given day, outpatient centers offer a safer alternative to the hospital.
Aging population – With age comes an increased need for healthcare. In the United States alone, the number of Americans over the age of 65 is expected to double from roughly 50 million today to nearly 100 million by 2060. This volume of need will have a huge impact on our healthcare system and how healthcare is delivered.
Aging facilities – Most of our hospitals were started with post World War II funding. While there have been massive additions, renovations and demolitions since then, old structures and systems constantly need upgrading and replacing while remaining operational.
Staffing shortages – The patient is not the hospital’s only customer. So is their staff, who is critical to their success. Recruitment, retention and the health of staff, nurses and physicians remains an important consideration.
Technology – Technology has been the fastest changing component of our healthcare system. From imaging to surgery to handheld personal devices, these advancements have given the customer more information and control of their own health. Most recently, COVID-19 accelerated the use of telemedicine.
RETHINKING RURAL PRENATAL CARE
1. Create a cycle of continually improving health for rural communities
2. Provide education, programs, care, and support for people to make and maintain changes to their health behaviors
SOLUTION
Create a strategy for better, rural prenatal care.
The United States has one of the worst rates of infant mortality among first world countries, twice the number of the best ranked country Finland. We also have one of the worst maternal death rates, seven times the rate in Finland. What’s worse, within our country, rural communities face 21% higher infant death rates and 62% higher maternal death rates than urban communities. The challenge we set forth with this rethink project is how can we, as designers, help combat infant and maternal mortality in rural America. Before designing a solution, we evaluated how successful countries, such as Finland and Japan, approach prenatal care by equipping, educating, and embracing these women regardless of socioeconomic levels. Also gleaning knowledge from local healthcare providers,
NEEDED FOR CHANGE
we found that identifying and treating the common pre-existing health conditions was critical as most rural pregnancies are high-risk due to those health conditions.
The key characteristic to our design was adaptability: we designed spaces to flex between larger groups and individual needs, between different daily programs, and even between different climates. Rural communities exist everywhere across America so our fabrication system keep users either warm or cool and is simple enough for a layman to construct with minimal instruction.
This hypothetical facility is a cycle of continually improving health for rural communities. A facility that provides the education, programs, care, and support for women to make and maintain changes to their health behaviors. With fewer preexisting conditions that cause high-risk pregnancies, rural communities can see better rates of infant and maternal survival year after year.
What if we could better understand what goes inside students’ heads, liter, while they undergo learning experiences and environments?
What if we could truly know when students achieve peak performance, when their engagement is at its highest, and when their interest is maximized? What were they doing? What happened in those moments?
By Tomas Jimenez-Eliaeson
What if we could ‘see’ what they are sensing and feeling? And what if we could use that information to design better and more sensible learning environments?
This provocation begins to address these questions. We do not have to wait anymore to find answers. Our focus is to find links between Neuroscience, Learning and Learning Environments. Only through understanding how each of us best learns, can we customize an educational experience to every single student. Our Educational systems are designed for the Average. Students are grouped together depending on their birthdate and given content to digest broken per disciplines, 1 hour at a time. Although there are attempts at differentiation, and some of them are fairly successful, we still have no idea if students are truly engaged, interested, and excited by what they are doing.
We understand that true engagement occurs when students lose the sense of time, when they interact with a project or an idea to reach the ‘Flow’ as Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls it in his book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Through interactions with administrators in various international independent schools reaching high levels of engagement is a key goal for schools. Quoting Fiona Reynolds, Deputy Head at the American School in Mumbai, “Engagement is the name of the game in education.” This provocation shares instances and moments when engagement hit high levels while students were observed.
This provocation is presented in two parts: first we introduce a brief summary of what we now know, from a strong body of research about neuroscience and learning as it relates to learning space; in part two, we will share what we have recently discovered through our primary research: The Brainware Research Project where we set off to learn what, how and when are students most engaged and interested at school.
Process of Memorization
THE SOMATOSENSORY CORTEX AREAS
Each individual sense (hearing, smelling, tactile, visual, movement) receives input which is then classified or identified by comparing it to previously stored data.
REFERENCES:
4.
