CREJ - Office Properties Quarterly

April 2015 — Office Properties Quarterly —

Page 19

Design

n today’s real estate world, a

beautiful transformation is

subtly taking place with corpo-

rate interior design. In simple

terms, this transformation is

driven by a growing need for the

workplace to express personality

and individuality in order to flourish.

The concept of craft and the infu-

sion of authenticity into design is

an effective way to

deliver this person-

ality and, as such,

it is a high prior-

ity for companies

to manifest those

concepts into their

workspaces.

To that end, com-

panies are taking

great care in team-

ing themselves

with skilled design-

ers to differenti-

ate their culture

and validate their

image. In the past, the human ele-

ment slipped away as workspace

took on a more standardized envi-

ronment due to an emphasis on

quick technology and trend-driven

design solutions. This eroded the

human element, which in turn led

to personal disconnection and loss

of workplace identity.

As the pendulum swings away

from depersonalized space, a renais-

sance of human-centered design

focused on craft and authenticity is

emerging. With it comes a celebra-

tion of diversity, individuality and

increased collective thinking.

The best models of individuality

and diversity are found in nature

and animals, and designers are

referencing nature more than ever

before. They are employing the

inherent geometries of divine pro-

portion found in plants, bringing the

outdoors in, and introducing organic

shapes to soften and humanize

office space. The joy we experience

when we see the cerulean blue feet

of a blue-footed booby, the brilliant

red feathers of a cardinal or the skin

pattern of a lizard validates how

we emotionally react to genuine

originality. The pattern, color and

ingredients that identify and define

certain species in nature can be

reinvented in interior design to iden-

tify and characterize a company’s

personality and corporate DNA.

Because collective thinking is driv-

ing new business solutions, recon-

necting people to people through the

workplace versus the computer is

in itself a transformational concept

that needs attention. I believe that

how this is accomplished has more

to do with how powerfully a compa-

ny’s personality can attract the best-

suited people, and less to do with

adopting the latest workplace trend

when laying out a space.

To that end, interior designers are

stepping back from their industry’s

saturated landscape of workplace

trend buzzwords, and consider-

ing them as thought-provokers to

initiate the desired changes. While

trends are effective benchmarks for

metrics and establishing social his-

tory, it is important that they not

become overly prescriptive or inhibi-

tive manifestos. Designers have a

responsibility to understand the

genesis and the trajectory of work-

place trends, but it takes a skilled

designer to distill the ideas and

forecast which aspects of a trend

best fit the ideology of a company’s

work space. Looking at each client

more carefully and individually will

peel off any stereotypes and reveal

the company’s most relevant core

values. The expression of these core

values is where “craft” can have

a substantial impact. Craft imple-

ments the realization of image and

authenticity.

Craft is an art or trade that

requires skill in execution. A high

level of skill and execution of details

within a space can convey a very

positive message about a company

and its product or service. Con-

versely, poorly detailed materials

will demonstrate a lack of thought

or ingenuity and will deliver a nega-

tive message.

A simple example of craft is the

straightforward and powerful use of

millwork in a space because it lends

a warm familiarity and a tactile

quality, as well as a calming effect.

Taking a natural material like wood

and applying it in broad, unexpected

ways inside a space is a modern

approach that shows artistry and

advancement. The details surround-

ing the joinery and transitions to

other materials can provide a sense

of discovery and appreciation by the

people inhabiting the space, and the

osmosis of this environment per-

vades the minds of the people and

the attitude in the workplace. In this

way, it silently creates and reinforces

the company’s brand.

The outward-oriented culture and

balanced lifestyle in Colorado is the

perfect stage for human-centered

design, and Denver firms with satel-

lite offices in nearby regional cities

such as Boise, Idaho, and Salt Lake

City are leading the way through

example. With every new lease, com-

panies are capitalizing on the oppor-

tunity to design space that engages

a new set of values and taps directly

into the inherent cultural and con-

textual qualities of the city. In doing

so, they are also tapping directly into

the hearts of their employees.

Design authenticity draws people

to other people, places and ideas.

In particular the expression of

craft in corporate interior design is

one of the most powerful convey-

ors of brand in which a company

can invest. A well-crafted working

environment can psychologically

promote higher standards, heighten

the self-image of the people work-

ing there, bring people together and

increase productivity.

Craft and authenticity transform the workplace

Gillian Hallock

Johnson

Principal,

BurkettDesign Inc.,

Denver

Photo courtesy Frank Ooms

The broad sweeping wood spine wall floats through the reception level to create a circulation gesture, lending a warm familiarity,

tactile quality and artistry to the space.

Photo courtesy Frank Ooms

The handcrafted reception desk at the entry is layered with woven wood, steel and con-

crete to create a statement of the importance of the human element.

Inspiration often comes from nature. The pattern, color and ingredients that identify

and define certain species in nature can be reinvented in interior design to identify and

characterize a company’s personality.