Looking Ahead at Adaptive Reuse: Designing for the Gain Factor

Now that the commercial sector of design and construction has slowed to an imperceptible crawl, how are architects and interior designers going to prepare for the future? What can we do to keep going as creative, contributing, and prepared professionals in this situation that has confronted us? 

In reality, we have many alternatives for temporary or permanent career choices and alternative career paths that could lead us to make a living, keep busy, start a new life, and live life in complete bliss and happiness. But why get drastic? The game is not over by a long shot. It is merely the momentum shifting.

There will always be a need for architects and interior designers who can design with pragmatism and knowledge. This is as opposed to going downhill sans brakes with the previous "Dubaistic" buffet in design, which would take a client down the slippery slopes of a construction black hole and then suddenly owning an exotic white elephant who nobody wants to ride later on. We have all "heard" about those projects....never seen one? (You sure?)

The commercial architecture sector could really define any project that includes a pragmatic approach to gain, be it financial, perceptive, emotional, or spiritual. That definition certainly would include human beings temporarily or permanently using and or residing in such a structure. So then, you could easily justify any building as commercial due to the “gain factor.”

At any one time, any structure has or could have the gain factor in economics. That can be translated to the appeal of such a structure as a functional and aesthetically pleasing building so as to satisfy whatever future use this structure could have, as in retrofit and/or adaptive reuse. The future looks good for that sector: One of the most pragmatic approaches to a new building project that an architect can provide a client is the built-in flexibility within the confinement of a project program.
But why do historic structures in the USA fail to become recycled icons in a community as we see in quantity in Europe? Even though a lot of restrictions apply, Europeans adapt and conventional functional uses are also retrofitted to adapt and work within these given spaces.

It is simply because Europeans adapt to functional use and design based on what is frugally available instead of always starting on an abundant blank slate as we have grown accustomed in this country. In the USA, an “anchoring factor” adds to the appeal, meaning that a structure adds more to society because it is different and represents our evolving society.

The future of our design disciplines and service philosophies should bring a demand for increased ingenuity in design, flexibility, durability, and longevity in our buildings. The throw-away/disposable times should be over, as far as a lot of our culture is concerned, and it will definitely apply to the design and construction industry. There will be a focused expectation to return to basic fundamentals of rational approach, to problem solving and solutions, and clients in a new a new time of sobriety will demand it.

The evolution of professionalism and knowledge based involvement and provision of services in any aspect of business, including A&D, is already being much more emphasized than before. The architects and interior designers that can provide that level of knowledge, control, and visioning to a client will be at the forefront of that resurgence of new activity. Now, proof and evidence of studied knowledge is the requirement to undertake any endeavor. Is this a wish, a fact, a desire... or a real need after this recent economic lesson?

Share your thoughts by clicking on "comments" below...

Bob Chisholm, FAIA, is chairman of the board of R.E. Chisholm Architects. Headquartered in Miami, Fla., the firm has completed numerous high-profile projects since 1982. Current and other notable projects include Art Deco Historic Preservation Master Plan, Miami Baseball Park Stadium, Cuban Exile Museum and Library, U.S. Century Bank Headquarters Building, Everglades Farmworker Village (largest affordable housing community for the U.S. Department of Agriculture) and three comprehensive facilities for the homeless in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. He can be reached at bob@chisholmarchitects.com or (305) 661-2070.

Redefining the Hotel Gift Shop Experience

Forget the traditional kitschy gift shop—upscale hotels are stepping up their game with high-end retail that features some of the biggest names in the fashion industry. The Los Angeles Times reports on properties that are showcasing—and collaborating on—luxe items:

•For the second year, the Standard hotels including the property in downtown Los Angeles) have partnered with surf-style brand Quiksilver to sell board shorts, bikinis, and sunglasses in poolside vending machines.

•The Mondrian West Hollywood features the wares of retailer Ron Robinson, along with Stephen Webster jewelry and Apothia beauty products.

•W Hotel Times Square channels an exclusive boutique with merchandise such as Melissa jelly shoes, chic gift books, and jeweled dresses.

•The Ace Hotel in Manhattan showcases two New York City retailers, Project No. 8 and Opening Ceremony, offering everything from outlet adapters to handbags made of soccer balls.

•Hat maker Stephen Jones and handbag designer Louise Hempleman have created items exclusively for the Dorchester Collection’s locations, including the Beverly Hills Hotel.

•The Four Seasons Hualalai resort in Hawaii has increased revenue thanks to its Seaside Luxe retail outlet, offering everything from beachwear to one-of-a-kind jewelry.

--Hospitality Design

City of the Future

It's back to the future with Newsweek's new focus on the city of 2030. Newsweek and Sprint recently asked resident architects to predict the face of their city 20 years from now. The series, which started by predicting New York City's future last spring, continues with Los Angeles. LA architects Michael Maltzan, Wil Carson, Dandan Wang, and Guang Xu predict "a more multicultural, multimodal, interconnected, and sustainable model city."