Over the last 10 to 15 years, we have learned many lessons through neuroscientific research about the learning brain. These lessons have taught us the importance of Somatosensory learning experiences in making learning memorable. As Judy Willis states in her book Ignite Learning, when content is presented with multiple senses in mind, more of that learning experience is ‘archived’ in the various sensorial zones of the brain hence creating more dendrite pathways between the various zones and making the recollection of that ‘knowledge’ more engrained (4). This is the reason why hands-on experiences are always much better learning experiences than passive experiences (reading content or seeing a slide presentation about a topic). A great example is learning about a car by reading and seeing images, vs riding on one, seeing it, smelling it, feeling it, hearing the engine….): they create more memories associated with more areas of the brain where they are stored and hence connections created.
We have also learned that when the amygdala, the alarm structure in our brains that decodes emotions and processes memories, is shut down (due to stress, fear, nervousness, strain,… situations created by serious problems at home, or fear of bullying, or strain from lack of confidence about an exam) it is virtually impossible to process new content and memorize new learning. (S. Wirth 2003). Relaxing the Amygdala can be achieved in multiple ways, through meditation, breathing or even Music. At Invest Collegiate Charter School in Charlotte NC, all students start their day with a communal song, a way to cross a ‘threshold’ from the worries outside of school to the new day of learning. Small things can make a Big impact.
1578-1581.
A third element of Brain-based Learning that we now know is that Wellness is critical to the Learning process. Within Wellness 4 aspects are very important to the learning process: Biophilia, Sleep, Attention Restoration, and Movement. This provocation will encourage schools to rethink their learning experiences based on these 4 concepts.
First, our brains need to feel connected to nature. Any biophilic learning environment that enhance daylighting, connections to nature and sun via views, and even bringing natural materials into the spaces will facilitate a better environment for our learning brains. Another idea is to be able to push the learning experience outdoors.
In the article “A Framework to Assess Where and How Children Connect to Nature”, Giusti, Svane, Raymond and Beery assess that connecting and being outside has very important implications to how students engage with all senses (demonstrated to increase learning), support thought-provoking experiences, enhance self-driven learning, and enhance mindfulness among many other benefits. See table below:
Second, there has been so much research over the last few years demonstrating the importance of Sleep. Why is sleep so important? Through sleep we turn short term memories into long term ones. Sleep cleans toxins from our brains, it regulates our mood and strengthens our immune system. Schools and parents ought to develop stronger scheduling patterns that allow students better sleep and hence better health and learning.
Third, Attention Restoration is a lesser know and understood problem but very real, nonetheless. According to one of the prominent researchers of the Learning Brain, Dr. Sousa, our adult brains have a maximum attention span of 7 minutes before we start drifting off and losing our focus. For kids its even less. After a serious attention session, we enter attention fatigue where we may be listening, but we are not retaining information. We need to undergo an attention restoration session. That could be a small ‘mental brake’ away from the activity (or class or lecture), by going to a different room away from the noise, or stepping outside to get fresh air, or look out of a window at a tree, clouds or sky. Our learning environments need to provide these opportunities to ‘restore’ our brains so we can be ready for the next session. But scheduling at schools also need to provide moments and space for restoration to happen.
Fourth is Movement. Learning experiences that allow students to move and chose the spaces they want to learn in have a dual benefit. Physiologic, it is proven that movement facilitates the flow of blood into our brains therefore supporting better learning. Psychologic, it supports students’ agency and a sense of ownership of how, where and when they will learn.
It is our responsibility as designers to incorporate the latest research in Brain Science in the way we discuss educational experiences in the projects we do with our clients and how we design learning environments. Understanding that each student is different and each one requires a different strategy to facilitate an optimal learning experience is imperative to their success.
Tomas Jimenez-Eliaeson, AIA, LEED, is a Design Partner at Little. He can be reached at Tomas.Eliaeson@littleonline.com.
AIA Charlotte Citation Award
AIA Orange County Inspire Award
ReGenLA is an innovative, adaptable, sustainable, equitable and community centric regenerative affordable housing solution for Watts, Los Angeles based on the theme of Martin Luther King Jr. 's “Fierce Urgency of Now” to address the climate crisis with renewed hope. While the main goal of affordable housing is to address housing shortage, strategic placement of amenities and support services that empower and educate the community will lead them towards engaging in better opportunities in life.
