For design professionals hungry for continuing education and new ideas this fall, the 11th annual NeoCon East schedule of seminars and educational events covers everything from office collaborations to smarter renovations, as well as presentations from Michael Graves and Suzanne Tick.
Michael Graves and Suzanne Tick
The two-day lineup, October 16 – 17, is packed with content featuring over 30 CEUs presented by top interior designers, architects, manufacturers and workplace specialists, many of which hail from the Baltimore/Washington Metropolitan area.
Leading local projects will also take center stage as the conference program offers an insider’s look at the 330,000 build-to-suit headquarters of media organization NPR and the classrooms of the new Baltimore Design School.
Here is a sampling of seminars:
Wednesday, October 16, 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.
The New American Dream: Multi-Family Housing
The collapse of the American dream of home ownership has lead to an explosion in the multi-family residential market and the opportunities it provides designers. This talk covers the latest trends in this realm, from the residences themselves to the clubhouses, courtyards, pool decks and more that present fabulous opportunities. Lou Ghitman, Dawn Sangley, and Brian Reetz of Design Collective, Inc., will discuss different developer brands and their budget implications.
Why Do Hospitals Have to Look Like Hospitals?
Designers engage all of their senses: sight, smell, touch and sound, when designing a hospitality environment. Why can’t they do that for hospitals as well? In designing the San Antonio Military Medical Center, designers used all of their senses to design with patients and their families in mind. During this presentation, Lori Mukoyama, principal of RTKL in Chicago, will explore how an award winning design firm changed the way a military hospital could look and feel. Centered on a patient vs. hospital framework, attendees will discover how RTKL created not just a replica of an existing hospital, but a unique complement to the former structure.
11:00 a.m.
Graves, the renowned American architect and product designer, will speak about the foundation of his design philosophy and how a personal healthcare tragedy focused his attention on improving healthcare experiences by design. Graves will present recent projects that range from military housing for returning wounded warriors, to a revolutionary transport chair for the acute care hospital, to performance textiles for all healthcare environments.
1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
NPR: An Inside-Out Approach to Designing the Headquarters of An Evolving Media Organization
Join Sean Wayne and Jessica Maples of Hickock Cole Architects, as they discuss the new home of NPR and the daunting challenges they encountered designing for an ever-changing media organization. See how the team used an inside-out approach where the client’s business informed the design and how a well-known, evolving brand influenced the work environment. The discussion will include how the interior environment informed the exterior, and how collaboration was achieved at a high level. Learn to establish a consistent set of design goals for a project, and how this can help navigate a client’s evolving business and changing leadership. See how a strong, well-known brand can influence the design of its work environment.
Right Sizing the Government Workplace
In 2012 GSA embarked on a project to implement desk sharing and/or hoteling for approximately 50% of the people in the Chicago regional office. Ronnie Bent, will discuss how GSA reconfigured existing furniture to create a mobile, flexible space. There were no construction costs, no design consultant costs and minimal furniture reconfiguration costs. Learn about the bare-bones approach to the project, and what fruit came of it.
2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
A Case Study
Newly opened in August 2013, the Baltimore Design School is a public school serving middle and high school students with a focus on the design arts of fashion, architecture, and graphic design. With perspective as both the architect and a founding board member of the school, hear from Steve Ziger, as he presents the design for Baltimore Design School’s new $26.85 million, 110,000-square foot facility created from an abandoned factory building in Baltimore’s Station North Arts and Entertainment District. The school demonstrates the power of design through exposed systems and best practices for historic renovation, adaptive reuse, educational design, and sustainable design. The interior aesthetic is that of an open industrial loft where existing walls and structure that remain are cleaned and sealed and left exposed to view. Ziger will also discuss the public-private financing plan that has allowed the school system to benefit from the creation of a major new school building without substantial up-front capital, the school’s role in community revitalization, and the unique design-based curriculum.
Construction Administration for Interiors Updated for 2013
From the preconstruction phase through completion, Kevin Sneed of OTJ Architects will discuss the common challenges project managers face, and guests will get an overview of the teamwork that is required from the project manager and the general contractor to ensure a successful project. The updated discussion includes the top seven construction administration risk management issues.
Thursday, October 17
8:00 – 9:00 a.m.
Preservation and Interior Design
Canada and America have suffered from inappropriate changes to, and the massive obliteration of their built environment. Throughout the 20th century, changes have been made in the name of progress, but with a lack of knowledge and appreciation for some historic treasures. Changes have to happen. Get an experienced perspective on the issues that surround preservation projects from Arlene Wright Venderlinde, a principal designer at Wright Design Associates. Become sensitive to the challenges of renovating historic structures. Learn the language of preservation and adaptive re-use. Leave with the necessary tools to successfully pursue a historic preservation process.
9:30 – 10:30 a.m.
No Office? No Problem! An Inside Look at Coworking
Get up close and personal as Cheryl Duball of Avance LLC discusses coworking, a global trend in emerging workplaces for mobile and non-conventional workers. Guests will understand coworking through a visual tour of more than ten different work environments. Experience the day in the life perspective of actual coworkers spanning more than three generations. Hear several insiders’ views of coworking, from the Millennial experience to the Baby Boomer perspective.
11:00 a.m.
The award winning textile designer, weaver, originator, and principal of Suzanne Tick Inc. presents “Life’s Work,” a glimpse into the art and commercial work that happens at Suzanne Tick’s home studio. By unfolding the design activities of the day, themes of dualities emerge which drive her unique business model: balancing work and life, art and commerce, craft and technology, contemplation and collaboration. Join Tick for this exclusive look into a day in the life, her design process, and her life’s work.
1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Living In the Lighting Lab: Testing Innovative Lighting Control Systems in the Workplace
This presentation will show the results of energy consumption and its effect on behavior within the sustainable workplace environment. See the link between lighting and the open workplace and discuss various lighting technologies including task tuning, variable load shedding and daylight harvesting with Haley Russel, David Cordell and Jon Penndorf of Perkins + Will. Understand the link between the built environment of lighting and human perception and learn how various lighting strategies can be combined to create a unique solution for a work environment.
