OWP/P -- Veolia Environment

What is Design?
Design is unifying. It opens lines of communication and encourages collaboration.

Design is connected to place. It finds inspiration in its surroundings and, in turn, has the power to change the fabric of its environment.

Design creates new opportunities for defining brand and, ultimately, defining who the company is.

How is design best illustrated?
The project was for a global environmental services provider whose business deals with creating harmony between the natural and the built. To translate this into the workplace, nature inspired planning and design.

The four classical elements of nature (earth, air, fire and water) were used to organize and identify each of the four divisions with illuminated panels anchoring each of floors quadrants.

The design echoes the tension between natural and builtthe rigidity of reception versus the diaphanous and ethereal waiting area, a fluid ceiling/floor arc that pulls guests through the public spaces before cascading into the boardrooms presentation wall.

What was the biggest challenge and how was it solved?
The companys four divisions adopted a single name in 2005, rebranding itself with new logo and graphics. This office was the first opportunity to architecturally embody the new brand. The design response took cues from the new corporate identity, both in form and color.

This palette was used within the larger context of geography and nature, so that a curving architectural detail inspired by the companys graphic materials is juxtaposed against a graphic of the region or with the texture of the carpet, which has the versatility to stand in as abstractions of the four elements (blowing grain, waves, flames).

What was innovative or unique about the design process?
The space is an embodiment of the companys commitment to the environment. Many projects are now earning LEED status, but given the clients business, the project was an opportunity for true collaboration between client and designer. Energy consumption studies gauged the efficiency of the 70s-era building. Base building systems were enhanced to give staff individual control over lighting and heat, as well as reduce energy usage through the use of daylight harvesting. And, through the sophistication of the clients waste management practices, nearly 99% of the construction waste was diverted from landfill. The project has been submitted for LEED-CI Gold.

How did design make a difference and what are the measurable impacts?
This office for the first time unites the four operational groups of the worlds largest environmental services company, focused on water services and technologies, waste services, energy and facility management, and passenger transportation, into a single North American executive headquarters. The space is an integral part of the companys goal to expand its business in North America. The new office serves as a centralized location for managing the companys North American operations and for consolidating its business leadership. The new workplace encourages communication between the four operating groups, while enhancing work flow and the ability to cross market.

Through graphics and access to views, the design creates a sense of connection to the city, the Great Lakes, North America and ultimately the world, so that this global company feels part of the larger corporation while firmly grounded to its region.

Huntsman Architectural Group -- ServiceSource

What is Design?
Design is not a straight line. Often with existing spaces, design requires developing solutions that respond to the inherent and unforeseen conditions.

How is design best illustrated?
Moving into a building that was originally designed for another occupant created the challenge of adopting the existing interior to ServiceSources needs. The budget was a driving force in the design direction for this client. For cost saving measures, the design team had to incorporate elements of the existing space from the very beginning to create a cohesive space. The previous tenant had circular elements throughout the space, such as a curved wall that enclosed part of the buildings core. Circular ceiling panels that house electrical wiring for lighting reside at the top of every column. Instead of demolishing the circular elements, the design team created a space to include them into the design concept.

With a move to a three-story, light-industrial building, ServiceSource was able to accommodate a staff of 200 in one central location. Creating a space that reflects a brand identity in an office constructed for a previous business became the challenge with the constraints of a tenant improvement budget. The client wanted a space that reflects their branded commitment to service and to create more open and collaborative work environments for moments of huddling.

What was the biggest challenge and how was it solved?
The challenge was to break up areas in the large open floor plate. In a building with a side loaded core, each of the 15,000sf floors provide unobstructed views and an expansive workspace. To avoid the typical cube farm associated with call centers, the design team laid out hexagonal workstations non-orthogonally along the floors. The designers chose to customize the Shaw carpet tile, and the simplicity of the resulting palette, devoid of bright colors and patterns, helps create order in the chaos of a non-linear workstation configuration. By eliminating some private offices, more project rooms were available for teams to meet and collaborate on new strategies.

Interspersed in between workstations are circular booths that provide spontaneous teaming space or a quiet reading room. The design was inspired by the yurt, a portable hut originated by Central Asian nomads.