The project is net-positive (37%) and aims to address environmental and spatial justice through equitable and sustainable design principles such as Passive House Building Standards focused on reducing energy demand and lowering operating costs. Drought-tolerant resilient landscaping and public-private indoor-outdoor spaces encourage the culture of outdoor gathering in the residents while reducing heat-islands and improving air-quality. Our design approach addresses the cultural trails of urban agriculture through vertical farming. Each unit has a parking space with electric vehicle provision to support Blue LA and has a potential to be converted into a parklet at a later date. Wind turbines generate energy towards community and neighborhood use, but also add the element of familiar art to the neighborhood with Watts Tower inspired design.
After careful study of current demographics and projected growth through the next decade, we have turned data into decisions by providing flexible options that accommodate young independent families as well as multigenerational families to avoid displacement of families and gentrification. Community spaces like CoLAB provide congregational spaces to create economic development opportunities for residents.
This transit oriented walkable community aims to reduce greenhouse gases by uncovering the potential of vacant/ underutilized lots and support City of LA’s Measure M by offering safe, affordable and low-carbon alternatives to private vehicle use. Walkable from the Historic Watts train station and public transit lines with an overhead bridge, the site connects residents to other parts of the city and county for employment opportunities. Proximity to schools helps cater to the growing school-age population of Watts area giving them education opportunities within walkable distance. The location strives to attain the “15 Minute City” status by providing access to all essential needs within 15 minutes of walking or biking distance and support complete neighborhood concept.
1. Re-envision dying commercial centers as places for pop-up retail, food trucks and events that bring people together
2. Mobility and Adaptability
3. Synergies and novel new magnet for everyone's enjoyment
4. "Happening", not retail, as the customer experience
5. Solve for people's desire for freshness and community
CREATES A SENSE OF PURPOSE, PLACE & WELL-BEING
THE STREETSCAPE AND ENCOURAGES FOOT TRAFFIC
Bringing people together through real, authentic, local experiences
This portable pop-up park provides a sense of place and purpose for vacant property ready for redevelopment. Whether set up for a week or six months, this “kit of parts” environment invites local retailers, makers, farmers, entertainers and community groups to breathe life into a retail experience that meets people’s desire for freshness and being together.
See more at vimeo.com/270900512
OF THE COMMUNITY
ADDS A TEMPORARY
TO THE LANDSCAPE
AIA Orange County, Citation Award for Inspire Category Retail Design Institute International Store Design Awards
The Global Architecture & Design Awards, Winner for Popups and Temporary Concept
Rethinking The Future Awards, Conceptual Category
CDI, RDI, LEED GREEN ASSOCIATE PARTNER + RETAIL PRACTICE LEADER James.Farnell@littleonline.com
How is design supporting the direction the retail industry is taking?
We’ve seen a progression over the past few years to more conscious consumerism, as customers align themselves more intention with brands whose purpose is grounded in good and that reflect their individual beliefs. They will increasingly seek products that have a purpose and a story, from packaging that’s sustainable to stores featuring more sensory, natural materials.
As designers, we’re focused on what architecture enables people to do and how it can help bring people together. On helping create a narrative that drives the store experience beyond a transaction, identifying a more meaningful purpose for bricks and mortar that not only co-exists with, but supports, an online purchase. We’re finding smarter ways to use the digital tools, smart devices and platforms that are rapidly being adopted and integrating them within the retail experience.
In what ways are you serving as a strategic business partner to your clients?
Where we live, work, play and learn have been fundamentally altered and we believe the notion of hybridity will influence the retail spaces of tomorrow. Just as people are taking the opportunity to reset their lives, we’re helping retailers adjust, to right-size their store formats to better serve their future needs. To remain focused on their business objectives while helping customers get more out of their day.
