IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2017 - 21

Tech Takes Over
The fight for authenticity runs counter to another major
movement currently transforming design: the takeover of

ACADEMIA'S
INNOVATION PUSH
Universities are getting in on the innovation
game by encouraging mashups between
academia and business through common
space. It's a way for companies to tap into
young minds and for students to get a
professional leg up. At Cornell Tech-an
entrepreneurial technology campus for
Cornell University in New York, New York,
USA-Citigroup has leased office space in
The Bridge, a corporate co-location building
where employees will work with students and
faculty on emerging technologies.
In Los Angeles, California, USA, Loyola
Marymount University's new School of Film
and Television will be located off campus
in the Silicon Beach neighborhood where a
variety of startups call home. And similar to
the movement happening with office spaces,
"a lot is mobile," says Carlos Madrid III, senior
designer, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Los
Angeles. Flexibility is key. "It allows the space
to evolve and change due to the needs of the
user," he says.
"[Loyola Marymount University] wanted
to embed the school within 'Silicon Beach'
and provide opportunities for the faculty and
students to engage with the technology and
media companies there," Madrid says. "A lot
of the space will be set up like a film stage,
with a lighting grid overhead that scrims
and more can be hung from. The academic
environment will be more similar to a film
production environment."

Photo by: Tomek Sikora

raw concrete offset by polished marble or metals to add
warmth. "The two amalgamate into a style often known
as industrial chic," says Joakim de Rham, CEO and cofounder, Swiss Bureau Interior Design, Dubai, United
Arab Emirates. The firm's design for the upcoming
Andes restaurant in the World Trade Centre, Dubai, for
example, features raw concrete walls and blackened steel
structural elements contrasted with stone mosaic floors
and furnishings with brass detailing.
The increased value on authenticity is also being driven
by social media. According to Euromonitor International's
Top 10 Global Consumer Trends for 2017 report, it has roots
in the "selfie culture." "Mobile tech has democratized being
a creator," the report says. More and more Instagramable
moments are being incorporated into built environments
to grab attention and enhance the user experience. But
Instagramable moments must be a part of the overall story the
designer is trying to tell. Without a grounding purpose, they
can feel superfluous and discredit the authenticity of a design.
"It's the way society is moving, and as such, we must
stay nimble to accommodate that trend," says Meghann
Day, partner, interior design, Hirsch Bedner Associates,
San Francisco, California, USA. "But our goal is to create a
cohesive design so that it's not just a splashy space, but one
that fits into the overall narrative of the design intent."

fall/winter 2017

Mac Stopa,
2017 IIDA Titan
Award winner
and founder
of Massive
Design, Warsaw,
Poland, says,
"The willingness
to make the
office an
exciting place
to work, with an
innovative and
creative vibe,
is replacing the
conventional
thinking for
office design
where efficiency
and employee
hierarchy
were often the
design's driving
factors."

perspective

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2017