What was innovative or unique about the design process?
We collaborated with ServiceSource's marketing team to devise a cost-conscious branding effort, placing 20th century icons on the walls of conference and project rooms. The team selected imagery of James Bond, Neil Armstrong, Amelia Earhart and John Lennon (all of whom relied greatly on their colleagues Q, Buzz Aldrin, Fred Noonan, and Paul McCartney), standing alone alluding to the company's role as an invisible partner to its clients.

ServiceSource's modern touches feature custom millwork which are upholstered in fabric keyed to the color scheme for each of the three floors as well as the firm's graphic brand.

How did design make a difference and what are the measurable impacts?
Service-performance management professionals spend hours on the telephone with customers surveying their experience with companies such as Adobe, AT&T, and Microsoft. Due to the high intensity and solitude of this position, ServiceSource management wanted its employees to have more areas for collaboration and communication. The huddle yurts and project rooms help reduce the extended length of solitary work and create a more socialized work environment.

Perkins + Will -- Bank of America Corporate Center Renovation

What is Design?
Our integrated design model (Interior Architecture, Interior Design, Branded Environments and Planning+Strategies) is part of a design philosophy that revolves around how well architecture, including interior architecture, reflects history, culture, community and vision. There is a larger social context - an inherent commitment to designing places that will make a lasting societal contribution.

To accomplish this, successful projects align strategy, architecture and planning with the widest, most imaginative definitions of the client's vision.

How is design best illustrated?
Interior finishes and materials that have high recycled content, are regionally manufactured, are highly durable and timeless, exhibit the bank's commitment to quality and environmental responsibility.

Space utilization that is highly efficient and open, and construction products like glass, demountable walls, and furniture that easily serves multiple work styles, reflect the bank's commitment to flexibility, collaboration, and transparency.

Color, graphics and imagery that represent where and how the bank does business, underscore the bank's brand values: Doing the Right Thing, Trusting and Teamwork, Inclusive Meritocracy, Winning, and Leadership.

Shaw's carpet supported all of these goals: quality, durability, environmental responsibility, flexibility, and color.

What was the biggest challenge and how was it solved?
Bank of America's challenged to us to create a purposeful design that promoted workplace as a competitive advantage for the bank, enhanced the bank's brand, increased shareholder value, and established the bank as an environmentally responsible leader.

The resulting design: A sustainable infrastructure with a 20-year view, solutions for collaboration and flexibility, sustainable features that reduce life cycle costs through energy efficiency and lower operating costs, a space that serves as a tool for recruitment and retention, and LEED-CI Gold certification.

What was innovative or unique about the design process?
The design team integrated members of Planning+Strategies, Branded Environments, and Interiors disciplines.

The project served as a "Pilot Project" for a new set of Bank of America Design Standards.

LEED-CI Gold certification was a mandate.

A post-occupancy evaluation process was incorporated that included all team members, as well as occupants, and a plan was implemented so that occupied floors were modified and the design standards were updated.

How did design make a difference and what are the measurable impacts?
Shaw's carpet was a significant contributor to the total recycled content (over 20%) and regional manufacture (over 40%) of all materials and cradle-to-cradle was critical to the environmental responsibility goals of the project.

As of February 2009, eleven floors of the project have been LEED-CI Gold certified.

The Corporate Center Renovation now serves as the Design Standard for Bank of America real estate nationwide.

In addition:

20% reduction in energy consumption from lighting - approximately $18,800 in savings per year over the previous design.

33% reduction in water consumption compared to previous design - approximately 1,197,000 gallons less water used per year.

68% of construction waste diverted from a landfill - or approximately 1,470 tons of debris.

30% of all materials used on the project were wood. Of those, 75% were certified as coming from managed forests.

Valerio Dewalt Train Associates -- eBay

What is Design?
It is the process of taking a clients needs and creating a space that not only fulfills those things but exceeds their expectations. Design should be functional and easy, but it also should help the occupant(s) identify with the place in which they are living and working. Design is like solving a puzzle.