The social nature of shopping is woven throughout our day, whether commuting, socializing, vacationing or working. As transportation and delivery options change and when consumers are no longer stuck behind the wheel or the desk, they will increasingly expect retail to reach out to them wherever they are. We’re helping our clients navigate these changing behaviors and expectations with strategies that:
• rethink the new rituals of shopping to address consumers’ health and safety concerns with an increased emphasis on wellbeing, one that’s more integrated into architecture and store design than it ever was;
• integrate new delivery and fulfillment platforms that give shoppers more control over how and where they access retailers’ products, and rightsizing the store to host a different assortment of products and extended range of services; and
• re-write the narrative to make the customer journey relevant and unique to individual needs, both now and for a more sustainable future, so they have a compelling reason to buy into the retailer’s brand.
In short, we’re informed by our past yet inspired by the future, with the ultimate goal of driving our clients toward success. Elevating their performance through delivering ‘results beyond architecture’.
By Jim Thompson
How do we balance who we are, as individuals and organizations, and what we’ve historic been known for with the urgencies of now and the musts of tomorrow? If you haven’t given it thought, you’re already irrelevant. For organizations to survive in an ‘innovate or die’ world, it’s becoming imperative to master current demands while anticipating and planning for future innovation. New technologies are disrupting industries faster than ever before, and we’re faced with finding a balance between thriving in the now and continuously reinventing ourselves and our organizations. Those who survive are agile and adaptable, with ultimate success depending on how comfortable we are stretching ourselves in new, uncomfortable and disruptive ways while adjusting to rapid change.
As organizations evolve, a common theme is that we need dreamers and doers at the same time. Sarah Ban Breathnach sums this sentiment up nicely with “The world needs dreamers and doers, but above all, the world needs dreamers who do.”
It’s thinking like a start-up. Action over research and testing over analysis; coming up with quick ideas and rapid testing to make sure those ideas bring the value necessary to push things forward.
The educator Sir Ken Robinson talks about the differentiation in terminology where imagination, what we all think about creatively, the ideas that pop into our heads, can make us feel like we have this wonderful thing that we can do. He goes on to say, however, that creativity is when you craft something new with that imagination. There is important differentiation beyond imagination and creativity: innovation means you do something that has value in the marketplace.
In his book The Three Box Solution, Vijay Govindarajan talks about the balance of simultaneously managing and optimizing what an organization does today with the imperatives of what needs to happen for tomorrow, and he shows this in three principles – his Three Box Solution. One of his principles, or boxes, is Manage the Present, which refers to how we optimize what we do today; how we become better, faster and cheaper with the opportunity and workload that we have today. We also need to immediately be thinking about how we selectively abandon things that are no longer valid or are losing value in the marketplace while investing in another box – Create the Future. The world is changing so fast that it is increasingly important to consider these boxes with respect to our own businesses and the imperative to innovate or die. Govindarajan's logic is balanced with his three ‘traps’ that prevent innovation. The Complacency Trap is where the future is shrouded in a fog of misplaced confidence and understanding as to what’s happening today and how things are exponentially changing around us. The second trap is the Cannibalization Trap where leaders are persuaded that new business models based on nonlinear ideas will jeopardize the firm’s present prosperity. As Steve Jobs once said, “If you don’t cannibalize yourself, someone else will”. The final trap is the Competency Trap. This “arises when positive results in the current business encourage the organization to invest in core competencies and provide little incentive for investing in new [age] and future-oriented competencies; employees skills reflect the company’s legacy success”. It becomes about managing past success and not acknowledging or realizing how significantly the world is changing.
The inability to see the future, of misplaced confidence, of looking inward verses outward and challenging what may be, are the competencies of the future. What has become the comfort zone of many organizations is a lack of understanding change. We may not know with certainty what is in front of us, but we need to feel uncomfortable in order to find a way to progress; to define our stretch zone.
There is risk and a fallacy that thinking innovatively is thinking about ‘the next big thing’. The next big thing does not necessarily have to be big or even a thing. It can be a service. It may not be “next” either; it may be later. Rather than always thinking of mega innovations, we should recognize that a small, incremental moment can be extremely beneficial.
Innovation cultures and organizations are depicted as ‘fun’ because there is a willingness to experiment, to step out of bounds and have a tolerance for failure. These organizations are psychologically safe, highly collaborative and non-hierarchical. While there is tolerance for failure there is little tolerance for incompetence. They also have ‘rails’ to maintain a true path forward: highly disciplined people with a willingness to experiment, a psychologically safe culture that manages unflinching candor in its quest to be agile with a velocity towards remarkable solutions, highly collaborative dynamics with individual accountability, and a flat non-hierarchical organization with strong leadership.
