"Collaborate 'Til It Hurts"

Our July issue it out now, with this year's Guest Editor issue being helmed not by an individual, but by a bevy of talented minds at HOK across the country. It seems appropriate, then, that the theme of the issue is collaboration. Taking the advice of their guest editorial—Collaborate 'til it hurts—to heart, we packed in a lineup that includes looks at collaboration through the lenses of a new university in Saudi Arabia; AmeriCares; the prestigious commission of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC; landscape architecture; and, of course not least, Cirque du Soleil, whose well-known performers grace this month's cover.

In fact, we collaborated so much, the issue continues with a selection of extra goodies online. And so, after you've devoured the July print issue, log on to check out the following bonus features:

Resources: Building on Hope

Creatives living with HIV find meaningful employment and a supportive outlet for their talents at New York's Alpha Workshops

Green: Green Building Goes Global

As the international community embraces sustainability, a common goal has engendered an uncommon level of cooperation

Essay: On the Landscape

Artist Olafur Eliasson learns to collaborate with man and nature, as he creates his most noteworthy works

Practice: Project Management

Complexity in Simplicity

Critique: The Power of Collaborative Design

Solving today's complex problems takes a lot more than a single perspective

Design hits DC on July 24

The Cooper-Hewitt will celebrate the 10th Annual National Design Awards with a slew of free public programs on July 24 in Washington, DC. The day will kick off with a few concurrent programs at 10 am at various museums around the National Mall, and later in the day the 2009 winners will be formally recognized at a ceremony at the White House hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama. While the WH event is, of course, invite only, here's the schedule of programming for the masses:

Design X Details: Materials and Their Effects

Fashion design winner Francisco Costa and interior design winners Calvin Tsao and Zack McKown of TSAO & McKOWN Architects will chat about the role of materials in their work at the Corcoran College of Art & Design (500 17th Street NW).

Design X Community: Transform Your Neighborhood

Architecture winners Christopher Sharples, Coren Sharples and Gregg Pasquarelli of SHoP Architects and landscape design winner Walter Hood will gather at The National Building Museum (401 F Street NW) and focus on how design can be used to create a sense of community.

Design X Information: Interpreting the Present and the Past

Product design winners Boym Partners and communication design winner Steve Duenes of The New York Times graphics department are convening at The Smithsonian Castle (1000 Jefferson Drive SW) to discuss the relationship between current events and their design processes.

Design X Experience: The Future of Interaction Design

Design mind winner Amory Lovine and lifetime achievement recipient Bill Moggridge will address the future of technology and sustainability at the National Museum of the American Indian (Fourth Street and Independence Avenue SW)

Merge ahead?

An interesting tidbit we just received: Zweig White is reporting that 71 percent of architecture, engineering, and environmental consulting firms plan to conduct a merger or acquisition in the next five years. Are you part of this majority? 

Launching today: Green & Design

Today marks the debut of a new digital publication from the Contract family: Green & Design. Focusing on sustainability in the built environment, the digital publication is the first of a three-prong initiative that aims to give the A&D community the latest must-read news on all things green. A sister publication for Contract, Green & Design pulls from the expertise of the design and real estate titles of our parent company, Nielsen Business Media, which include Contract (of course!), Commercial Property News, DDI, Hospitality Design, Multi-Housing News and Kitchen & Bath Business.

To debut in the coming months are an extensive web portal and virtual events. But you don't have to wait to check out the new magazine here.

Save the economy in under seven minutes?

That's what Architecture 2030's offering as seven minutes is the length of a new web cast from Ed Mazria and his team that explains the organization's two-year, nine-million-jobs investment plan. The focus: the private building sector and more specifically, the renovation of buildings in the private sector to specific energy reduction targets and how all involved can benefit.

C'mon, it's a rainy Monday: perfect for staying inside and watching videos. So, watch the webcast here and then download the plan itself for more detail, and then, of course, come back here and give us your thoughts.