How is design best illustrated?
B17 is the first major building specifically built at eBay, so the entire space was designed around the needs of the client. There was a very strong focus on sustainability, and the entirety of the building reflects this: materials used (such as carpet tiles with recycled material), natural light utilized, landscaping, and photovoltaic cells to name a few features. The interior design, however, takes this to the next level by using banners and graphic text to help educate the occupants about the building in which they are working. This part of the design helps people connect to the building in a way that wouldnt be possible otherwise.

What was the biggest challenge and how was it solved?
The biggest challenge of the design process was developing a second generation of branding for eBay - a very recognizable company. After ten years of existence, the company was ready to graduate from its playful and seemingly adolescent image to a more mature representation. This company has evolved over time into a refined corporation and wanted to incorporate that into the design of B17. This idea was infused into every part of the design process: from the color choices, to the graphic icons, to the office and break room furniture, to the food served in the cafeteria, everything was geared toward representing the longevity, maturity and fresh face of eBay Inc.

What was innovative or unique about the design process?
The design process through this project generated a product that not only fulfilled the obvious constraints of the assignment, but also created an entirely new and modern corporate identity for the brand of the client. This building spurred the beginning of the companys relationship with sustainable practices, therefore the graphics and colors used within the walls of B17 are now an integral part of the companys branding efforts.

How did design make a difference and what are the measurable impacts?
B17 was an addition to five existing buildings mapping the future vision for the campus. The impact of this space was great in the overall scheme of the campus. It brought a state-of-the art kitchen with new dining options, a full fitness center, a large reflecting pool, and other landscaping features all of which add to the employees day-to-day experiences in the workplace. The overall design of the B17 project impacted the company culture as addressed in the above questions, but it also has some very real measurable components that actually decrease the impact of such a large building on the surrounding community and environment. One example of the buildings sustainable features is the field of photovoltaic cells on the roof of the structure. These panels contribute to the overall electrical use of the building by making it less dependent on the grid. The grounds also feature a large bioswale that was installed in order to offset the rainwater runoff that would typically be generated by a building of this size. Finally, in order to maximize the buildings use of natural light, the entire window shading system is set on a timer that utilizes the natural patterns of the sun, opening and closing at the appropriate times of day to create a comfortable working environment.

KlingStubbins -- Novo Nordisk Headquarters

What is Design?
Design is a village, a clustering of neighborhoods that facilitate strong community interaction; the community and the individual dweller are of primary importance. Guiding our design solution was the following mission statement:

Novo Nordisks new headquarters will be the best workplace integrating interior, exterior, and landscape to inspire collaboration, flexibility and high performance. The building will balance social, economic, and environmental responsibilities to accommodate Novos most important asset the people.

How is design best illustrated?
Definition and separation of public and private space through clear organization and hierarchy of space fosters a sense of community. A centrally located common area housing conference rooms, informal meeting areas, a pantry, mail room, and lunch space serves as the heart of each floor. Guests attend meetings within this public zone, staff frequent this space for breaks, spontaneous gatherings and social interaction with colleagues, all without disturbing the others working within the neighborhood. Each wing includes individual workstations, huddle and project rooms, touch-down and hoteling spaces and provides informal gathering spaces within the village.

What was the biggest challenge and how was it solved?
The office wings are organized around multiple fifteen-person neighborhoods. This is a radical departure from plans in previous facilities which had interior private offices and open space around the perimeter. The new plan includes more common area and less space devoted to individual work space. The workstations were carefully designed to address the staffs particular concerns. They have been planned so that no ones back is to the main corridor, and computers are positioned so that the screen is not visible from circulation paths. The work stations are low-horizon with glazed speech privacy panels at the top six inches.

What was innovative or unique about the design process?
Employees are Novo Nordisks most important assets. Accordingly, the design process included staff in various roles. This level of transparency reinforced the Novo Way of Management. Focus Groups involved the broadest base of the company, the working group met with the design team on a regular basis, knowledge specialists were included for their expertise, the executive committee reviewed and approved at milestone dates, and our everyday contact was the facilities director. The president and facilities director made regular updates to all staff by company town hall meetings.

How did design make a difference and what are the measurable impacts?
From the onset, staff satisfaction was the deciding factor as to our success.. As the director of facilities states, - We see our facility as a tool to attract and retain the employees. It needs to be an environment they enjoy being in, where they can interact. At the same time it needs to nurture and allow them to perform their functions to the best of their ability. Post occupancy evaluations reveal that this design solution works- it inspires collaboration, flexibility and high performance. The survey data indicates an unheard of 95% satisfaction rate with the entire facility.