Some of the most touted innovators have had their share of failures: Apple’s MobileMe, Google Glass and Amazon’s Fire Phone. While they have all had more successes than failures, it is these failures that inform a culture of dreamers as doers, action over research and testing over analysis.
Innovative organizations set exception high standards for their people. There is no tolerance for incompetence. Amazon, for example, ranks on a forced curve where the bottom 10% of low to non-performers are culled. Google, one of the hardest places to get a job (2 million applications for 5,000 positions, or odds of 400/1), adopts a different strategy. When someone is not succeeding in their current role, a performance management system moves them into a new role that may be a better fit for their skill set.
Almost anything can be justified without discipline, so it’s critical that clear criteria is established and applied when deciding to move an idea forward, modify or kill it. Disciplined experimentation makes it less risky to try new things and learn from those things that did not work.
Innovation can be crushed if people are afraid to constructively criticize, openly challenge superiors’ views, debate ideas of others and raise counter perspectives. It’s a two-way street, and the candid organization will outperform the nice one every time.
Too often being highly collaborative gets confused with consensus. Consensus is poison for rapid decision making. Accountability to one another and feeling safe to share and have ownership can be truly transformational for a culture, enabling it to pivot quickly and move in meaningful, new directions.
Accountability and collaboration can be complementary, and accountability can drive collaboration. You own the decision you make, for better or for worse. The last thing you would do is shut yourself off from feedback or from enlisting the cooperation and collaboration of people inside and outside the organization that can help you.
Strong leadership in culture flat organizations gives people wide latitude to act and make decisions as well as voice their opinions. In times like these, we need leadership at all levels and be prepared to step aside as other voices come to the table. Doing so allows an organization to realize and capitalize on the potential of nontraditional leaders.
How do we create this ‘transformative engine’? In his book The Innovation Biome, Kumar Mehta talks about the biome as a place that provides the settings and conditions that determine what flourishes and what dies. How is this mirrored in a corporate environment when the goal is to make “innovation a replicable and consistent activity”? By creating an ecosystem that offers these conditions through leadership, the role of the individual, and cultural place, among others. A place where teams are innovative with committed leaders and leaders are innovative in sharing a vision. The case is made in Mehta’s book that the overall process toward innovation fails if any one of these is lacking, begging the question of how we all can have a role in the innovation process.
Solving real needs is about bringing value to the marketplace. ZOOM being the most downloaded app in the world went beyond delivering the value of digital connection; it cre-
The ability to focus on the future, to get comfortable with discomfort, and challenge the traditional norms are the competencies of the future.
ated specific features for educators because they understand how educators work. The value was borne by listening to a group of potential users and tweaking the tool to make it better for them.
Three types of innovation drive how we approach what we do. The first is simply incremental Innovation. It’s what we do every day, and every day we get a little better at it. Breakthrough Innovation is when we shift the mindset of the marketplace, which is where we get the likes of Apple. Breakthrough Innovation allows Experiential Innovation to occur. Experiential Innovation is about changing our lives, how we do business and how we engage one another.
The attributes of innovation start first with ‘priming’ yourself and your company to be ready for that moment when that learning or that knowledge can be applicable to a problem. Crowdsourcing flourishes in such a continuous learning environment, where questions live in a space (whiteboards or digital) and answers can be shared in real time by anyone for all to see and to learn from. Brainwriting through technologies like GroupMap and Miro also facilitate the continuous sharing of ideas by replacing traditional brainstorming with the ability to virtually write thoughts to questions that are posed.
Another attribute of innovation is ‘acceptance’ and not falling into the trap of Kodak, who doubled down on their core business – film – instead of accepting digital technologies (even when they had invented the technology). In ‘networked developments’, things don’t happen in silos. A great example is the idea of transdisciplinarity, which is an interconnectivity across disciplines. Challenges of innovation may be better solved with a transdisciplinary mindset instead of a disciplinary approach.
