HD Expo Recap

Since the editors at Hospitality Design (HD) magazine, our sister publication, are running around the Las Vegas show—Hospitality Design Exposition & Conference (HD Expo)—moderating panels, running architectural tours, visiting on the show floor, etc., we rarely have time to blog from the show floor. They decided to do a recap:

I started this year's HD Expo with a panel on the new JetBlue Terminal 5 at JFK Airport in New York with Lionel Ohayon, ICRAVE, Rick Blatstein, OTG Management, and Henry Myerberg, HMA2, representing Rockwell Group. For those that don't know, Terminal 5 reinvents airport dining and interaction, tapping into the anxieties and needs of air travelers. What amazed me listening to the panelists (Ohayon designed the restaurants for OTG and Myerberg worked on the marketplace, where the three concourses come together) was that this design and concept is common sense—why should airports offer such bad alternatives. As Blatstein said, paraphrasing, "We are in New York City with some of the greatest restaurants in the world, why can't that be true for the airport." Ohayon, bringing his expertise from creating some of the best restaurants in New York and LA, really thought about the traveler and used that in his design, like there are no doors closing off the restaurants from the gates to lessen anxiety, people can order straight from gate-side food bars, and there are plenty of single seats in the restaurants those traveling alone. The real treat was seeing Ohayon's original sketches, even some ideas that didn't get implemented. And the innovation paid off: this terminal has the highest F&B revenue per enplaning passenger among U.S. airport terminals.

Then I sat in on the Radical Innovation in Hospitality Competition. Co-founded and produced by the Hospitality Design Group (HD Group) and the John Hardy Group, the award, now in its fourth year, promotes innovation and global-thought leadership in hospitality. A fantastic jury of hotel experts narrowed down the many submissions to three...they usually do two, but couldn't decide. The finalists presented at this panel (formerly during HD Boutique), and the audience got to select the winner...no, I didn't vote. The three finalists were: Aircruise, a vertical airship cruise from Seymourpowell powered by natural gas that docks (yes dock) in this vertical contraption and as it travels around the world, tether over different cities, adding to the skyline; Trespass: A Wanderer's Hotel from Weetu, which would help solve the problem of empty retail malls by anchoring it with a hotel; and Mosaic from WATG, which takes the pop-up phenomenon to a whole new level, for adventure travel and voluntourism. And the winner is: Mosaic from WATG. Yes, same firm from Sustainable Suite, but no, they aren't paying anyone off. Aircruise took home the first runner-up honor. What I heard from the audience was that Mosaic could happen five years from now, and Aircruise was more like 20 years away. In fact, rumor is that WATG may use the $10,000 cash prize to build a prototype. For more, click here and look out for an upcoming issue of HD.

I also went on two of our four architectural tours to CityCenter (proceeds benefit the scholarships of NEWH). If you haven't heard of it, you have been in a bubble, but just in case, it is MGM Mirage's latest and greatest statement on the Strip. It's the largest privately funded construction project on the western hemisphere, and has bragging rights for its six LEED Gold certifications. On Wednesday and Thursday 35 people got to check out the public spaces of casino-hotel Aria and walk through the entertainment-retail complex Crystals. And thanks to our sponsors MechoShade and Control4, the attendees saw a corner room suite at Aria and got a demonstration of the amazing technology they implemented there and elsewhere at CityCenter that allows guests to turn off all lights and close all shades (and vice versa) with a touch of a button. Yet the best part was an insider's look from Sven Van Assche, vice president of design for MGM Mirage and CityCenter, who led both tours. He went into detail about the nature-inspired designs, since as he said, yes I am paraphrasing again, they "didn't want a themed place, but contemporary design and architecture, not modern, and everyone has a good feeling about being in or around nature," the extensive fine art collection, and working with the countless design and architecture firms. Seeing it through his eyes really brought the project's many layers and magnitude together. See more of HD's exclusive coverage on our gallery page and in the April issue. Thanks to the entire team at CityCenter and MGM Mirage who made those happen.