Gensler -- Safeco Insurance

What is Design?
Successful Design is informed, purposeful and compelling. It is a multi-disciplinary collaborative process that has a thoughtful impact on our clients enterprises. Design listens, asks probing questions, and continually tests the information in order to address and resolve the client core issues. It is then that Design can take its true form; one that creates an effective environment that provides identity, promotes relationship building between staff and corporate entities and is deemed successful.

How is design best illustrated?
Strong collaboration between the design team and Client and deliverables to support this interaction were constants throughout the project process. The project success depended on it. By pinpointing the core issues and establishing a framework of program, organizational needs and design, the client and design team were able to weather and embrace the leadership change that occurred at the beginning of the project. By establishing trust through a transparent process early in the project, Safeco and the design team were able to respond quickly when the project direction changed.

What was the biggest challenge and how was it solved?
Two separate buildings, with radically different architecture, provided an opportunity for the design team to create a link between them while celebrating the architecture of each building. The idea was to create an urban campus. This was solved by developing a common design language for both buildings and letting the architecture of each building infuse its own character in a subtle manner.

This new 480,000 square foot urban campus required a fast-track design approach to meet the needs of the headquarters building transactions. A detailed design schedule and continuous communication were vital to managing the clients expectations and project delivery.

What was innovative or unique about the design process?
Establishing project parameters and building consensus early in the project were paramount to its success. With an executive leadership change that impacted real estate direction, the design team, in partnership with the Safeco team, responded deliberately and succinctly to keep the project on track. The design process was one of collaboration and inclusion of a vast number of user groups and never wavered. From the clients executive management, real estate group, interior design and facilities team, and art curators, the design team continually fed these groups programming and design data that were the building blocks to making informed decisions.

How did design make a difference and what are the measurable impacts?
Embracing the Northwest heritage and allowing their corporate image to evolve, this company wanted an environment that was relevant to their employees and shareholders alike. The design teams response was to respect the local Northwest aesthetic; blending the warmth of natural materials and the hospitality feel that greatly influenced the quiet elegance of the space.

Ready to dispel the prior ways of working, this company left the pervasive real estate hierarchy and their old walls behind; opting for a workplace that fostered collaboration and community. Employees embrace their new light-filled space that was designed to meet their specific work needs.

Ballinger -- Penn Hospice at Rittenhouse

What is Design?
To borrow from Vitruvius, healthcare design is the integration of firmness, commodity and comfort.

How is design best illustrated?
The project, a renovation of an existing hospital to create a 12-bed Inpatient Hospice Unit, illustrates design through:

Firmness - New linear skylights bring natural light to the interior spaces and define the public realm.



Commodity - The program calls for a mix of family areas (such as a lounge/media center, kitchen, dining and quiet room), patient rooms and space for the staff to deliver serious medical care in an unobtrusive fashion.

Comfort - Soft colors and rich, natural materials are employed throughout the space. There is a beautiful freestanding white marble fire place between the family lounge and reception area bringing warmth and comfort to the heart of the plan. The kitchen/ dining room are separated from this area with sliding frosted doors to provide privacy when needed. The patient corridor has soft carpet tile with a tall painted wood base, wall sconces, and custom nurse work cabinetry framing the entries to patient rooms. Inside the rooms, custom wood millwork, benches with upholstered cushions, a patterned linoleum floor, and good furniture provide a home-like setting for patients and families.

What was the biggest challenge and how was it solved?
Our biggest challenge was to realize our clients dual vision of a comfortable, residential feeling space and a serious inpatient healthcare environment. This space will be serviced and maintained in the same way as the rest of the units in the facility, limiting the materials that could be used and forcing us to carefully consider architectural details. Millwork is a wood patterned plastic laminate; painted wood base is utilized rather than rubber; linoleum provides durability but it is patterned to create a residential feel; skylights throughout the patient corridors brings natural light to the center of the plan and lessens the clinical feel. One of our biggest challenges was the typical 8'-0" ceiling height required in most of public space due to existing HVAC- we created a slightly raised portion at the window area which allowed the rather small space to feel a bit more expansive.

