Moderne Materials

By Stacy Straczynski, Associate Editor

 

Since Mokum Textiles recently launched their newest collection of textiles, Moderne, I took a trip uptown today to see the fabrics first-hand at the Holly Hunt showroom at the D&D building in NYC. And what a great assortment of patterns! Taking her cues from the 1920s Art Deco period, designer Stephanie Moffitt pulls patterns from architectural structures to create a wonderful array of eye-catching classic motifs that are luxurious and still modern.

   

The first couple of styles, which are best used for window treatments due to their lighter substance, really showcased an architectural flair. The high-arching patterns are woven through the entire fabric (rather than just being a surface pattern) and create a beautiful raised texture that intrigues the eye and also plays with the light.  Lexington (top left), which is based on the design of the Chrysler building, features a shimmering full-width pattern, while Rivioli (top right) also resembles the curvature in the iconic building’s roof in brilliant hues of gold cast upon backgrounds including Prussian Blue and Rosehip (the latter being my favorite color). While both of these fabrics are primarily for residential use, both can be interpreted to a commercial grade.

 

  

Next I browsed through a set of denser fabric and Châtelet (above) particularly intrigued me. A clientele favorite, the fabric is very thick and rich (about three yards of fabric are compressed to form one yard of the finished product) and resembles the velvety curtains of a theater stage. What’s particularly interesting is how the lighter shade options seem to glow with a natural luminescence, while the darker shades seem to breath a more subtle shadow. The velvet is pleated and woven in viscose, with the pronounced textures formed by heat application. This fabric is also available in commercial grade upon request and is suitable for both window treatments and upholstery.

Moderne, a commercial-grade upholstery, is by far the collection’s defining piece. Carrying the same name as the whole collection itself (as the original term for Art Deco), the simple, yet intricate hexagonal rayon yarn weavings upon varying background shades of nylon warp. The style invokes feelings of movement and is sure to be the center of conversation. The pattern can also be clearly viewed from the opposite side, since all of Mokum’s textiles are very high-quality and not mere surface prints, which adds additional design options.

 

Finally, I’ve saved the best for last. My absolute favorite is Coupole, which gets its name from a Parisian café. While seemingly less visually appealing upon first glance (the surface is fairly monotone compared to the rest of the Moderne Collection), Coupole reveals an intricate squiggle-shaped weave of varying similar hues (my personal pick is Quartz, which touts a mix of blues and greys) and an incredible pop of texture.

A Design Solution for Tight Living Spaces

By Stacy Straczynski, Associate Editor

Feeling a bit tight on space? Take a cue from Hong Kong-based architect Gary Chang. Weird Asia News reports that Chang, who was finally fed up with having to live in crowded quarters for most of his life (he shared a 344-sq.-ft. space with six others for 30 years), Chang designed his own solution: the domestic transformer.

 

The futuristic design reminds me a lot of Corbin Dallas’ apartment in the movie Fifth Element. In the movie, apartments are only a narrow room with all of life’s necessities stowed inside the walls, such as a fridge that slides over to reveal a fully functional shower, and a fold out bed that neatly disappears back into the wall. (God, I love that movie! I was LeeLoo for Halloween this year.) Chang’s design features the same fluidity, with a CD walls that slides to reveal a washing machine and dryer, and an entertainment wall—housing a plasma TV—that likewise reveals a full kitchen. Even his bathtub, which is over six feet in length transforms into a guest bed. Chang has 24 different room configurations in total, including a home theater spa, kitchen, bedroom, and a hammock lounge area.

Now while many would be hesitant to live in such tight quarters, even if you can squeeze an entire mansion into a couple of rooms, I think the success of Chang’s design speaks wonders for the evolution of architecture going forward—both for residential and commercial. With fluid spaces, hotels will be able to accommodate twice or even three times their current occupancy limits, while retail stores will be able to house even more merchandise to increase their sales potential. Imagine offices that transform from cubicle workstations into meeting rooms and then into collaborative team spaces all with the slide of a wall.

The challenge here for designers is now to take these metal track-mounted walls a step further and turn them into visually appealing apprentices, as well as increase the versatility of the configurations and the products used to allow for even more configurations.

What other areas can you see fluid designs playing a role in architecture? Do you think this is a viable solution to issues involving urban planning and sustainability?

Baby Boomers: Corner Office or Bust!

Don’t trash traditional office layouts before you know what age the resident employees will be. As it turns out, redesigning corporate spaces to reflect a more open and modern style (as opposed to rows of cubicles and enclosed offices) can leave Baby Boomer staffers feeling de-motivated and disgruntled, leading to weakened business performance.

That’s just one of the interesting takeaways proposed by an ASID Webinar held this afternoon (Feb. 22) entitled “Do you know your X, Y . . .Baby Boomers?” According to the online presentation, which discussed the variety of generations that now work together in today’s corporate environments—Traditionals, Baby Boomers, Gen-Xers, and Millennials—and the subsequent benefits and challenges that each generations presents to the workplace, Baby Boomers subconsciously view having the coveted corner office—or any office for that matter—as a status symbol and use it as a means to define who they are as a person. (In fact, the Webinar mentions that the first question a Baby Boomer tends to ask upon meeting someone new is “What do you do?” rather than an inquiry  about personal interests or tastes.)