Talkin' 'bout the greener good

In case you missed it a couple of weeks back, the National Building Museum has uploaded the most recent portion of its "For the Greener Good" lecture series. The series calls on experts from a range of backgrounds to examine links between environmental sustainability and design, public health, energy policy, bioscience, infrastructure, education and even pop culture.

The focus this time around was Healthy Hospitals with a focus on why a green hospital is a healthier one. Taped in late March, discussion participants were Bob Eisenman, executive director, Global Health and Safety Initiative; Robin Guenther, architect and principal at Perkins+Will and co-author of Sustainable Healthcare Architecture; Roger S. Ulrich, Ph.D., director, Center for Health Systems and Design, Texas A&M University; and moderator Joanne Silberner, health policy correspondent, National Public Radio.


Healthy Hospitals from National Building Museum on Vimeo.

Next up: On April 29, the series looks at Vertical Farming and the future of urban food production. For those in the D.C. area interested in attending, it will take place from 6:30 pm - 8 pm. Participants on tap are Robin Osler, Elmslie Osler Architects; Dickson Despommier, professor of public health at Columbia University; and Carolyn Steel, author of Hungry City: How Food Shapes our Lives. Interested in CEU possibilities? Attendees can get 1.5 LU/1.5 CEM/ and 1.5 CE credits. Prepaid registration is required. More info is available here.

The end of the office?

Are we seeing the final days of the traditional American office? Yes, says DEGW co-founder and British architect Frank Duffy in the current issue of Harvard Design magazine. Specifically, Duffy argues that the tall and low office buildings prevalent in the 20th century will no longer rule the skyline in response to a number of factors. One of the most important variables? The continual rise and evolution of technology. New technology, Duffy states, has created new ways of working and, in response, new office architecture and city forms. "There is now less need for individual desk-centered space and more need for widely distributed spaces of formal and informal gathering," he writes, and goes on to add that "it is no longer useful to rely on temporal categories such as the five-day week and the eight-hour day to place boundaries on office work or measure the environmental performance of buildings. Boundaries between what is work and what is not are shifting fast. Work is spilling into even wider and more complex spatial and temporal landscapes. The consequence for architects and for everyone else involved is that the office building no longer has a monopoly on accommodating work, and thus, from both a managerial and an environmental point of view, has become a misleading and obsolescent unit of analysis."

To read more on Duffy's thoughts, click here.

What advice do you have for students or those entering the A&D field?

In anticipation of the 30^th Annual Interiors Awards Breakfast THIS FRIDAY(!) (get last-minute tickets here), Contract asked past Designers of the Year (or, as we affectionately dub them, our DOYs) for their thoughts on a selection of industry-related questions. Each Thursday leading up to the Interiors Awards, check back in for their thoughts on the latest topic and give us your thoughts on the question of the week.

In the past two weeks we asked about the most exhilarating and disturbing trends in design. For this week's question, we look forward and ask: What advice do you have for students or those just entering the A&D field?

Carol Groh
Carol A. Groh Design; Greenwich, Conn.; DOY 1987

It is critical that all students MUST be educated in the business practices of design. All schools should include programs and practices of business in their curriculum, as this is ESSENTIAL for being successful in the fields of design.

 

