Commercial Architecture December 2017 - 8

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

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
wholesale change in what sustainability means.

Yorks state such as USAI Lighting, Windsor, NY

While green products still focus on environmen-

(usailighting.com), whose products are reliable
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,
price is foremost on the buyer's mind. While
many manufacturers have reduced initial costs,

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

product ideas from Inscape Corp., Falconer, NY
(inscapesolutions.com), offer low-cost, highly reconfigurable 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
bad (and often for free), a number of new prod-

and what hard surfaces are used on walls and

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

floors, and Snowsound USA, Santa Fe Springs,

form, Medina, NY (takeform.net), for example,

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

http://www.usailighting.com http://www.bifma.org http://www.greenguard.org http://www.watsonfurniture.com http://www.living-future.org http://www.wellcertified.com http://www.inscapesolutions.com http://www.snowsoundusa.com http://www.takeform.net http://www.mohawkind.com http://www.commercialarchitecturemagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Commercial Architecture December 2017