At Newsweek's Web site you can see their four predicted areas of change: home, work, commute and recreation. The home section features a video, urging vertical expansion as a solution to urban sprawl. The architects predict that future spaces will lie within the existing Los Angeles footprint. Expansion will more upwards, rather than horizontally. They even suggest that parks will sit on buildings, between floors of offices or apartments.

At work, these architects predict a trend that many designers have already noted: open spaces. Workplaces will become decentralized and new workplaces will be built in unused seams and spaces of existing communities. These new workplaces, predict the Los Angeles architects, will act as social connectors between neighborhoods and individuals.

Although today's Los Angeles is car-dominated, future commutes will become multimodal. New high-speed rail systems will support a less car-driven city and culture. New modes of transport will create a more connected city.

Finally, the architects predict newly hybridized landscapes for future recreation. They cited Los Angeles as a city where "work and play are no longer isolated activities; they are concurrently absorbing one another." Recreational spaces will be tied to technology, while social networks will gain greater significance in the workplace. The boundaries between spaces for work and play will blur, and this will ignite a similar blending of landscape and urbanism.

The city of the future looks lofty, open, connected, and integrated. I would say that's a pretty optimistic picture. Would you agree with these predictions? How do you think our cities will look in 2030?

--Lillian Civantos

The ‘GEMS’ of Design Charity

To end on a happy note this week, Contract magazine wants to help Perkins+Will spread the word about a great charity fundraiser. As a probono project, Perkins+Will is redesigning the Girls Education & Mentoring Services (GEMS). The non-profit organization seeks to empower and help young women that have been sexually exploited and trafficked in the sex industry to create a better life for themselves. To help fund the project, the firm will host a fundraising event, whcih will help to furnish the project space, at its New York offices, located at 215 Park Avenue South, 4th Floor, on July 27 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Please RSVP to: karen.brown@perkinswill.com

The redesign plans of GEMS’ community center will be complete in August, with construction starting shortly after.

See what GEMS is all about. View the below videos:

Checking In: Beijing Water Cube Water Park Project

After Beijing hosted the 2008 Olympic Games in the uniquely designed “Water Cube,” some of our readers wondered about the future of this mammoth National Aquatic Centre. As Contract magazine previously reported in February, the Water Cube is being re-designed as an entertainment destination, and the multi-feature construction is poised to open in August as "The Happy Magic Watercube Waterpark."

After some thorough follow-up digging, Contract discovered a few new tidbits to satisfy our readers’ design-hungry appetites:

The redesign is by Canadian firm Forrec, internationally known for theme parks, water parks, and other venues. Forrec is one of several top industry suppliers and consultants weighing in on the project, including Australian waterpark veteran Alan Mahony. The design features top-notch and even some "first-ever" attractions, notably the RideHouse play structure, by industry leader ProSlide Technology. This structure will accompany China’s first AquaLoop looping waterslide, by WhiteWater West; a water Tornado; tube slides, body slides; lazy river, wave pool, and other attractions. Additionally, more than one-third of the over 100,000-sq.-ft. Watercube was pre-planned for conversion into a recreational waterpark at the time of its original construction.

“The client has been wonderful to work with,” comments Forrec vice-president Anthony Van Dam in a statement. “They have very high expectations and are focused on quality and innovation. Although the company and its leadership are humble and have made an effort to remain anonymous, I expect you will be hearing much more of them in the coming years.”

Yet, despite all this, an aura of mystery surrounds the opening of the Happy Magic Watercube Waterpark. A representative at ProSlide Technology shared a possible reason: the language barrier. Although this exciting new design should hold international interest, few non-Chinese-speakers are hearing about it—until now. (Trying to track down additional plan details and facts proved to be quite the feat!)

Once the park operations are underway, I'm sure more English-speakers will hear about it and visit with rave reviews. “This promises to be one of the leading indoor waterparks in the world,” says Van Dam. “It will provide enjoyment for many families and, thanks to the unique design, offer two very different but memorable experiences by day and night.” He refers here to the unique bubble design on the building's exterior, which glows from within at night. But so far, Contract magazine seems to have the only scoop on this project.

Have you found any other reports? Share with us by commenting below.

--Lillian Civantos

Design Business Flatlines

It's been another tough month for the A&D industry. AIA's latest Architecture Billings Index (ABI) shows that business had a VERY slight uptick in June, which is not very reassuring after a sudden drop in May ended continuing growth earlier this year.

Is recovery still just an optimistic dream? Or, do you agree with AIA chief economist Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA, and expect to see some turnaround by the end of this year? Share your thoughts with us by commenting below or via e-mail.