Karen Daroff
Daroff Design Inc., Philadelphia; DOY 1990

A recessionary period is a both a good time and a difficult time to be entering the profession, so the challenge for a graduating student is how to distinguish themselves from the flood of job applicants. It is a good time, because firms are looking for opportunities to reduce overhead. The addition of talented (lower salary) recent graduates might a creative way for a firm to lower its average cost per billable employee.
Recent graduating students should keep in mind that a positive first impression is essential. Candidates should wear business attire, be well groomed and have a well-designed, graphically refined portfolio, illustrating a cross section of their professional capabilities.A positive attitude, flexibility and a wide range of computer skills such as Photoshop, AutoCAD and competence in 3-D visualization programs such as Sketch-up, in addition to good space planning, a keen eye for colors and finishes and a working knowledge of sources and codes is highly desirable. Candidates should be willing to embrace the internship process or take entry-level positions and salaries just to get their feet in the door. Once hired, interns have the opportunity to distinguish themselves by thinking ahead, being flexible and demonstrating motivation to pitch-in whenever possible. 
A designer’s education is on-going, so I would also encourage students to read design magazines, attend office “lunch and learns’ and embrace every opportunity they have to broaden their knowledge base. Additionally, I believe, that to get ahead, it is essential to be a good communicator. My own interior design college academic course work did not adequately prepare me for the rigors of writing proposals and contracts, the critical reading comprehension skills needed to understand the client's goals and objectives and the codes and ordinances governing interior design projects.  My college education also did not adequately prepare me for the presentation skills I quickly learned were needed for me to successfully lead a marketing presentation.

Debra Lehman Smith
Founding Partner, Lehman Smith McLeish; Washington, DC; DOY 1995

More than ever, we are practicing in a global, multi-dimensional environment where interior architecture is fully integrated with associated fields.  I’d encourage young professionals to get a variety of different work experiences, including planning, development, landscape or industrial design, art and graphics, broadening their perspective of the profession.  Experiences outside of the traditional work setting, through volunteer or professional organizations, can be equally valuable.

 

Neville Lewis, FIIDA
Consultant/educator; New York; DOY 1997

Study,study, study, observe and listen.

David Rockwell
Founder and CEO, Rockwell Group; New York, 
with satellite offices in Madrid and Dubai; DOY 1998

In order to be innovative, experimental, and to really push boundaries, you have to be willing to fail sometimes. So, the rules I stand by are to always make sure I am taking on new challenges, strive to make sure projects stand out; find unique design opportunities; and continually keep ideas fresh and relevant.

 

William McDonough
Principal, William McDonough + Partners and MBDC; Charlottesville, VA; 
DOY 1999

Travel widely as soon as you can.

 

Shashi Caan
Principal, The Collective; New York City; DOY 2004

Our current economic concerns can be viewed as an extraordinary opportunity for defining the deeper meaning and value of design. This period is a moment in our history for mass human catharsis—a shedding of our wasteful ways and a constant want for more—and a strive for a broad global balance.
This next decade heralds a new beginning and ushers a new era. It is a time for embracing and testing the classic dictums such as “necessity is the mother of invention”…It is a phenomenal time seeking great creativity, intelligence, learning, experimenting and understanding. This is your day and a time to truly define the empathetic and the innovative in design

Ken Wilson
Principal, Envision; Washington, DC; DOY 2005

You have to love the profession and be willing to work exceptionally hard.

Mark Harbick, AIA, IIDA 
Vice President / Director of Design, Huntsman Architectural Group; New York; 
DOY 2006

Diversify. Obtain practical experience in all aspects of the profession and project types. Become as well-rounded as possible.

 

What is the most disturbing trend in interior design today?

In anticipation of the 30^th Annual Interiors Awards Breakfast on January 30 (tickets available now), Contract asked past Designers of the Year (or, as we affectionately dub them, our DOYs) for their thoughts on a selection of industry-related questions. Each Thursday leading up to the Interiors Awards, check back in for their thoughts on the latest topic and give us your thoughts on the question of the week.

Last week we asked about the most exhilarating trends in design so for this week's question, we ask the opposite: What do you find to be the most disturbing trend or development in the design industry today?

Carol Groh
Carol A. Groh Design; Greenwich, Conn.; DOY 1987

The lack of workmanship in all areas of manufacturing and construction is becoming much worse throughout the world. We must find a way to correct this trend and restore quality and visual excellence.

