Hospitality Design - April 2022 - 130

A rendering of the DesignWell Pavilion
at HD Expo + Conference, featuring a
wave-like blue ombré shear
The DesignWell Pavilion will
evoke a calming atmosphere
Adam Rolston
Creative + Managing Director, Partner
INC Architecture & Design
Launched in 2006, New York-based INC Architecture & Design was
conceived on the notion of integrating design disciplines. The studio,
which is behind the design of this year's DesignWell Pavilion, is helmed
by Drew Stuart, Gabriel Benroth, and Rolston, who will also take part in
the Sustainability, Environment, Future panel. The fi rm specializes in a
range of projects, each imbued with authentic design elements that create
an emotional impact, whether it's the eco-friendly 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge
or the restoration of the TWA Hotel at JFK Airport, both in New York.
Here, he shares his thoughts on wellness, innovation, and the future of
sustainable design.
What does sustainable design mean to you?
The meaning of sustainability isn't a personal one. The question isn't what
it means to me, the question is, what does it mean to us, the human race.
It's not a matt er of interpretation. It is super simple. (We all agree that
the word apple refers to the fruit and the technology company.) Webster's
dictionary defi nes sustainability as 'of, relating to, or being a method
of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or
permanently damaged.' The word sustainability means the survival of the
human race.
Has client demand for sustainable design changed over the
past two years?
We see wellness and sustainability as inextricably linked. In the last two
years, we have seen how interdependent our health and wellbeing are
on a global scale. Our neighbor's health has an immediate eff ect on our
own, and the national health and protection protocols of any country have
an immediate eff ect on our health and wellbeing no matt er where we
live. This popular paradigm shiſt has reframed sustainability as a civic
responsibility. If we take care of each other, we take care of ourselves, and
by extension, if we take care of the planet and its resources, we protect
ourselves and our children's future. At INC, we think of wellness as the
gateway drug to an investment in sustainability because it is now more
widely clear that what is good for the planet is good for humans, and
what is good for humans is good for the planet. In this context, every
project in our studio and every ownership group currently is resourcing
130
April 2022 hospitalitydesign.com
sustainability and wellness best practices. Sustainability and wellness are the
threshold of entry now. If you are not on it, you are out of it.
In terms of sustainability and innovation, what are the design
trends you're currently seeing?
Ohio State has been researching what is potentially a fi rst-of-its-kind, viable
non-petroleum-based plastic replacement. In our industry, it is petroleumbased
products and mechanical systems that consume fossil fuels. This is
the economic blue sky of innovation of the future. Those who innovate will
prosper. As an example, we are currently working on the fi rst all-electric
residential skyscraper in New York.
Can you share more about your concept for the DesignWell
Pavilion at HD Expo?
We all want the same thing: Beautiful, sustainable environments that support
health and wellbeing and enhance the quality of our lives and performance.
The making of sustainable and healthy products is the industry's
responsibility, while the specifi cation of healthy, sustainable products is the
designer's responsibility. However, loveliness and beauty shouldn't be leſt on
the table. The 14 points of biophilic design, the USGBC, and the Well Building
Institute all can be seen as either a rule book or an inspiration. At INC, these
tools are an inspiration.
For the DesignWell installation, we touched on several aspects of biophilic
design. Science tells us that light, upliſt ing spaces are one of best tools to fi ght
seasonal aff ective disorder and that patt erns of nature provide a calming
eff ect. Here, we begin with an archipelago of islands of energy that defi ne
the fl ow of circulation and areas of congregation. The islands are created by
applying, in a one-to-one documentary style, the patt ern of grounding blue
zone marble. The paths are a sandy beachhead. Rising above the archipelago
is a wave-like blue ombré shear that encloses a virtual room that protects and
calms. As we like to say, well design is just design for humans.
Sustainability, Environment, Future
Tuesday, April 26th
11 a.m. to noon
Location: DesignWell Pavilion
Renderings courtesy of INC ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
http://www.hospitalitydesign.com
Hospitality Design - April 2022

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