 

-- Hospitality Design (Stacy Shoemaker Rauen)

‘9 by Design’ Gets Jerseylicious

What do big families, the Jersey Shore, and phenomenal interior design have in common? Find out on the newest episode of "9 by Design," which aired May 25.

"9 by Design" follows the real-life adventures of husband-and-wife interior design team Cortney and Rob Novogratz. Both hail from big Southern families, but they now work and live in New York City with their seven adorable children.

Cortney and Rob own Sixx Design, where they renovate and re-design urban spaces with their distinctive blend of vintage and modern. In their latest reality show episode, they take on the luxurious 24-room Bungalow Hotel on the Jersey Shore. The challenge: adapting their one-of-a-kind aesthetic with the hotel's need for practicality. Rob and Cortney turn each room into a unique palette, adding functional pieces to their signature vintage.

Watch this and other episodes for practical interior design tips and a glimpse at the everyday adventures of this hip, modern Brady Bunch.

What do you think of Sixx Design's eclectic style and their take on the Bungalow Hotel?

-Lillian Civantos

Cracking the Code

By Bob Chisholm, FAIA, chairman of the board, R.E. Chisholm Architects

How many times have you had your project “held up” at the building department?

All of us are in agreement that building codes and permits are necessary to protect the health, safety, and welfare of our citizens. At the same time, we could ask any professional architect or engineer (a/e) to provide narrative on frustrating accounts with our regulatory process from incompetent to vindictive. It is a fact that the licensed (and legally liable) a/e must be knowledgeable in the using building codes and provide well executed, code-complaint documents for building permit processing, period. 

On the other hand, it is also a fact that the building official and/or building plans reviewer (not legally liable) must be trained and knowledgeable in reviewing plans, the building code, and provide any interpretation or comments and defer to the professional a/e to respond and complete the submission to the objective approval of the reviewer.

So, why does this not happen as smoothly as the concept above?

There are many, many, reasons.

Focusing on the essence, we tried to come up with a couple of logical and descriptive observations:  “Each of us has a job to do, what we want is uniformity and consistency from people who are competent”…. quite a logical comment by a Florida architect who has been involved in untangling procedural issues in the building permitting process.

And of course, any observation easily applies to both sides of the process.  An observation that speaks volumes on turf protection is voiced by another involved Florida architect, who comments “lack of communication,” definitely from both sides.

(For the record, we tried to get building officials to also provide comment, but we were unable to.)

The above observations and actions are extremely significant to a process that should be a public/private partnership between the building official and the a/e.

Unfortunately, the perceptions are opposite to each side. The public sector feels the documents submitted by the a/e are incomplete and sloppy, insufficient details, no knowledge of the codes, and untimely responses by the a/e and to pour salt, the attitude is that building plan reviewers are actually getting the job done properly. In other words, the a/e is submitting deficient documents and is incapable of providing proper solutions.

However, the a/e feel that many reviewers are flexing their position of authority by mandating solutions that belong to the arena of the professional a/e and merely empowering a bureaucracy, shamelessly generating revenue. In other words, the building plans reviewers are abusing their job description.

There is most likely a lot of truth to the feelings of both sides.  What must be realized is that dysfunctional patterns easily become standard procedures, and that is complicating matters substantially. How about some old-fashioned defined accountability and responsibility?

Concepts are being tried in order to bring serenity to the process, some of them are:

• Uniformity in content and minimum information required on submitted documents along with a check-off list submitted with the documents.
• Reviewers get one pass per department to a set of documents, no new comments after the fact. 
• The building code rules, so no biased interpretations, maybe using a local licensed third party to make a final interpretation ruling.
• A mandatory pre-submission meeting to review plans prior to building permit submission.
• Time limitations for the review process, two weeks maximum on any set of documents.
• Uniform building codes for entire state along with emphasis on thoroughly coordinated fire and building codes to avoid contradictions, which cause continuous revisions and new code versions.

All these issues are not prevalent everywhere. Granted, in some areas of the country, the process is much easier or difficult than others. So if both sides work together in partnership and the rules of the game are adhered to, everybody wins—sounds so simple…

About the Author:
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.

Is McDonald's New Facelift a Waste?