Now while many of us younger professionals will undoubtedly have a very different viewpoint on this (I myself, being a strange mix of Gen X and Gen Y/Millennial ideals and a mobile employee, don’t place much emphasis on having an actual office), I can understand why maintaining these four walls at work can mimic a trophy on the wall to many. These individuals are used to working hard for what they want and making a name for themselves (the result of growing up with Depression-era parents who scrimped and saved), so it can be quite disheartening not to have a physical manifestation of that accomplishment. Not to mention that having the option to shut the door during the day is a definite perk when needing privacy—or a nap!

How do you incorporate generational preferences into your designs? Is it possible to make all generations happy when designing innovative corporate spaces?

It's Great to be an Architect

By Adam Figman, Editorial Intern

Randy Deutsch, a blogger and currently out-of-work architect, has recently penned a post on his site mapping out 81 (yes, 81) reasons why there has never been a better time to be an architect. He lays out an almost-absurdly optimistic worldview, often focusing on the advantages of being alive in 2010 rather than focusing on the negative prospects of earning any money in the architecture field these days.

Some of my key picks: (Check the entire list):

1. Today, while architects may not ever again be so-called Master Builders, an individual architect working alone, if necessary, can virtually do the work of an entire firm.

4. Architects today have a rare opportunity to use the skills – transferable skills – that they have picked-up in their education to put to use not only in practicing architecture but in any number of related and even non-traditional fields.

6. Blogging – writing an online journal – especially on sites such as WordPress, has never been easier to learn and master. One more great creative and expressive outlet for the architect, especially in times when the opportunity to design and built is lessened, such as now.

53. Being an architect in itself is pretty amazing. But sometimes having a dog helps.

58. You can take your work with you and go mobile almost anywhere with all you need to be productive.

63. Being an architect is a thoroughly fulfilling experience. But not sharing a house with teens helps.

Sure, a dog or an iPhone may make life better, but for those of us with rents and bills and meals to pay for, a steady paycheck is pretty nice as well. Yoga class and touch screens won’t bring much stability in that department.

Also worth noting is that, while Deutsch’s reasons for why it’s great to be an architect are refreshing, the majority could apply to any profession—be it in architecture, design, journalism, or just about anything. Perhaps the lesson here isn’t that it’s a great time to be an architect, but rather that there’s no better time to throw out the script and pursue what really interests you. The Internet and all the life that’s come with it have created a vast world of opportunity, providing a chance to learn, read, write, and experience life as we never could’ve predicted a decade or two ago.

But yeah: Not sharing a house with teenagers does help.

Olympic Proportions: World’s Largest Glass Skis Designed by Architect

By Stacy Straczynski, Assocaite Editor

If anyone in Vancouver missed that the 2010 Winter Olympics were underway (Pretty hard to believe right!), they’ll get a huge artistic reminder when they see these 16-ft.-tall skis that were installed outside architectural glass artist Joel Berman’s Vancouver-based studio, Joel Berman Glass Studio. The pair of blue, white, and red skis were commissioned by K2 Sports, a Seattle-based snow ski and snowboard manufacturer, are the largest all glass skis in the world and features new glass-on-glass color printing technology on fused colored glass.

   

The skis will be on display in the downtown Vancouver entertainment epicenter through Feb. 28, after which they will be moved permanently to KI’s 3 00,000-sq.-ft. headquarters facilities.

Mannington, 3M Reach for the Olympic 'Green'

Get an inside look at the process Mannington will use to recycle over 200,000 sq.-ft. of 3M Canada graphic material from this year's Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games (read at Contract magazine). Let us know what you think!

3M CANADA’S GRAPHICS GET A NEW ASSIGNMENT AFTER THE 2010 WINTER GAMES AS FLOORING

A Netherland Fairytale Playground

By Adam Figman, Editorial Intern

Designed by Mulders vandenBerk Architecten, a new pavilion has been built not just FOR the local children, but WITH the help of the local children.

    
 
Located in Utrecth, The Netherlands, in the middle of a playground (with facilities for teenagers on one side of the structure, and a playground for young children on the other), each room in the building (pictured below) was inspired by a different fairytale from a different part of the world. Children from the area were interviewed and asked their favorite fairytales, and DesignArbeid graphic design studio drew these stories in a puzzle-like pattern on the structure’s DuPont Corian panels.

The pavilion was designed for children to exercise their minds before or after their physical play on the playground. It’s clear the designers wanted to give the kids an opportunity to spend some adult-free time, but with safety in mind. It was built with glass walls so adults can supervise from the outside without interfering. The furniture inside is all very simple, and the rooms are decorated in a unique way that allows children to stretch their imaginations; in some places they may draw and play games right on the walls.