What was innovative or unique about the design process?
More than most projects, this process truly engaged the clinical staff. They were very interested and instrumental in defining the look and feel of the project and carefully considered the consequences of each of their decisions for patients and families as well as their own work satisfaction. Before the unit opened several of them stenciled a tribute to a recently passed colleague in the skylight of the family lounge.

How did design make a difference and what are the measurable impacts?
The unit staff report that the new facilities are helping to relax agitated patients and that the family kitchen is being utilized even more than imagined. In the few short months since its opening, the unit is fully utilized and the Hospice is planning an 8-bed expansion.

SKB Architecture & Design -- Planned Parenthood Federation of America

What is Design?
A poetic response to a pragmatic challenge.

How is design best illustrated?
The design reflects the progressive culture of a non-profit, woman's rights advocacy organization. It is contemporary and forward thinking while showing respect for the use of donors' money. It shows the high value the organization places on its passionate staff.

What was the biggest challenge and how was it solved?
The organization was moving from a beautiful historic mansion on a prominet corner in Washington, DC to the third floor of a mid-block modern office building surrounded on two of three sides by alley views. Not only was there a concern over the amount of natural light available at their new location, there was also concern amongst the staff that the majority of them would be moving from private offices to an open office landscape as a result of economics. The ecomnomic challenge was a large one: the 15,000 square foot space needed to be built out on the Tenant Improvement Allowance of $65 per square foot. The client also placed high value on incorporating sustainable strategies.

What was innovative or unique about the design process?
We focused in early on the critical aspect of delivering light and comfort to the staff. Private offices surrounding the perimeter were dictated programmatically. We designed a system of simple, inexpensive glass sidelights cut into the drywall office front wall and laminated a custom screen wall of acrylic rods onto it. The screen wall not only amplifies natural light passing through the office to the workstations but it is also backlit with fluorescents to give the illusion of much more light than there actually is. The random placement of colored rods lends a dynamic sense to the space reflective of the energy and passion the employees feel for their cause.

How did design make a difference and what are the measurable impacts?
The design achieved all of the clients goals and stayed within budget. It delivered a comfortable, sustainable space that meets the organization's functional goals while reflecting its values.

Lauckgroup -- Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal, LLP

What is Design?
Design is Energy.

How is design best illustrated?
Sonnenschein wants to hire the best attorneys in their field, people who share an appetite for growth. The managing partner wants this office to be the best local law firm to work for. State of the art technology, green design, spacious private offices combined with a fresh, high contrast finish palette are part of the strategy to attracting the best talent.

What was the biggest challenge and how was it solved?
As the firm grows, the focus is on bringing people together. The managing partners goal to promote an egalitarian atmosphere and to have a compassionate, diverse, welcoming, place to work is expressed in the design of the space. A generous amount of space is dedicated to public spaces; the break room is a large multi zone space for meetings, group dining and social gatherings. Circulation spaces are wide and light filled and encourage spontaneous interaction. The meeting spaces add to the feeling of energy in the space; they are glass enclosed and equipped with flat screens, teleconferencing and video conferencing systems.

What was innovative or unique about the design process?
Sonnenschein is a 100 year old law firm based in Chicago. The firm has opened an office in Dallas and plans to grow the office significantly over the next few years. The firm made the decision to move into one and a half floors of a new building in Uptown. The 35,000 square foot project is being submitted for LEED CI certification.

Comfortable, warm, high quality and practical are good descriptors for the feel of the space. Two sustainable wood species were used in contrast with each other on office fronts, furniture and stair elements. The finish palette combines earthy porcelain tile with highly distressed oak plank flooring. In lieu of art, large scale patterned wall coverings and signature furniture pieces are used to accent the space.

Access to natural light along with energy efficiency and environmentally responsible design are an important goal. High ceilings and full height exterior glass in addition to fully glazed office partitions fill the interior spaces with daylight.

How did design make a difference and what are the measurable impacts?
* Work is performed more effectively.

* Meetings are well supported with audiovisual, videoconferencing and foodservice.

* Large functions and/or events can now be accommodated in the space.

