The Globus Design Associates Blog

Sustainable Design Collaboration Begins in the Classroom

Design for Sustainability classroom at Kean University. Photo: Suzan Globus

I've accepted a position teaching Design for Sustainability II to Earth Science and Interior Design and Industrial Design majors at Kean University.  I am especially excited to be teaching sustainability to this mix of students because interior designers recognize the need to collaborate with scientists to document the effects of interior design on the environment and building occupants in order to better understand the value of design.  Hats off to Kean for combining these disciplines in the classroom to enable the students to learn from each other and carry their comfort with collaboration into the workplace after they graduate.  Case study, anyone?

Climate Change Reminder of Interior Designer's Role

Photo: Suzan Globus

An angry sun was trying to get its last licks in on a sweltering day during my 7:30 pm ferry commute from NYC yesterday. The excessive heat reminds me of the responsibility I have as an interior designer to reduce my clients' impact on climate change by weaving sustainability throughout each project.

So thanks, Builder's Exchange Magazine for the good bytes on the Rock Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Library and Archives  that we designed and is being submitted for LEED-CI.

 

Library Display Finds from NeoCon '11

I'll admit it.  I'm not a fan of using slat wall display on end panels in libraries due to its oversubsciption and under whelming design.  If the slat wall pieces are not filled, it adds a strong horizontal linear design element that is rarely incorporated into the overall design of the space.  If the slat wall is finished in a strong color, it can stop the eye instead of the materials displayed on it.  I am always on the prowl for different ways to display library materials. The products displayed at NeoCon yielded a couple of options:

This large format, children's book, two sided, mobile trolley by Jonti Craft provides display at the eye level of the intended audience.  Although the exposed screw holes prevent me from labelling it sleek, there is much to be said for straightforward design from simple materials that doesn't have a large foot print and is easy to relocate and change.

Photo: Suzan Globus

This sleek introduction by Sparkeology allows the owner to create changeable displays in house from perforated 8-1/2" by 11" paper to hang on this brushed metal, two sided T-stand. I could imagine it being used also to display some topical periodicals supporting an adjacent display.

Library Furniture Finds from NeoCon 2011

My time at NeoCon's product displays was limited this year, but I did manage to spot a couple of products which appealed to me for use in libraries. For children's and teen seating:
Photo: Suzan Globus

With the right upholstery, these Arconas ottomen, configured to resemble flowers, could brighten a children's area.

Photo: Suzan Globus

"Flip" by Sparkeology is well suited to a teen area in the library.  Shown as storage for backpacks and laptops, the portable stool can be inverted to function as seating.  The coated steel finish is a good choice for teen use.

Library Contains Hidden Treasure

One of the benefits of designing Library interiors is discovering a link to the past or a hidden treasure within a Library's special collection.  A recent visit to a prospective client uncovered several surprises:

Photo: Suzan Globus

1. A beautiful setting on a lush campus overlooking the New York skyline.

Photo: Suzan Globus

2. Strong of the period - 1970's- architecture. As an aside, it doesn't always make for the most usable or accessible interiors, but is still interesting to look at.

Photo: Suzan Globus

3. Exceptional student art displays. This mobile was donated by former student, Alexander Calder.  See photo above for another view.

Photo: Suzan Globus

4. More "student" art. A Calder sculpture anchors rows of book stacks.

 

Bid Opening in Historic Surroundings

It's not unusual for me to attend a municipal bid opening. Many of our library interior design projects are for public libraries and we routinely prepare public bid packages for them.
Photo: Suzan Globus

It's a rare treat to find municipal offices housed in the likes of a restored former home of John Jacob Astor IV where the Bernards Township administrative offices are located.  These people truly understand the "reuse" part of sustainability.

 

Bernards Township, located in Somerset County, NJ is characterized by lush rolling hills dotted by estates on former farmland. The Bernards Township administrative offices are based in this English Tudor home gifted to the town in 1968 by John Jacob Astor VI who was born here shortly after his father perished in the sinking of the Titanic in 1912.

 
Photo: Suzan Globus

This dining room turned meeting room created the most genteel environment for a bid opening I have ever encountered.

Photo: Suzan Globus

The staircase provides access to second floor offices. And while I'm thinking of some of the reasons why New Jersey is called "The Garden State", check out my spring greenery photos in Lauren Mattia's The Real Jersey Shore video on Rumson Patch.

