Contract - January/February 2013 - (Page 61)

The Voyages Collection (below) from cf stinson is a line of durable, cleanable upholstery fabric that Graves designed specifically for healthcare environments. For Skyline Design, Graves designed the 5+ glass collection (right), which is etched in his patterns that evoke stones, bricks, and piazzas. One percent of all sales from this series is donated to the 1% program of Public Architecture. As part of the Michael Graves Active Living Collection of aesthetically pleasing and durable medical products, the Bag Cane (left) is a foldable cane that fits into a carry bag with a handle, shoulder strap, and zippered pouch. intended to look and work like places ordinary people live in, but with five-foot wide corridors that permit two wheelchairs to comfortably pass, and easily accessible bathrooms and kitchens. Graves avoided tight turns through doorways so that the wheelchair-bound “would not feel bad about hitting the walls and corners of their own house.” Doors slide rather than swing, allowing them to be opened and closed more easily from a wheelchair. “Veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder feel vulnerable to people outside,” Graves says. “You don’t want glass walls. We made a room that’s darker, where a person can huddle in a corner if they wanted—where one can do what’s necessary to feel better.” Looking to tomorrow with vigor Asked what unifies his diverse output, Graves says, “We’ve always tried to be humanist, and human-centered, in the products and in the architecture. It’s not about the designer, but supporting the human participation in the activities the building hosts.” In considering his legacy—and his continued work— Graves looks at the broader perspective beyond the recent healthcare focus. “I hope the work in the office, and the people trained in the office, all become a part of the legacy,” Graves says. “I wake up every morning raring to go, and I look forward to every day’s work. I don’t have any thoughts of retiring. I’m only 78 and I do my work with such joy. I can’t imagine doing anything else. I look forward to tomorrow with such vigor that I know that the work we are doing now will be a prelude to further work and we will continue to work through the various issues of design and architecture in a way that is really gratifying.” c James S. Russell, FAIA, is the architecture critic for Bloomberg News [bloomberg.com/muse/james-russell] in New York and the author of The Agile City: Building Well Being and Wealth in an Era of Climate Change. A former editor at large at Architectural Record, Russell teaches at the Spitzer School of Architecture at the City College of New York. contract http://www.bloomberg.com/muse/james-russell

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - January/February 2013

Contract - January/February 2013
Contents
Editorial
Industry News
Product Briefs: Lighting
Product Focus: Bonaire and Buxom
Designer of the Year
Legend Award
34th annual interiors awards
Large Office
Small Office
Hotel
Restaurant
Healthcare
Education
Public Space
Showroom
Entertainment
Sustainable
Adaptive Reuse
Retail
Student
Designers Select: Tables and Desks
Sources
Ad Index
Public Interest Design
Perspective: Michael Graves on the Lost Art of Drawing

Contract - January/February 2013