Gensler -- Invesco, Ltd.

What is Design?
Design is: Purposeful. We dont design for ourselves - we design to support our clients business, mission and culture. Design should perform and it should exceed expectations.

Design is: Informed. It is based on facts, knowledge and research. It understands and responds to historical and physical context. It is sustainable and it yields the best possible solution.

Design is: Compelling. It is greater than the sum of its parts. It is Inspiring. It is Beautiful. It is Memorable. And it is also timeless, iconic and poetic.

How is design best illustrated?
The project plays a key role in shifting the way Invesco does business, representing a move from disparate organizations to an integrated global brand. Central functions are grouped around a dramatic space that provides a unique work environment for globetrotting professionals. Brand themes are expressed architecturally (stone=tradition; wood=growth; metal=strength; glass= transparency) and graphically filigree patterning on glass is based on the borders of international currencies. All offices are glass-fronted theres no place to retreat behind closed doors. Collaboration is encouraged by an entry zone on every floor designed for social and informal meetings.

What was the biggest challenge and how was it solved?
Designing a space intended to pull together previously disparate groups under a new shared vision into 175,000 SF on 8 separate floors was challenging enough. To do it on an accelerated schedule added to the challenge. But the biggest challenge was in achieving consensus of the design direction by the different leadership stakeholders as the company was also undergoing a total re-brand and redefinition of its mission, goals and culture. The design alignment literally happened simultaneously with the generation of the new identity which caused the team to have to rethink what was possible on a continual and changing basis.

What was innovative or unique about the design process?
The most innovative aspect of the design process was the very close integration of the client into the process. As Invesco was redefining what was possible with its own culture and organization, the design team was quickly reacting to the shift in culture to achieve a cohesive, well-functioning and compelling result. It was only through the unusually close collaboration directly with the client - and through several design iterations, that a result was achieved that exceeded everyones expectations. As part of their new mission, sustainability was a key factor and the project is awaiting certification of a LEED Silver rating.

How did design make a difference and what are the measurable impacts?
The design of the Invesco space radically affects the way the company works. From a diverse, divided and separatist culture, they have become a very open, collaborative and cohesive organization and the space has facilitated that change. A Workplace Performance survey was done at the beginning of the design process and then again following the move into the new space, and the results indicated a resounding success: there was a 24% improvement in employee satisfaction with the effectiveness of their work environment. An improvement of this magnitude translates to corresponding higher performance, increased productivity and greater employee satisfaction and retention.

Anshen + Allen Architects -- Stanford Medicine Outpatient Center Redwood City

What is Design?
We approach every design problem from the point of view of how the building will reflect, support and enhance our clients' mission and organizational goals. Our design process, focused on collaboration with the client, creates a deep understanding of the nature of the instuituition and the role design will play in the realization of its vision. Design becomes the vehicle for innovation and organizational change - evolving new models for multi-disciplinary healing, learning and discovery.

How is design best illustrated?
The project transforms a former stark office complex into a welcoming, easy-to-use, world class outpatient care center and that extends the client's brand from the Stanford campus to a new location.

What was the biggest challenge and how was it solved?
The complex existed as separate buildings and had no single point of entry. To create a clear sense of arrival, we created a new drop-off and entry canopy, connected the buildings and designed a new 3-story lobby.

What was innovative or unique about the design process?
To deal with the inadequacy of the existing buildings' facade performance and since replacing it was cost prohibitive, an indepth study of energy, thermal and visual comfort and cost was prepared to understand how we might best achieve the most eco-efficient solution.

How did design make a difference and what are the measurable impacts?
We achieved our goal of creating an attractive, and attracting, new campus, one whose design is effective in convincing Stanford's illustrious faculty physicians to relocate from the main campus to this new one.

HNIC -- InHolland Hogeschool

What is Design?
DESIGN GIVES AND BRINGS INSPIRATION!

How is design best illustrated?
At the University facility in Rotterdam we tried to achieve a highly urban and multiform ambiance.

The basic inspiration is a park.

To be able to reach this, the floorcovering both in the new and renovated area is designed in the same line. To be able to meet environmental requirements we have used both recycled products or products which can become recycled after it's lifetime. For instance, the International Warranty by Shaw Industries to take the material back for recycling was a great benefit.