Karen Daroff
Daroff Design Inc., Philadelphia; DOY 1990

While the great majority of our projects are for “repeat” clients with negotiated fee agreements, we still get our share of random and unsolicited RFP’s. I can certainly understand clients asking design firms, of about equal capabilities and experience, to “bid” on a well defined scope of services as part of a comprehensive selection process; however, I am disturbed when I receive a "Dear Designer" Request for Proposal from a prospective client who doesn’t include a face-to-face meeting as part of their selection criteria, and who distributes their RFP to a long list of not pre-qualified design firms. 
I am equally disturbed when potential clients or their project managers cavalierly ask for free up-front services, (unpaid) design competitions. Perhaps the most disturbing trend is when a potential client's project representative, has not obtained the required corporate approvals and financing to undertake the project, yet uses the RFP process and an unpaid design competition to gain funding or authorization to proceed with the project. 
Recently, we have seen competing firms and/or teams of firms, submitting absurdly “low ball” fees, in what appears to be a desperate effort to “win” projects during this challenging economic recession.  We’ve been practicing for 35 years and have been through three recessionary periods. During these challenging economic conditions, I encourage design firms to use good business practices i.e.: right sizing and lowering overhead expenses, rather than “giving away” or “low balling” fee proposals. While slashing fees might seem like good short-term solutions, I believe it is ultimately a recipe for disaster. If together, we can maintain good professional practices, we and our clients stand a better chance of successfully riding out economic downturns.

Debra Lehman Smith
Founding Partner, Lehman Smith McLeish; Washington, DC; DOY 1995

Firms that aren’t taking advantage of the opportunity to reach for the highest level of design. I’m afraid that “commoditization” and the desire for growth and profits can often prevent us from reaching our potential as a profession.

 

Neville Lewis, FIIDA
Consultant/educator; New York; DOY 1997

Not enough conceptual thinking and too many "Me" designers who seem more interested in press coverage.

 

David Rockwell
Founder and CEO, Rockwell Group;
New York, with satellite offices in Madrid and Dubai; DOY 1998

Well, the economy is obviously affecting every industry, including design. There is no question that developers and consumers are responding in kind, but people are still investing in well-designed spaces and products. There is certainly less impulsive spending, and everyone is being more cautious, but I think that this will just insure that our clients will be conscious of having more timeless spaces that will not need to be re-designed any time soon.

 

William McDonough
Principal, William McDonough + Partners and MBDC; Charlottesville, VA; DOY 1999

I am very disturbed about the thoughtless use of dangerous or questionable materials for the sake of novelty in design. Science is telling us to beware of many products and yet we persist in using them.

 

Shashi Caan
Principal, The Collective; New York City; DOY 2004

A majority focus on the "trend," "cool" or "branding/lifestyle," as opposed to design advocating and showcasing values, integrity, well-being (true well-being as in full, intentional, and sensitive support of people in their constructed environment) and uplifting of the human spirit.
A lack of significant research and deeper probing—by designers for design—to understand the profundity of satisfaction and contentment shaped by the human senses and the fundamental design elements of light, color and form.

 

Ken Wilson
Principal, Envision; Washington, DC; DOY 2005

The pure excess I see in the designs that are showing up in places like the United Arab Emirates and China. An unusual building form makes a good conversation piece, but why not take the money required to do that and design a building that creates its own energy, harvests its own water, and creates no waste? With goals like that, you could surely design an interesting form with a greater purpose.

Mark Harbick, AIA, IIDA 
Vice President/Director of Design, Huntsman Architectural Group; New York; 
DOY 2006

Overcoming the myth that “Design” is expensive to achieve.

 

June is Chicago is heating up.....

Chicago may be hunkering down for winter, but June 2009 is already shaping up to be hot, at least when it comes to design. This morning, ASID announced plans to launch a new ASID National Conference in conjunction with NeoCon® World's Trade Fair. Also on tap: Contract's new Light! conference, which will be taking place on the 12th floor of the Merchandise Mart during NeoCon®. So much to do, so much to see....what are you most looking forward to come June?