Guest Lecture Summary
-
Kirsten Childs (April 25, 2012)
Here before us was
this soft-spoken woman who really is a pioneer of Sustainable Interior
Design. I found her perspective
refreshing and her longtime advocacy inspiring.
"Environmentally
Informed Design" is what it was called back in the 80s, before
Sustainability became the big buzzword!
I almost prefer the former. It
may very well describe things better, as we are here to inform ourselves, equip
ourselves, so that we may make the best decisions we can...the most INFORMED
decisions we can. (Susan Kaplan often describes it as such...it takes the
pressure off of us that we do not feel like we have to have ALL of the
answers!) Ms. Childs also described it
as "High-Performance" Design and said that a big part of
sustainability is "taking care of human beings." She also implored us not to put our $ into
the things in a project that do NOT support people directly!
As I review my notes,
I am struck by how much of what Ms. Childs offered us was in line with things
that we have discussed and learned over the past year (wow...a whole
year!). This is refreshing because in
the business of sustainability, there are so many conflicting ideas,
certifications, etc... She discussed the
New Enhanced Workplace, and this is in line with what has been presented by myself
and my colleagues in our projects and research for Seminar and for EBR. When I introduced myself to Ms. Childs at the
top of the class as primarily a residential interior designer, she said that
while her presentation would be heavy on commercial design, the values are the
same, and indeed I found this to be true.
I loved that she
touted the benefit of the charrette and meetings with stakeholders and her
suggestion that we can look to the past for our answers today (the shape and
design of buildings...H-shaped, around courtyards = daylight) which today
translates to their office design elements such as the sloped ceilings, and
also what they call "The Commons."
Ms. Childs even
offered a fair, less annoyed opinion on LEED, which was important for us to
hear.
And one of my
favorite quotes when she spoke of the NRDC projects:
"The whole
office can be taken apart with a screwdriver, not a wrecking ball."
Guest Lecture Summary
-
Sara Caples, AIA (March 6, 2012)
I could have listened to Sara and looked at her inspiring
projects all night. So thoughtful, so
insightful, so real and human.
I feel it is best to begin with a few of her splices of her
words and direct quotes:
§
What we do is a combination of
"architectural interpretations and couple's therapy"
§
Job of a designer is to "Adjudicate
Wisely," and to look to accommodate opinions.
§
"Design is a continuum from urban
environment, to landscape, to interiors..."
§
The "essence of interior design is to
capture the natural forces surrounding the building."
-like harvesting daylight, breezes...
§
"Orientation is so fundamental."
-speaking about building orientation and daylight.
§
"Use just enough." -speaking about
special conditioning (mechanical systems) in spaces that only need it.
§
"Filter the inputs" and provide needs
sustainably (when discussing working with clients)
§
Get "three goals working together instead
of one and the project will be richer intellectually."
§
"Harvest and Transform"
§
"Digitally driven fabrication processes
allow for less waste." -speaking
about the fences around the Brooklyn Weeksfield Project.
§
Describes the driving need for sustainability as
"HEALTH!"
§
Suggests in bidding process that you remember to
give contractors the requirements, "but allow them to bring their
creativity" to the work as well.
§
Don't just "look at cutting edge design, look
at traditional techniques, of different climates...look at vernacular
architecture -when speaking about inspiration and design concepts.
§
"Clients want to be green, but they have no
idea." We need to educate
them. They are educated, but they are
looking to us!
§
"We have to be ahead of the curve for our
clients..."
§
Sara suggests that we "gather info from
stakeholders and THEN PROCESS IT," as designers, architects, and artists.
§
"Be careful of free-enterprise
design...there is always a leader"
The research, study and eventual harnessing of light for the
Weeksfield project was beyond fascinating to me. I literally wondered aloud "how did they
do that?!?" I would love to show
this project to students also because it is all about a concept, something
students struggle with. Sara and her
team have such a vision here on this project and to see and hear her visually
and verbally take us through the inspiration of the African influences,
particularly that of the textiles and patterns, was wonderful. How they interpreted this element so
beautifully and subtly. I love that. I love that she said that maybe not everyone
will see it as what it is (e.g...the etched glass design) but there it still
is, and it is right.
It was inspiring to see the use of local artist, Nathan
Joseph for the facade of the Heritage Health and Housing Headquarters in Harlem
which impresses upon me the firm's need to honor and respect the community and
work to make the space fit in visually, but still in a cool, sustainable way.
This is a link to some info about the artist:
http://www.sundaramtagore.com/artists/nathan-slate-joseph/biography/
I also love the attention on light. Here is it...light...the most simple thing
that people seem to respond to so positively.
It is like a drug we do not realize how much we need. Again, how telling was it that in the
Heritage job that the occupants, the workers in the space said that the light
solution "spoke" to them. What
a wonderful reaction which really seemed to tickle Sara as she spoke about
it. They really "GET" their
client's needs...they get a human's needs.
To Christine's question about COST, I found it interesting
that Sara said that "we should never be afraid of it." It seems to be a low laying concern amongst
many of us...this idea that sustainable projects and sustainable, healthy
living "costs more. " I know
it concerns me. I got from her answer
that maybe it should not be a concern. I
do buy into her idea, however, that we need to educate our clients and when she
suggested that cost be looked at "relative to the whole project" and
show that you are "being strategic."
Maybe this will make it less of
the "hard cell" I personally fear it could be to a client of
mine.
I remember asking Peter at the Botanical Gardens about when
and how and why he became so passionate about sustainability. I remember being shocked at his answer that
it was always there, engrained in him by his parents. I was mad at myself that I was so prejudicial
about what I expected him to say, but I was also so hopeful and happy to hear
him say that. It was wonderful that the
same was asked of Sara, and when she said it was "never a question"
for her, well, she did not have to say it.
Her projects breathe that legacy she has created.
On the "Nebula" Project, or Queen's Theatre in the
Park, which I cannot wait to see, I loved how focus again was the people of
Queens and by extension, the world as its citizens. I loved the tie-in to the World's Fair, or
"Promise of the World." The
clarity with which the firm focuses on the human factor and the users is
wonderful...so wonderful it inspired the workers and laborers on the project to
do their best.
The idea of a use of the focus group to realize their color direction, or lack thereof was a miscue
was brilliant, and again, so well researched and focused on people.
And maybe the firm will be seen a pioneers in the "park
theatre design" community because, as she stated that in their research,
they did not find a solution or model that had both the sense of the park, as
well as a sense of the celebration of such a space as this.
This space alone, I hope, will renew the energy and drive to
bring back the Philip Johnson Pavilion...or more importantly, save it
entirely. The disrepair that "The
Ruins" as Sara calls them, has been allowed to weather into is just a
crime. This Nebula, I believe, can do
just this.
If I had one wish...I wish I saw and heard more about
Residential Projects, as that was the sector.
But that said, she did touch on the idea that residential and
institutional projects shared the same principles with the big difference being
the client, but they are still both every customized .
Overall, this was so fascinating and I look forward to
having a future opportunity to listen to Sara talk and see more
work...especially that Architect Magazine
article coming soon!