What was the biggest challenge and how was it solved?
University InHolland has developed a 15.000 m2 new construction, existing of 15 floors, which is built directly next to and joing their existing location which already presented 20.000 m2.

The building is recognized as an urban park with all characteristics, possibilities and facilities.

The dynamic character of a city with infrastructure, squares, commercial buildings, offices, educational centres and urban parks is translated into the interior of this University project.

What was innovative or unique about the design process?
A complete make-over. The former and existing building got experienced as very institutional, formal and impersonal. The learning Plant!

How did design make a difference and what are the measurable impacts?
The building interior is now very multifunctional, with the possibilities to study, educate, discussing, socializing and communicating but also to relax during a lunch or cup of coffee. Fitting within the thought that In Holland's students and employees with all different backgrounds and needs, are feeling at home within the building.

Shimoda Design Group -- Steelcase Work Life Center

What is Design?
Design, for us, is a number of ingredients that mix together in different degrees depending on the client and the project. Some of the key words that we associate with design are: innovation, uniqueness, experience, sustainability, functionality and most importantly the satisfaction of a clients goals and desires

How is design best illustrated?
A showroom needs to showcase the product and also reflect the philosophy of the brand. This space was designed to tell a story about how design matters on every level. The goals for included the creation of a memorable human experience and a great space. Innovation and uniqueness are found in the use of cast gypsum column covers and wall screens, curved glass walls and water jet cut patterns on the raised floor. Sustainability is illustrated in the achievement of LEED Gold. Functionality and Flexibility is illustrated in the showrooms ability to become easily refreshed.

What was the biggest challenge and how was it solved?
The existing building is a completely horizontal experience, there is no vertical height available to create volume. Our solution addressed this by providing creating an architectural experience based on horizontal perspective. We created elements that would overlay and lead to one another so that the space could reveal itself through horizontal movement.

What was innovative or unique about the design process?
The cast gypsum columns and lattice wall structures. The process of developing all the cast products was a hands-on collaboration between the Architect and the Fabricator. Catia software was necessary to create the data for the CNC milling work. In some cases, the molds required a day of continuous milling. The development of each piece required the architect to work side-by-side with their technicians for design and fabrication. This process continued to the field where the Architect provided extensive installation coordination. This included assistance in creating site mock ups, steel installation, final layout and finish work.

How did design make a difference and what are the measurable impacts?
The unique storefront design creates a signature statement that distinguishes this showroom from the rest of the showrooms on a 150,000 sf floor plate. The treatment of curved glass creates a visual experience that allows the engagement of the passerby with the interiors of the space. The cast gypsum columns have been awarded a Good Design Award by the Chicago Athenaeum. The certification of LEED Gold is consistent with the companys goal of being a corporate green leader. In addition, to the LEED rating all the products shown in the showroom are cradle to cradle certified.

Champigny Raymond Studio -- Palm Havas

What is Design?
Creativity with effectivness

How is design best illustrated?
Layout structure

What was the biggest challenge and how was it solved?
Leaving an enclosed office space to bring the clients (advertising agency) into an open concept for everyone i.e. from clerical level to top management level.

What was innovative or unique about the design process?
Making the agency having this very strong creative feel troughout the floorspace. The word "gallery" was our key word to symbolize intentions.

How did design make a difference and what are the measurable impacts?
From an enclosed working environment to an opened concept everyone seem to be saying now that there is an energy flowing a connectivity.

VOA Associates Incorporated -- VOA Associates Incorporated

What is Design?
The design team for our Chicago headquarters wanted to create an idea factory; encouraging creativity, interaction and promoting the use of all media to the fullest extent. The design team was motivated by creating a modern approach to the work process by breaking the old ritualistic model and opening up spaces to work together and collaborate. Inspired by Daniel Burnham, who made no small plans, the new space is both an amplification and a reflection of his Chicago plan to bring the best views and sites of the city to the people. Our new space allows access the best parts of Chicago; spectacular natural light, cityscapes, expansive lakefront views, parks, well-defined avenues and vistas.

