DECEMBER 2017
The Commercial Year
Geothermal Alters Landscape Comfort Colors SERVING ARCHITECTS, CONTRACTORS, AND OWNERS IN COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION
DECEMBER 2017
Vol. 15
No. 11
COMMERCIAL ARCHITECTURE
Vol. 15
No. 11 commercialarchitecturemagazine.com commercialarchitecturemagazine.com
DEPARTMENT
the architects
These Solutions Deliver Better Interiors Manufacturers are rising to the challenge and meeting the needs of today’s work-environment designers. Elisabeth Post-Marner, AIA, and Christopher Gutierrez, Spacesmith
E
xpectations are rapidly changing in Ameri-
walk through their proposed designs with virtu-
can work and study spaces. These changes
al-reality headgear.
involve often surprising improvements to
• Think global, buy local: We’re still more likely to
commonly used products alongside radically new
specify and buy products from overseas, and the
concepts that better serve the ways people study and
economy is truly global. But we’ve seen more ac-
work. What follows are some of the products and
tion and product introductions from local com-
trends that are providing the solutions and flexibili-
panies and regional makers than ever before. In
ty architects require:
our markets, we have new products from New
• Sustainability means you: There has been a
Yorks state such as USAI Lighting, Windsor, NY
wholesale change in what sustainability means.
(usailighting.com), whose products are reliable
While green products still focus on environmen-
and design-forward.
tal impact, today’s sustainability is equal parts
• Humans thrive with active lives: Sit/stand work-
ecology and occupant health. In fact, human
ing is here to stay and manufacturers are upping
wellness informs a number of standards meant to
their game. Instead of merely adjustable furniture
protect people, such as the BIFMA standards
and customizable products, we’re intrigued by
(Business and Institutional Furniture Manufac-
new offerings that seem to morph dynamically as
turers Association, Grand Rapids, MI, bifma.org)
the end-users and building occupants change.
and GreenGuard, Marietta, GA (greenguard.org),
Watson, Poulsbo, WA (watsonfurniture.com) of-
as well as the newer five petals of the Living Prod-
fers mobile, adjustable, and scalable solutions for
uct Challenge, Seattle (living-future.org) and the
benches, conference tables, and work surfaces.
WELL certifications (International WELL Build-
These elegant and contoured products also have
ing Institute, New York City, wellcertified.com).
invited better solutions for mobile privacy and
The overall message is that health and happiness
noise reduction, two issues raised in settings such
are just as important as material toxicity.
as open offices and flexible classrooms. Also,
• Affordability matters: More than ever before,
product ideas from Inscape Corp., Falconer, NY
price is foremost on the buyer’s mind. While
(inscapesolutions.com), offer low-cost, highly re-
many manufacturers have reduced initial costs,
configurable workstations.
others are selling life-cycle value, which means
• It’s not just what you see that matters: For end-us-
their product is more durable, resilient, energy-ef-
er wellness and a delightful ambience, more interi-
ficient, and adaptable. A good example is the Ben-
or architects are focused on acoustics. Serving this
jamin Moore, Montvale, NJ (benjaminmoore.
need is a handy software app called Snowsound,
com), Scuff-X paint line for high-traffic applica-
which shows you how to use baffles, drapes, and
tions. The paint is said to be so durable that even
other sound-attenuation devices to reduce rever-
high school football teams can’t scratch the walls.
beration and echoes. Just type in the kind of room
• DIY for the commercial world: For good and for
and what hard surfaces are used on walls and
bad (and often for free), a number of new prod-
floors, and Snowsound USA, Santa Fe Springs,
ucts push assembly and customization tasks to
CA (snowsoundusa.com) shows you how to
the end user. Many of these solutions are technol-
achieve a range of acoustic ratings, measured as
ogy based, too. The signage suite created by Take-
STC or NRC, from merely acceptable to ideal. CA
Above. The New York headquarters of publisher Abrams Books encourages communication and collaboration among employees while offering privacy through flexible seating arrangements and reading nooks. Photo: Spacesmith Below. Designed by Spacesmith for Bacardi-Martini, a New York space is used by the organization and its visitors as an event venue for private gatherings and demonstrations. Visitors can host casual or formal meetings in open or enclosed spaces that offer flexible seating and technology. Photo: Joe Kitchen
form, Medina, NY (takeform.net), for example,
8
lets users choose fonts, colors, and background
Architect and designer Elisabeth Post-Marner,
graphics to make their own facility’s signs and
AIA, LEED AP, is a principal with Spacesmith,
wayfinding devices. Also, from Mohawk Indus-
based in New York City and Hudson, NY. Christo-
tries Inc., Atlanta (mohawkind.com), a new app
pher Gutierrez is director of resource management
helps users custom-colorize their carpets and then
for the School of Visual Arts in New York City.
COMMERCI A L A RCHI T EC T URE
DECEMBER 2017
commercialarchitecturemagazine.com
The headquarters of RED Distribution, a division of Sony Music, features small breakout rooms along the periphery of the central open-office space. Each room is paneled with a different color and texture of acoustic foam and filled with unique seating options. Photo: Eduard Hueber