   

 
On the outside, the pavilion looks very simple and plain. But a closer look, at the fairytale-drawn walls, opportunities for creativity, and safe design, proves architects Joost Mulders and Chris Van den Berk (of Mulders vandenBerk Architecten) had a really strong plan. Pretty impressive, considering the reason they were chosen for the job: “The city council of Utrecht selected us for this project because we had already proven our ability to design a building within a tight deadline,” Van den Berk says in a press release. 

I can think of more than a few city spots where a pavilion like this could work around these parts. Safe to say I’d have preferred one to the sandbox I spent my childhood in.

Flame-Broiled Details

By Stacy Straczynski, Associate Editor

This past weekend, my significant other took me out to dinner for Valentine’s Day to a really nice restaurant in our area. (He’s so thoughtful!) I had been to Char Steakhouse, designed by Cahill Studio, once before, soon after it had opened last year, but this second time gave me the opportunity to really admire the details in the space’s design, all of which tie into creating an “on the grill” theme.

 
When we first walked in, we could see a beautiful display of candles encased in clear orange glass and aluminum boxes. The warm light served to illuminate a dimmer corner by the recetion desk and bring some additinal color to the mud colored walls and deep brown tiles. The orange glass also nicely played into the wallpaper behind the desk, matching the orange circular pattern that resembled the glow of candlelight.

 Since we had arrived early for our reservations, we decided to grab a cocktaila the bar, which lay directly in the middle of the restaurant and took up a majority of the space. The bar itself was surfaced by beautiful marble that had fine brown/black veins running diagonally acrss the top, creating a charred look of grill lines.

 
As I looked around, what instantly caught my attention--in a bad way--was a row of circular modern-styled lights that hung from dark tiled ceiling. (This is my only negative comment.) The lights, besides from looking humorously like an oversized Target logo, seemed to be out of place in this dark and more rustic feeling setting. I can see that the design of the lights is meant to be the grill of an electroc stove perhaps, with the warm red coils; however, the white was so contrasting that it really drew my attention away from some of the more beautiful and fitting elements of the room.

  
 
We were seated in a corner of the room that faced the bar with our backs to the side walls. The seating was absolutely intriguing. A coarse but comfortable fabric covered the back of the booth, and when you looked closely you could actually see that the pattern was made up of intersecting burnt matchsticks! I thought it was genius. Additinally, overhead was a glass column that housed a beautiful gas-powered flame which flicked and casted beautiful dancing shadows across the table. 

 
I think my favorite element overall was the intricate lighting fixture that hung on the wall above my head and on the opposite wall int he room as well. The wall hanging, which served more as illuminated art than an actual source of light, glowed gold in between the curved and delicately shaped pieces of what appeared to be bronze metal. I loved how these fixtures made me think of the glowing coals on a very high-end barbeque.

Public Exposure

By Adam Figman, Editorial Intern

Picture this. You walk into a public bathroom on a street corner. It has a pretty standard setup, equipped with a toilet, toilet paper, sink, paper towels, and garbage. With one catch: you can see everyone, and everything, that surrounds you, outside of the bathroom. No, they can’t see you, because the bathroom is enclosed by one-way glass. All passer-byers see is a reflection of themselves and the environment around them. But you see them. Looking at you. Eyeing you down. Of course, you'd get a little insecure.  Who wouldn’t?

                

As seen in the picture above, a Houston public restroom puts locals to the test. The real question is: Could you? Would you? As for me, I’m not too sure.Maybe quickly, during one of those ‘nobody’s around’ moments when the pedestrian traffic is at a lull. I think a phone booth might be a little better suited for the half-mirror, half-transparent glass

Meanwhile, take a look at the ceiling on the room above. That mural is what you might see when you look up in your local smoker’s lounge. Perhaps you’ve had a long day, and an end-of-the-day cigar is just what you need to take a load off and relax. Could you do so with the illusion of a strange religious service going on just a few feet over your head?

Personally, I don’t experience much relaxation while feeling I could be buried alive from the onlookers above at any moment. But I’ve never been one for optical illusions. Would you mind socializing in a room like this?  

Is Beauty Only Skin Deep?

By Stacy Straczynski, Associate Editor

Customized skins seem to be all the rage these days for iPods, iPhones, laptops, and any other tech gadget you can name. But Inhabit yesterday posted an item about a new photovoltaic skin concept, designed by the Laboratory for Visionary Architects (LAVA), would serve more of a purpose then simply adding a touch of personalization: the eco-friendly Enviro Skin would solve the aesthetic failure of the University of Technology Sydney Tower, which has been dubbed by Sydney as the its ugliest building.

Video via Architecture + Design

The concept calls for a composite, light-weight mesh textile to envelope the 1960s building in a cocoon that will help to reduce the structure’s carbon footprint by collecting rainwater, generating electricity, and helping to ventilate the building. At night, the skin would serve as a media surface to communicate information to students, much like a billboard in times square.