 

Students Collaborate to Create Successful Design Charrette

Over 100 college interior, industrial, graphics and advertising design students gathered to solve a fictitious new product launch design problem in a 3 hour charrette at Kean University's Robert Busch School of Design's "Let's Charrette" at the Thinking Creatively Conference. 

Photo: Suzan Globus  As the profession mentor of one group of 10 students, I helped them to strategically work backwards from their goal of producing a presentation board and helped them focus on the outcomes. 

Photo: Suzan Globus  After individual design development, the sub-teams selected their best concepts and presented to the group of 10.  After group consent, the sub-teams of interior, graphic and advertising students worked on store design, product design, logos and advertising campaigns.

Photo: Suzan Globus  The real value of design came from the students' collaboration across different disciplines to reach their goals.

Photo: Suzan Globus  Representatives of our group presented their concept board to the 100 plus people in the room.

Photo: Suzan Globus  The team celebrates a job well done.

"Thinking Creatively" Design Charrette has Practical Applications in Collaboration

Looking Forward to Mentoring Interior, Graphic and Industrial Design Teams

I have been invited to mentor a Design Charrette at the annual Thinking Creatively conference at Kean University April 7-10 with nine other standouts in their respective fields. The charrette is open to students of graphic, industrial and interior design to let them experience the challenges and benefits associated with working on a multi-disciplinary design team in an integrated manner. The design exercise supports the theme of the conference, Intersections in Design, Technology, Science, Commerce and Culture.

Having had the opportunity to represent the American Society of Interior Designers at a TED (short for technology, entertainment and design) conference several years ago, I am happy to see that the concept of integrating various disciplines to achieve innovative results is spreading throughout the conference world.

Team work.  Photo: Suzan Globus

Multi-disciplinary Collaboration Starts in School

I am happier to see collaboration spreading throughout the realm of education.  If we train  students to practice collaboratively, they will expect to work as part of an integrated team, learn to excel at it and be able to explain the advantages to their clients. 

My firm's interior design services have been engaged near the end of a design project on occasion because the client thought interior design happens after the building is designed.  In most cases, the decision to schedule the project this way is based on the incorrect assumption that money will be saved. If interior design is integrated into the project from the beginning, my firm's experience indicates that the results far exceed those when interior design is left to the end and the cost is less in the long run.

 

Creative Library Interior Design Makes a Difference

There is an increase in media coverage about libraries recently with the advent of Architectural Record's spotlight on libraries and a public library winning one of Metropolis magazine's Smart Environments awards.  Using the stories to take a quick pulse on the state of notable library design shows the contribution good interior design can make.

Take, for example, the lobby of Minneapolis' Roseville Branch Library, a winner of the Metropolis contest compared to the lobby of Amsterdam Library, Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam. For context, the Roseville Branch Library is a renovation and addition unlike the Amsterdam Library which was a new construction. The Roseville Branch Library earned a LEED Gold rating.  Although Europe is decades ahead of the US in green building principles, it is unclear which were employed in designing the Amsterdam library.

Similarly, the two facilities contain dramatic two story spaces dedicated to materials display and browsing with clerestory windows, natural light, indirect lighting and white walls.  Given a similar "shell", compare the results of the interior design of each space.

 
Roseville Branch Library  Metropolismag.com Lara Swimmer
 
Openbare Bilbliotheek Amsterdam Photo:arkitip.com

Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam.  Photo: Shelley Berstein

The  interior design of the open, semi-circular materials displays for the Amsterdam library creates pockets of intrigue which invite exploration in the Amsterdam Library. The Roseville Branch Library display fixtures are visible at a glance.  Decorative pendant lighting and column mounted sconces  avoid washing the space with a uniform, flat light and mimic the highlights occuring in nature. The furnishings, floor plan and lighting in both spaces create a significant impact on the library user's experience. Which space would you prefer to use?

Books vs. Computers? Libraries Face Bigger Issues

E-reader download station in Avalon, NJ Public Library.

With Architectural Record's recent release of their building types study about libraries, much ink was devoted to the design implications of books versus technology in today's library. (See GDA Blog regarding high touch vs. high tech). 

Here's the given: just as music has changed formats, so will books.

Yes, the interior design implications of this change in libraries is significant and it is only part of a bigger challenge. How libraries define themselves in this shifting landscape of information access and evaporating sources of funding is the bigger issue and has far more significant impact on their use of space. Using this period of uncertainty to plan for future scenarios is time well spent.