 Let's face it—McDonald's isn’t the crème de crème of restaurants. We go there for cheap eats and speedy service, not ambience. But all that may change as the McDonald's franchise seeks to update it’s classic look with a more modern, fashionable image.

McDonald's executives hope to remodel 400 to 500 locations across the country in 2010. And the corporation recently pledged $1 billion to this initiative.

Richard Bechguenturian Jr. is a franchiser who recently re-modeled his store to reflect the trendy, new image of his North Hollywood, Los Angeles, store. Local designer Ed Webb helped create a contemporary space with wall murals and a central lounge area in the 88-seat dining room. "We're going to send a strong signal that McDonald's is relevant," says McDonald's chief executive Jim Skinner in a statement.

Photos of the space, however, show a restaurant that looks surprisingly like... a McDonald's (gasp!). Sorry, Mickey D's, but it’s going to take more than a make-over to change the public perception of you as a greasy burger and fries joint.

What do you think? Can the right design (and a total make-over) make it possible for McDonald's to change its image, or will consumers continue to see it as just a cheap chain?

--Lillian Civantos

Cool New Read

Every now and again a book comes along that reads much like a magazine (read: gorgeous visual images, shorter text and maximum flippability). Diva loves the new "Fashion Décor: New Interiors for Concept Shops," published recently by China-based Sandu Publishing and sponsored by Design 360 - Concept and Design Magazine.

A mix of new fashion retail store designs from around the globe. And the photos are gorgeous, highlighting some of the standout store designs from the past three years. Check it out today at Amazon.com.

--Diva, Display & Design Ideas

Hope Floats

While creating a spectacular visual design might not by itself be a life-saving endeavor, it can be when artful inspiration meets practical safety. Morely Builders recently announced that it has teamed up with Portraits of Hope, an organization that utilizes public art projects as therapy for hospitalized children, in an effort to adorn 30 miles of lifeguard towers (38 in total) along the Los Angeles County Coast with colorful artwork. Each piece created by adults and children with serious illnesses, disabilities, and socio-economic challenges.

The exhibit will be on display through October 1. The recyclable boards and vinyl roofing will then be sent to aid rebuilding in Haiti and Chile.

--Stacy Straczynski

Debate over Franklin Court

(from Quinn Evans)

Should old structures remain at the expense of the new? More to the point, should renovated historic structures capturing a certain image of the past give way to convenience and a more modern design? That is the debate raging today over proposed restorations to Franklin Court, the Philadelphia museum and memorial to Benjamin Franklin.

Known as the "Ghost House," this beloved Philadelphia landmark stands on the site of Benjamin Franklin's home. Though the actual home was razed in 1812, acclaimed firm Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates (VSBA) designed the current structure in 1976 as a tribute to Franklin and evocation of his era. Their design won the AIA National Honor Award and is considered "arguably one of the most gratifying projects of the postmodern period in successfully integrating historicist subtleties with modernist clarities." (The Architect's Newspaper) Today, the National Park Service, with architecture firm Quinn Evans, hopes to expand on the original design with a new glass entry pavilion with gift shop, staircase, and an elevator leading to the underground museum. The new design would change the appearance and character of the museum's entry, while allowing improved visitor flow for large groups of visitors.

Part of Independence National Historical Park, the area of the museum includes 5 restored structures along historic Market Street. It was carefully designed to augment the classic pedestrian character of Philadelphia streets, evoking an intentional colonial feel and maintaining the museum as part of the city's public and pedestrian tissue. The original firm, VSBA, released a letter to the park on the proposed renovations. The general public was welcomed to publish comments as well, on the Park's website. Among several concerns, VSBA comments that "in the new entry plans as they now stand, the sequence [of pedestrian traffic] is broken." They add that "The pavilion's abstract Neomodern aesthetic seems confusingly close in character to the Ghost structure and out of keeping with the mellow brick, stone and wood of the site elements."

But the debate is not as simple as form versus function. It may be that the new design is actually less practical than it appears. Not only does it disrupt Philadelphia's pedestrian flow, the new structure features two small waiting areas instead of one, convenient large one. VSBA states that "the proposed access and entrance plan does not seem...to allow for the likely visitor volumes and flows on busy days, or to provide sufficient and well located waiting and marshalling space for school groups."

