The Globus Design Associates Blog

Tips to reduce paper in the office

We pulled the plug on the fax machine years ago.  We found we were buying and using paper to receive unsolicited menus, mostly. We operate a "paperless" office but are always looking for ways to increase sustainable practices. Reducing the amount of paper in the workplace benefits all businesses, not just libraries.  Here are a couple of quick tips:

Photo: Suzan Globus

1. If your in-box looks like this stack which represents a fraction of the deluge of catalogues and junk mail we used to receive, my favorite way to make it stop is to register at Catalogue Choice.  The free registration lets you select the unsolicited mail you don't want to receive.  Let the sender do the recycling.

Photo: Suzan Globus

2. Accidentally printing on a check left in the printer is only one small reason to bank on line.  When you consider the resources needed to purchase and store checks and receipts and print and mail them, it's difficult to justify paper checks.

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.

Finding Green in Grey Chicago

Arriving in a cold Chicago for NeoCon to see what's new in the world of design, I wondered if the grey weather foretold a less verdant cityscape, one of my favorite features of Chicago.
Photo: Suzan Globus

Freeway plantings indicated there are still resources being devoted to keeping Chicago green.

Photo: Suzan Globus

I was happy to see Michigan Avenue still dotted with flowers at the base of the trees lining the expansive boulevard.

Photo: Suzan Globus

The trees soften the striking architecture, even when you look up which you must do.

Photo: Suzan Globus

Most encouraging was this slice of green rooftop visible from my hotel room.  Although views of rooftops are not accessible to everyone, I can only hope the number of green roofs are increasing to contribute to keeping this city green.

Photo: Suzan Globus

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.

 

New Library Circulation Desk from start to finish

I've been writing about firm's design and the construction of the new circulation desk for the River Edge Public Library and I'm happy to report it was installed last weekend while the facilities were closed.

From our "drawing boards"

Design concept perspective of a section of the new desk. Design by Globus Design Associates

In the Shop

View of the accessible section designed to meet the new ADA regulations.Photo: Suzan Globus

Interior of the desk showing the book return slot and wire management troughs in the open sections.  Photo: Suzan Globus

To the installation at the library

The desk is in place at the library awaiting delivery of the solid surface counter. Photo: Suzan Globus

The cabinetmaker's installers clean the carpet at the end of the first day of the installation. Photo: Suzan Globus

Take a look at the finished installation on River Edge Public Library's Facebook page

Sustainability Scenarios Have Implications for Libraries

Steelcase invited me to participate in a strategic planning session about the future of sustainability in their New York showroom this week.  We designers were asked to create scenarios.  Scenarios are developed from identifying trends and uncertainties. Sustainability uncertainties include who will hold the influence to drive sustainability and what will be the intensity of interest in the future.

Trends

After we identified trends, I found these especially relevant to libraries:

• the rise of individualism
• pervasive information and ease of access to it
• increasing interest in well being
• sourcing products and services locally 
• the pressure for businesses to innovate to distinguish themselves in the marketplace

Communities of Interest

I reaffirmed my conviction to encourage my firm's public library clients to form communities of interest in sustainability among their library customers.  Public libraries have a wonderful opportunity to provide information resources and educational programming about sustainability and expand their brand of being a valuable resource to their communities.

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.