--Stacy Straczynski

Design Students Set Sail

A design-oriented trip to the Greek islands? Sign me up! A nine-day design workshop will take place on the Greek island of Imvros/Gökçeada from August 7 to 15. The international workshop, called traveltime, is open to 20 participants who are students of architecture or design.

The intensive workshop will explore the relationships between theory and practice, focusing on the unique history, geography, and culture of the region. Planned events cover a wide range of topics, with daily performances, readings, and discussions on diverse fields such as art, music, gastronomy, philosophy, and literature. The workshop schedule also allows plenty of time to explore the scenic island. Some of the featured events include field work at various sites around the island, and talks with such titles as "cinematographic space-time"; "postcards between times"; "gastronomical narratives on the island"; and "spatiotemporality of music." (In my opinion, these wide-reaching talks show design's universal character. All of these varying fields can inspire and inform design.)

The workshop's title, traveltime, refers to the unique spatiotemporal position of the island. Imvros/Gökçeada has had a history of migration, tourism, and exile. Its population has fluctuated over time, influenced by seasonal travel, local festivals, and migration caused by a now-closed prison on the island. The workshop Web site explains, "This workshop will provide an opportunity to consider these different acts of travel that suggest different time frames in which one experiences a place."

The workshop also includes plenty of trips to the beach.

All events are conducted in English, and architecture students worldwide are eligible to attend. To me, this sounds like the ideal design-friendly summer vacation.

--Lillian Civantos

Contract Magazine Seeks Fall 2010 Interns

Calling all students. Contract magazine is still looking for last minute intern applicants for its Fall 2010 internship. Accepted interns will work hands on with Contract staff editors to produce daily editorial coverage for ContractDesign.com and TalkContract.com, with a possibility for additional print coverage, as they gain first-hand exposure to the latest A&D industry news and design product releases. Interns will be located in our New York City office.

While editorial internships are open to college students who have a strong interest in pursuing a career in journalism, we also consider qualified design students that demonstrate a clear writing talent and style.

>> Read more about internships at Contract magazine

What Does Happiness Mean to Designers? Coca-Cola Wants to Know

Design takes a cool, icy turn with a new design contest by Coca-Cola. (It’s a bit off-topic from Contract’s usual coverage but we just couldn’t resist this one!) The world-known soft drink company invites Coke drinkers to design a Coke bottle that shows "what happiness means to them"—and a chance to win a trip to New York City. Entries are due August 1 at www.mycoke.com.

The promotional contest is part of Coca-Cola's year-long "Expedition 206" event. Three "happiness ambassadors" are spending the year traveling to all 206 countries where Coca-Cola is sold–14 more countries than the number of member countries in the United Nations.  In each country, people have designed Coke bottles or shared words or pictures expressing their definition of happiness. Now, it's the United States' turn. The Coke bottles entered in the contest all appear on the Coca-Cola Web site.

Participants can use any medium for their design, but must showcase it on one single-serving Coke bottle, either glass or plastic. The winner will meet the three "happiness ambassadors" of Expedition 206 during a two-day, one-night trip to New York City.

Though sometimes a little too cutesy, Coca-Cola's bright ad campaigns usually hit home. This is a really adorable exploration of what happiness means to humans universally. It's also a playful way to inspire creativity and design. So what does happiness mean to members of the design industry? Grab a Coke bottle and decide.

--Lillian Civantos

Great Wall

When poet Robert Frost wrote, "Something there is that doesn't love a wall," he didn't mean this green wall design. I can't imagine anyone not loving this feat: Longwood Gardens of Kennett Square, Pa., plans to open North America's largest green wall this fall. The indoor green wall will hold 47,000 plants and double the size of the previous largest green wall at PNC Bank in Pittsburgh. The structure is designed by acclaimed British landscape architect Kim Wilkie, in collaboration with architecture firm Michaelis Boyd and local landscape architects Wells Appel.

The 3,590-sq.-ft. green wall will consist mainly of fern varieties, including Holly Fern, Rabbit’s Foot Fern, Button Fern, Asparagus Fern, and others. The very sustainable wall will naturally regulate indoor air temperatures for greatly improved energy efficiency.

The wall design is part of the new East Conservatory Plaza at Longwood Gardens, one of the foremost horticultural centers in the United States. These elements are part of a master plan for the gardens' re-design, created by top landscape architecture firm West 8. Other features of the plaza include an irrigated landform of five terraced tiers resembling steps that borders a lawn, or sculptural clearing, and provides impressive garden views. The lawn will serve as a restful viewing area or the site of events, from parties to educational activities. The tiered area will contain restrooms, lit naturally from ceiling holes.

I'm quite impressed by this ambitious achievement. Longwood Gardens has created a design that achieves the rare combination of aesthetics, function, and sustainability. Their success provides an excellent example of the heights (or growths?) which green design can achieve. I'm sure even Robert Frost would approve.

--Lillian Civantos