‘Clustering value’ creates and supports the ecosystem for innovation to flourish. A great example of this is Tesla. The advent of their electric car battery drove an ecosystem of charging stations across the US, which are becoming much more than that (restaurants or stores, for example). What started as an innovation with a battery has broader repercussions as one starts to scale the innovation up.
BARTELDT AIA, LEED AP BD+C PARTNER + CHIEF INNOVATION OFFICER Bruce.Barteldt@littleonline.com
Designers by their very nature have an innate sense of curiosity. Beyond that natural inclination, why innovate? It takes one to six years to design and build a building (even more if it is phased). And if it doesn’t contribute to or cause a client to thrive in a changing world, will become obsolete not long after it’s occupied. Considering the accelerating pace of change and its impact across all aspects of life, we recognize that we are designing for a future state that will likely be different than the issues presented to us as ‘the problem.’ In fact, it would be irresponsible to design for ‘today’ alone.
Once we understand the nature of transformation in each client’s context and the deeper drivers of their success, we’re able to create design solutions that measurably improve, and subsequently elevate, their performance. That, and that alone, is our motivation for innovation at Little.
Innovating in a transforming world presents so many opportunities that it demands focus. What do you see as the priorities that designers should concentrate on to advance the built environment?
That’s simple. Regenerative design and data intelligence. And we’ve already started.
We’ve long recognized that sustainable design and building practices are the best way for us to impact our client’s long-term operational life-cycle cost of occupancy. With the advent of WELL design, which is focused on the building occupant’s over-all health and well-being, we’ve amplified our role in our client’s triple bottom line, which balances their economic goals with their environmental and social goals. As a result, we are preparing for a future state where a more comprehensive framework is required; Regenerative Design, where our buildings do more than ‘less harm’ but instead, improve the environmental, social, economic, and physical health of the surrounding community.
Secondly, we embrace the increasing role of data intelligence and how data can affect and inform our approach to design. We continue to investigate technologies that improve the accuracy of our design decisions, such as data that illustrates energy analysis, optimal thermal envelope, density optimization, and a host of other impactful datasets. Designing with data intelligence also allows us to task technology with an iterative design process that can optimize multiple factors that affect our decisions, namely the cost-to-performance ratio. Addition, design technologies such as Digital Twins, augmented/virtual reality and other forms of virtualization, are set to evolve rapidly in the coming years. We are poised to lead the industry where our clients would receive the most value.
NeoCity Academy (pages 30-33)
Architecture, Interior Architecture, Engineering, Sustainability
Smoky Hollow (pages 34-35)
Architecture, Engineering, Interior Architecture, Smart Building Technologies
The HEARTest Yard - Children’s Cardiology Center (pages 36-39)
Interior Architecture, Engineering, Digital Visualization, Brand Consulting
Reddy (pages 40-43)
Interior Architecture, Brand Consulting, Sustainability
Fairwinds Federal Credit Union (pages 44-47
Architecture, Interior Architecture, Digital Visualization
Tokyo Central (pages 48-49)
Architecture, Interior Architecture, Engineering, Brand Consulting
Warlick Family YMCA (pages 50-53)
Architecture, Interior Architecture, Digital Visualization
Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic (pages 54-55)
Architecture, Interior Architecture, Site Design, Digital Visualization
Element Hotel by Marriott (pages 60-61)
Architecture, Interior Architecture, Engineering, Brand Consulting
Campbell University Student Union (pages 62-65)
Architecture, Interior Architecture
Levine Children's Hospital: MIBG Therapy Suite (pages 66-67)
Architecture, Interior Architecture
Ally Charlotte Center (pages 68-69)
Architecture, Site Design, Sustainability
Orange Coast College - Kinesiology & Athletics Complex (pages 70-73)
Architecture, Interior Architecture, Engineering, Site Design
Wescom Credit Union (pages 74-75)
Architecture, Interior Architecture, Engineering, Brand Consulting, Digital Visualization, Sustainability
Levine Cancer Institute Phase II (pages 76-79)
Architecture, Interior Architecture
Confidential Technology Client (pages 56-59)
Interior Architecture, Engineering
The Parkline (pages 80-83)
Site Design, Interior Architecture, Brand Consulting, Sustainability
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