11.30.09| Every holiday it pays to take a moment to ask once again, “What’s this all about.” Thanksgiving is, of course, a favorite holiday, what with no worry about presents and the day off for just family and food. The “family” aspect can be a mixed bag, what with the void caused absent members who are not there and the usual hassle with the ones that are, or perhaps would be if they weren’t late.
11.30.09 | The benefits of eliminating waste in process are inestimable and, while it won't win any LEED points, it might do a lot for the planet and the people on it. One of the watershed events in the past decades was the formation of mindshift, a corporate real estate industry consortium studying the waste that is generated as buildings are currently designed and built.
Environment >>, Manufacturing >>
11.23.09 | Teknion is a class act, and fun to boot. Long before others in the industry began focusing on bringing a great experience to the customer and the A&D community, to say nothing of your humble trade press, the relative new comer to the contract furniture industry, Teknion was spot on, right from its very humble beginnings.
Events >>, Manufacturing >>
11.23.09 | LED lighting is a technically demanding category that many manufacturers have yet to get right. Two companies that have mastered the finer points of LED – Humanscale and Artemide – are building on this success with a strategic partnership for product development and joint marketing efforts.
11.23.09 | While, it may be a gift for us to see ourselves as other see us, quite often it is an unwelcome one. Every time I sit down to write a few observations, I am reminded that it is extremely hard to change a way of thinking, particularly regarding oneself or one’s traditional way of doing business. Past success leads down the same path, even as events suggest that the future no longer lies in that direction.
11.23.09 | A&D firms must become more business savvy. Such is the received wisdom of this year’s State of the Industry Panel at NeoCon East 09. (See officeinsight issues 11.9.09 and 11.16.09.) To this not-so-welcome news, we are compelled to add that, business savvy requires a certain level of legal savvy for, after all, it is the law that sets the rules of the game
Random Walk >>
11.23.09 | Ah. A certain slant of light, varying with the season. And varying in intensity from the objects – leaves and windows and eyes – through which it passes. This Thanksgiving-time-of-year light is slanting into the angle that caught and clouded the poet’s mood back in nineteenth century Amherst, Massachusetts. Well, in Manhattan recently, Fabbian lighting experts hosted a show celebrating the work of New York and New Jersey designers. And in its pages Metropolis Magazine boxed little photos of the show.
Ira Joe >>
11.16.09 | This is the second installment of the annual State of the Industry Panel that was held at NeoCon East 2009. In addition to the remainder of the panel discussion, this installment contains some of the ending Q&A exchange. We apologize that some of the speakers are not identified, but we couldn’t chance incorrect attribution where the speaker’s identity was unclear.
Events >>
11.16.09 | Herman Miller's subsidiary, Convia, continues to astonish. A few weeks ago we focused on the product and its range of abilities, but when we visited the exhibit floor at Greenbuild we were amazed at the impact it has made on other manufacturers who are clamoring to bring products on board that interface with Convia's platform. Convia was also named by the editors of Environmental Building News and GreenSpec as a BuildingGreen Top-10 Product for 2009.
11.16.09 | This past week Phoenix welcomed the attendees of Greenbuild 2009 with her usual warmth and near constant sunshine. During the opening statements and keynote addresses on November 11, the mayor of Phoenix, Phil Gordon, announced the kick-off of a remarkable pilot program that has been made possible by a consortium composed of a solar technology provider (Solar City), the regional power company (Arizona Power Supply) and a local bank (Arizona Federal).
Environment >>, Events >>
11.16.09 | Competition in the mid-market is increasing as companies such as Knoll and Herman Miller are bringing lower cost systems and other products to their traditional products. The traditional mid-markets still have the edge with their multi-layered distribution networks, but they are noticing the moves and responding. The HON Company, while still catering to its traditional conservative and value-oriented base, has been moving upward aesthetically.
Project >>
11.9.09 | The annual State of the Industry Panel at NeoCon East is something we always look forward to. A year ago, the economic problems were surfacing, but the impact on the design industry was still modest. Indeed, some of the firms represented in the panel had felt little if any effects, particularly on the interior design side. This year, every one seems to be quite at sea, all in a rather small and fragile dinghy in a quite large sea of trouble.
Events >>
11.9.09 | Joey Shimoda’s studio overlooks a sprawling industrial district on the gritty eastern edge of downtown Los Angeles. The four-story converted warehouse structure offers “live-work lofts” for lease, and it fronts stolidly on Traction Avenue – an address that may never achieve the SoCal caché of Rodeo Drive or Sunset Boulevard.
People >>
11.9.09 | The international architecture firm BBG and a wholly-owned interior-design subsidiary BBGM have completed a move within Manhattan to the Empire State Building. That building is acquiring new tenants in the midst of ongoing renovations and restacking, in a location known worldwide; now for the second time in its eighty-year existence, it is the city’s tallest structure and is finally getting its due as the enduring art deco classic.
Project >>
11.9.09 | Forgive my presumption; but, if you are turning to this page because you are drawn to do so from past encounters, you will find no “A Minute with [your humble correspondent]” this week. I am taking the week and, hence, the “minute” off. And know that I know my pieces take longer than a minute to read. But, less than a minute to forget. I have made my “piece” with that. Sorry.
Ira Joe >>
11.2.09 | Peter Gaslow took over the reins from his father – the legendary Larry Gaslow, chairman – as President and CEO of Empire Office, Inc. (www.empireoffice.com) in 2002. Together with his colleague Richard Gulardo, COO, Mr. Peter Gaslow is well into his second recession as the firm’s leader, and he confirms that, despite the great impact of the most recent impact on contract furniture sales, the Empire team knows how to deal with challenging times.
11.2.09 | I wasn’t able to attend NeoCon East this year due to a passing bronchial infection, so, at the last minute, I asked my college roommate and long time friend Dr. Jeffrey James to stop by the Baltimore Convention Center, record the annual State of the Industry Panel, and get a load of what I do for a living and the interesting people that I am fortunate enough to work with.
Events >>
11.2.09| Jess Sorel and Otto Williams do not, as a practice, finish each other’s sentences, but they are remarkably accomplished at completing – and complementing – the other’s most promising thoughts.
Product >>
11.2.09 | In what may be an ironic twist, the financial carnage that has swept over our economy is creating an opportunity for savvy A&E firms to finally breakthrough when pitching the value of energy efficiency and sustainability. An alarming number of office buildings are being foreclosed upon or being voluntarily returned to their lenders. At the same time opportunity investors are raising capital to acquire real estate assets with significant upside potential.
11.2.09 | I did it again. I sent out an "all-staff" email. Yes, I felt a twinge of doubt as I clicked send, but ...click I did. If you've ever been there, you too may have wondered in retrospect what prompted you to broadcast your questions, thoughts or ideas so widely and directly throughout your organization. Isn't there a more appropriate system or process? Aren't there protocols, knowledge-management sites, designated folders to upload into, databases to search, wikis, blogs and discussion boards all designed to filter and distribute this information?
Research >>, Technology >>
11.2.09 | Driving along New England’s charming, leafy, winding Route Seven recently I passed a business called “Classic Towing.” I did not know towing could reach such a height. If I ever need a tow, that’s who I will call.
Ira Joe >>
