Contract - June 2013 - (Page 22)
pHoto: Meg Walton
editorial
Ingenuity Across the Board
Inspiring, innovative interiors can be in any scale. In this issue, we
portray where innovation happens—in workplaces and in a beautifully
renovated United Nations (U.N.) chamber. Actually, all of the featured
interiors in this issue are the result of extensive renovation or adaptive
reuse. What’s old is new in spaces where creativity leads to results.
In a Contract exclusive, James Ludwig, the vice president of
global design for Steelcase, authors a feature (page 80) describing
the Steelcase Innovation Center, a recently completed office for his
designers, researchers, and creative staff. Designed by Steelcase in
collaboration with Contract’s 2013 Designer of the Year Joey Shimoda,
the innovation center is a synthesis of, as Ludwig points out, “strategy,
brand, and culture.” Ludwig shares with our readers how careful
consideration of the ways his team works—and will work in the
future—was put into the design for the space, a former warehouse and
manufacturing facility. Now, the creative brain trust of Steelcase is back
on the company’s main Grand Rapids campus, and the light-filled
workplace is a clear example of ingenuity put into practice.
“Innovation is an intrinsically social endeavor,” Ludwig writes,
“and in order to be successful, people need people, access to tools
and technology, and places that bring these elements together.”
The interiors of three small offices in this issue further underscore
the need for these elements—particularly people and company
culture—to come together in artful, meaningful ways. The offices of
Giant Pixel (page 86), Sierra Pacific Constructors (page 98), and the
architecture and design firm Concrete (page 92), all modestly scaled,
demonstrate that one design does not fit all, and that culture is
absolutely a driver for innovative office interiors.
Our 2011 Designer of the Year, Studio O+A, led by Primo Orpilla
and Verda Alexander, created a new office for software company Giant
Pixel in a lofty space in the South of Market district in San Francisco.
Beauty is in the simplicity of this office, where the bones of the existing
space form a backdrop for the interior interventions by Studio O+A.
In Southern California, Sierra Pacific Constructors is known for
quality craftsmanship in the construction of modern residences and
other interiors. So it was no surprise that the company’s own office by
22
Shubin + Donaldson Architects is a prime example of handsome,
modern interior detailing.
For the Dutch architecture and design firm Concrete, its own
new office is a reflection of both place and people. Located in a historic
residential structure in the heart of Amsterdam, the firm’s workplace
feels as much like a home as it does a workplace. Changes to the
building were minimal, but finely selected furnishings and artwork are
the elements that truly make the space. The staff of Concrete, known
for their innovative interiors and graphics, feel right at home in an office
where creativity flows.
In this issue, we are also pleased to showcase the renovation
of the U.N. Trusteeship Council Chamber (page 102) by Danish design
firm Salto & Sigsgaard. Finn Juhl’s midcentury modern hall, which was
altered from its original design over the years, has been rejuvenated
with a restoration of key original interior elements including lighting
fixtures and other objects originally specified by Juhl. And the
introduction of new pieces, including a brand new Council Chair by the
Danish duo Kasper Salto and Thomas Sigsgaard (page 112), breathes
new life into the chamber and honors Juhl’s all-encompassing design.
an honorary member of iida
As we went to press with this issue, I was informed that I was being
named an honorary member of IIDA. The honorary membership
distinction, bestowed for life, recognizes individuals who have made
outstanding contributions to the design profession. My sincere thanks
go to the IIDA board of directors for this honor. I have focused my career
on writing, editing, and publishing quality content for design
professionals. This recognition underscores the importance of that
work across content platforms. I look forward to continuing to be a
champion for designers as editor of Contract.
Sincerely,
John Czarnecki, assoc. aia, Hon. iida
editor in Chief
contractdesign.com
june 2013
http://www.contractdesign.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - June 2013
Contract - June 2013
Contents
Editorial
Industry News
Columnist: Making the Decision to Respond to an RFP
Exhibition: HD Expo 2013
Product Focus: Suzanne Tick Joins Forces with Teknion
Product Focus: Rattan in the Round
NeoCon® preview
Trailblazing Project Delivery
Steelcase Innovation Center
Giant Pixel
Concrete
Sierra Pacific Constructors
United Nations Trusteeship Council Chamber
Designers Select: Seating
Sources
Ad Index
Detail: A Chair so Comfortable it Just Might Contribute to World Peace
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