IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2017 - 32

D

Design's trajectory is defined by more than the whim of
a client or the will of a practitioner. Macro and micro
influencers-including the economy, technological
advancements, social media, and shifting cultural
norms-often introduce new capabilities, approaches,
and desires that can transform the state of the industry.
In some cases, the shift happens slowly, taking years to
turn mainstream. In others, it appears out of nowhere and
disappears even faster.
Here's a look at how five movements that made their
presence known in 2017 are inspiring what's now and next
in design.

Hospitality Takes in Its Surroundings
The ascension of Airbnb has shaken the hospitality
industry to its core. Travelers are turning to the company
in search of lodgings that offer intimate, hyperlocal
experiences. According to a report from Morgan Stanley
Research, 25 percent of leisure travelers and 23 percent of
business travelers were expected to book through Airbnb
in lieu of traditional hotels in 2017.
This shifting consumer demand is wielding its influence
on design's approach to the next era of hotels and resorts.
"To me, it's all about offering intimate but communal
spaces that are always accessible to guests," says Andres
Gutierrez, IIDA, interior designer, A-G Interiors.
Gutierrez's latest creation, Ignacia Guest House, a 2017
IIDA Best Interiors of Latin America and the Caribbean
winner, resides in the skeleton of a 1913 Mexico City, Mexico
mansion and includes only five suites and a 10-person dining
room open to guests at all hours. "It's a space where you
can feel at home and where you are free to invite outside
company to join you."
Authentic, curated, local-centric interiors are key to
the evolving genre, says Jennifer Johanson, IIDA, AIA,
LEED AP, president and CEO, EDG, San Francisco,
California, USA. And it can't be faked or forced or covered
The Andaz
Scottsdale
Resort & Spa,
designed
by EDG,
incorporates a
desert atelier
concept
rather than
a Southwest
theme to
foster more
authenticity
and less shtick.

perspective

in an area's typical tropes. For example, when Johanson and
her team set out to design the interior of the $75 million
Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona,
USA, they chose to hit upon the concept of desert atelier
rather than a trite Southwest theme. They spent six months
working alongside local artists from Cattle Track to achieve
a genuinely collected feel in their midcentury modern
design. Pieces made by local artists adorn each of the guest
bungalows, while Arizona's craft and artisan tradition
infiltrate the interior in surprising ways-for example, a wall
in the banquet area made of brick in a basket-weave pattern.
"It's a completely different feel than your typical catalogue
collected space," she says.

Stairs Step Up

Photo by: Eric Langiel
32

Experimentarium,
designed by CEBRA,
includes an intertwining,
copper-clad staircase.

iida.org/perspective

Upon entering Experimentarium, a new science center
near Copenhagen, Denmark, visitors will need a moment
to stop and stare at the interior's most Instagramable
element: the staircase. Designed by CEBRA, the
intertwining, copper-clad sculpture hints at DNA's
double-helix structure, with each helix leading to separate
areas (paid and free) of the museum.
"Stairs are a trend that comes and goes, disappears
and reappears," says Mikkel Frost, founding partner
and architect, CEBRA, Aarhus, Denmark. "It may have
something to do with the ebb and flow of the current
aesthetic, from the minimalist period we were in 10 years ago
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2017