The debate spans form versus function, historic character against modern aesthetics. It is not surprising that public discussion surrounds the proposed renovations. What would you decide?

-Lillian Civantos

Do You See Economic Recovery?

The AIA today released its April 2010 ABI report showing that billings once again improved (read the story at ContractDesign.com). But is business really getting better? Contract reached out to several of it's A&D contacts today to find out. Here are some responses:

"We are pleased to be seeing some positive change. Our March 2010 billings were up 20 percent over March 2009, the highest since this recession began in October of ’08. As the recovery continues, we remain cautiously optimistic."

     -- David Mourning, AIA, IIDA, President and CEO

"HOK’s experience matches the overall trend shown in the Architecture Billings Index.  Our revenue has been ‘flat’ since late 2009, but we’ve seen an increase in the number of new opportunities and have been fortunate to secure many of them.  I believe this will be a very slow recovery in the private sector, because businesses are still very reluctant to add people – and job growth is the single largest driver in commercial real estate, design, and construction.  Some of our best prospects include health care – where major institutions have re-established funding for their capital needs – Federally-funded public projects, and development in growing economies like India and China."

     --Clark Davis, FAIA, Vice Chairman, HOK

“It’s clear that the economy is improving and we’re starting to see more confidence in a number of our key markets. Like most practices of our size, the last two years were challenging, but our diversity and global spread helped us weather the storm. In fact, we used the opportunity to expand our footprint outside the United States and to strengthen our position in those domestic markets that remained somewhat buoyant, like healthcare and Federal work. We continue to be optimistic, especially as work in Asia continues to be robust and we’re still finding opportunities in the Middle East, but the commercial domestic markets still look like they will take some time to rebound.”

     --Lance  K Josal FAIA, President and CEO, RTKL Associates Inc.

"Although there is increased optimism in certain sectors as project funding becomes available again, many designers continue to struggle in a marketplace increasingly dominated by the largest firms.  The recent hyper competitiveness has driven fees downward, and many firms are rapidly depleting whatever capital cushions they had.  It's still scary out there."

     -- Steve McCollom, Principal, McCollom Consulting

"We began to see the market thaw in the last quarter of '09 and we continue to be cautiously optimisitc for the year ahead. While we are not expecting robust growth, we are hiring across the firm--we have 63 open positions up on our website as of today--and we are seeing an uptick in work across sectors including Government, Education and Interiors. In addition, markets showing strong growth include China, Korea, Singapore, the Middle East and Brazil."

      -- David Gensler, Executive Director, Gensler

 

What has business been like at your firm? Do you see recovery on the road ahead? Let us know. E-mail sstraczynski@contractdesign.com or comment below.

A NeoCon Frame of Mind

Allsteel is gearing up for NeoCon. The workplace furniture solutions company announced recently that it is sponsoring the NeoCon keynote speaker Majora Carter, executive director and founder of the first “green-collar” job training and placement systems. The sponsorship marks Allsteel’s 11th consecutive year of participation.

Carter’s “Green the Ghetto and How Much it Won’t Cost Us” presentation will discuss her definition of environmentalism and how it can lead all socio-economic communities to lead more sustainable lives. The keynote will be held on June 14 at 8 a.m.

Allsteel will showcase its sustainable office solutions at the Merchandise Mart Resource Center No. 1120.

Celebrating Design at ICFF

More than 300 people made their way down to SoHo last night (May 17) for Sicis and New York Spaces' ICFF bash. With just one day left to go for the internationally-renowned show, attendees, customers, and fans came out to party at Sicis' gorgeous four-story high showroom at 470 Broome Street. The New York Spaces team did three prize drawings for off-Broadway tickets throughout the night. Winners were:

Daniel DeSousa of Stephen Yablon Architect PLLC, Aaron Leshtz from Studio Sofield, and Willie Traeger from Willie.

Here are some shots of party-goers in action, enjoying great food, drinks, and tile mosaics: