IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2017 - 30

"

-Andrew Frontini,
LEED AP BD+C,
MRAIC, OAA

key pieces, including signage and the tukutuku panel, a
distinctive latticework art form of the Māori often used
to decorate meetinghouses. Located in the building's
lobby, the panel was designed by local studio Alt Group in
collaboration with members of Ngāti Pāoa (a local Māori
iwi, or tribe). In a true symbol of unity, the physical process
of creating the tukutuku also reflected the vision and goals
established in the community charter for Te Oro.

One for the Ages
Even in times of great strife, designers can make a
difference if they aspire to do more than simply check the
boxes of a project.
"As designers, we often think of ourselves as a tool
or, for a more blunt analogy, a sausage machine. We
take in the needs of our clients, the demands of the site,
regulations, and budgets, and we produce the design,"

WHERE
I FIND
COMMUNITY

Three designers share their favorite
gathering spots for finding inspiration and
getting to know the people around them.

Chu says. "But [designers] can keep an eye on the prize of
transcending commerce and demonstrating the capacity of
our humanity by being more aware of the interconnectivity
between our discipline and the greater world. We need to
advance our discipline in multiple ways in order to connect
to an even larger set of society."
It's a sentiment that can ensure projects endure for ages
to come.
"When you build a public building to stand for 50 years,
you know things will change over that time," Frontini says.
"We're at a moment now where some in the world have
focused on the differences between people and leveraged
those differences to gain power. But I hope that moment
won't last. And so if you focus your design conversations on
human needs and shared values and the things that bring
us together, I think you'll end up creating a space that can
truly endure." n

FAVORITE SPOT: Lightpath,
a former highway off-ramp that
was converted into a biking and
walking path that is lit in hot pink
with LED lights

"

Ludo CampbellReid, general
manager,
Auckland
Design Office
of the Auckland
Council,
Auckland, New
Zealand

FAVORITE SPOT: Newburyport
Waterfront Park, a 4.4-acre park
that faces the Merrimack River

"

Melanie Conant,
LEED GA,
NCIDQ, director
of interior
design, The
Architectural
Team Inc.,
Boston,
Massachusetts,
USA

30

perspective

iida.org/perspective

Newburyport has a beautiful
waterfront park that offers many
different elements of great public
spaces. It's very accessible. You
can get there by public transport,
by walking, by bike, and even by
boat. And there's something going
on all the time. You can listen to
concerts, eat at the restaurants, or
just sit on the grass and watch the
boats go by."

Lightpath is not a public space
in the traditional sense. But it
has captured the imagination of
Aucklanders and visitors alike. It
is a mascot for the type of bold,
progressive, and distinctive city
we all want."

FAVORITE SPOT: Open Book, a
literary arts center in Minneapolis,
Minnesota, USA

"

Leanne Larson,
IIDA, CID, LEED
AP, interior
designer
and senior
associate, MSR,
Minneapolis,
Minnesota, USA

Minneapolis has so many great
public spaces to enjoy, but one of
my favorites is Open Book, a literary
arts center celebrating the book. A
few blocks from our office, I often
visit for a creative recharge-it's
an energizing space filled with a
diverse community. You can go for
a cup of coffee, take in the exhibits,
or watch a papermaking class. My
kids love the family classes where
they get messy creating their own
storybooks. They make learning fun!"

Photo by: (Leanne Larson) Drew Carlson

I'm not a
world leader,
but I can
affect things
through
my craft by
focusing
on what
communities
share."
http://www.iida.org/perspective
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2017