How is design best illustrated?
The design intent was to transition our office from the previous corner office/cubicle floor plan to a universal, egalitarian space with open workstations and large teaming areas for collaboration, stimulating teamwork as well as act as an extension of our workstations. Blessed by both location of the building and by design, generous natural light was harvested from the east and south light exposure and funneled through slanted ceiling panels into the main workstations. Secondary light sources such as cove lighting, task lamps and additional light from the atrium enhances teaming areas. In additional to maximizing natural light and minimizing supplemental light and energy usage, many features of the space kept LEED silver certification as a priority while exemplifying our commitment to environmental responsibility.

What was the biggest challenge and how was it solved?
The biggest design challenge was creating a work environment that supports our design process within our own design firm. Multiple opinions and needs were expressed on how to accomplish the goal. The redesign presented employees with a major change made to the work patterns and process in order to have teaming areas, open workstations and more shared space. Square footage and privacy were sacrificed to accommodate the modern work experience and idea factory approach to design.

What was innovative or unique about the design process?
The design process was innovative because of the driving theme to invent an idea factory for our employees to thrive, work and create within. The project team combined thoughts of how we do our work with outcome; changing the emphasis of design to emphasize process rather end result. Our space is a reinvention of how we do our job.

How did design make a difference and what are the measurable impacts?
We create design in 2 dimensions for a 3 dimensional world. In our past work space, project teams were separated into individual cubes and workstations, designing on a computer. The computer is a strong, individual tool with a myopic focus. Our new space expands upon the traditionally narrow view of the computer and creates a balance between dream and production. The teaming areas become an extension of the computer workstation allowing models, mock-up areas, vision boards, art and collaboration to surrounding everyone with the dream of each project.

Mozu -- Concord Music Group

What is Design?
Design is Light: our main goal was to incorporate light into the dark basement level space. Light could be found throughout; from the LED feature wall with colorful supergraphics, to the custom lighted workstations, to the use of mirrors, to the custom gradating frosted pattern of the glass office walls. Additionally, we grouped the public functions adjacent to one another (reception, conference room, boardroom and caf) which turn into a 3,200 square foot bonus Event Space created when the moveable glass partitions and draperies of 2 conference rooms are pushed back and concealed within the complex multi-tasking feature wall.

How is design best illustrated?
Design is Light is primarily illustrated through the 100 foot long feature wall; a large, floor-to-ceiling glowing wall, displaying supergraphics of the client's artists. Additionally, the LED panels of this feature wall are also doors that open up thus allowing the feature wall to also function as a storage space to conceal the moveable glass conference room walls, motorized conference room draperies, conference room millwork, 125 event space chairs, and a well-concealed kitchen/pantry with a door that is also a floor-to-ceiling LED panel that automatically opens as you enter the area (very "Star Trek").

What was the biggest challenge and how was it solved?
The complexity in the coordination with HVAC, Structural, Special Acoustical Treatment, Fire Sprinkler, Moveable Glass Partition, Curtain/Curtain Tracks, Motorized Screens, Specialty Lighting, Millwork, Audio/Visual and LED Panels consultants, subcontractors, representatives and tradesmen within a tight space proved extremely challenging; as tradesman worked on top of one another to meet an aggressive schedule. With a relentless commitment and a desire to provide solutions and make it work, each team member absorbed the information needed from the other and focused on completing their task at hand; resulting in a highly complex conference/reception/bar area doubling as an event space.

What was innovative or unique about the design process?
The entire design concept of the feature wall and the dual use of the main area space was very unique, and the way we were able to design the feature wall to conceal all of the conferencing functions, as well as designing custom "plug and play" furnishings that could be easily broken down and "wheeled away" to allow for an open event space was extremely innovative and quite challenging. It was essential that the components, all the way down to the installation of the carpet tiles were exact and precise for the space to function properly.

How did design make a difference and what are the measurable impacts?
The design made a significant monetary difference to the client; prior to their new space, the client rented out additional space for all-staff meetings and industry events. By creating a dual-use main area space: conference rooms, reception area and cafe that convert to a completely open event space have not only proven to be financially beneficial, but also allows the client to "show off" their cool, hip space to industry insiders at music industry events. One of the most measurable impacts of the design is feeling "light" throughout this space, thus energizing the staff and increasing productivity.