From the Community Blog

After taking a brief hiatus from attending NeoCon in the wake of the pandemic, I was thrilled to be presented with the opportunity of returning to the show as a first-time Best of NeoCon juror. I’m pleased to say the experience did not disappoint. As I arrived early to the show, I was able to get a sneak peek and in-person look at a plethora of innovative solutions and discover the commercial design industry’s biggest trends. Throughout the show floors, the emphasis on workplace agility in particular struck a chord with me, as it’s the answer to a challenge ...

Too many thoughtful designs are diluted by the time they’re built. Yours needn’t be. Visionary design always means taking risks. Traditionally, the riskiest step is handing off the design documents to let the construction team take over. However, by ensuring breakthrough design solutions can stay intact for your clients, you’ll help shape environments and experiences that deliver on the full potential to spark brilliance. Surprise costs and technical issues throw a wrench into any plan, which can result in design changes that impact the design vision – and not always for the better. Rising materials costs, economic volatility, supply chain challenges ...

The Power of Well Designed Workplace Dining Areas At work the other morning, an announcement came over the office P.A.—a vendor was giving a presentation in our library. The world is healing from the Pandemi Moore! I thought. (Because who calls it the Pandemic anyway?) Expecting pastries as we learned about new design products, I rallied a few new co-workers: “Come on! There are usually snacks for these presentations!” We arrived, and…betrayal. No food! I was now a liar, and my dear mother would be so disappointed. I turned to the younger staff and profusely apologized that I had bamboozled them into ...

What is neurodiversity, and why will we continue to hear more about it in our industry? Judy Singer, Australian sociologist, coined the term Neurodiversity in 1999.1 Neurodiversity describes the different ways our brains are wired, leading to unique skills, needs, and abilities. Individual differences shape social dynamics, cognitive functioning, motor skills, attention, sensory stimulations, speech, language, and learning. Like biodiversity, the term neurodiversity does not intentionally define a certain subgroup of individuals, but rather speaks to the infinite variations of the way people think. In contrast, there is a movement utilizing the term neurodiversity to empower select subgroups with diagnoses. ...

As a major launchpad for ideas and introductions that shape the built environment, NeoCon illustrates the tremendous amount of energy that goes into designing, manufacturing, and installing every component of any given space. What happens to these materials when it's time for a renovation? Embodied carbon consists of the carbon dioxide emissions generated by raw material sourcing, supplier processing, and manufacturing, building construction and demolition. The beneficial recovery and reuse of architectural materials also encompasses all of the interior furnishings such as furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) that are a major source of embodied carbon emissions. This includes everything from office ...

No doubt, one of the most valuable understandings we’ve gleaned over the past 2 years is that we do, in fact, need the office. It gives us people and variety. Without enough of either, work suffers, and mental well-being declines. Yet employees across the board want the freedom to work from home roughly 2-3 days a week for good. Hence the broad consensus. Hybrid is the future. Naturally, the success of hybrid working hinges on the office’s effectiveness. To facilitate hybrid working, the office must first of all be flexible – that is, outfitted with mobile furniture that makes it ...

Why do we design? For art and beauty, yes. But also for purpose. A well-designed chair offers comfort and stability, while an imaginatively created rug brings warmth to a home. Good design improves quality of life. However, beyond the functional purpose of design we must also consider the intention behind all of our design choices. While the chair may provide comfort and the rug creates warmth for five, ten or so years, what is their next purpose? Unfortunately, in most cases, these beautiful, functional pieces end up as waste. Four billion pounds of carpet are discarded in U.S. landfills every year. Renovation projects ...

Over the pandemic I, like many, dove deep into gardening and garden design. One of the fascinating things I discovered is that landscape architects design two plans: one for the initial planting installation and a second for the ultimate design, at the 5-year mark when the plants have grown to their mature form. They also do four studies to consider how their design morphs over the seasons to ensure there is year-round visual interest. Their process reflects the inherent understanding of the dynamic nature of the craft. Sure, in interior design, we create phasing plans and restacking studies but we ...

Designing the Metaverse - the value of starting before you’re ready With any new venture, finding the “right” time to start is often a fruitless endeavor. So when faced with the prospect of designing an entirely new universe, you should forgive yourself if you’re not quite sure where (or maybe even why) to start. As any successful entrepreneur will tell you, in a circumstance like this, it’s always best to start before you’re ready... And with “the metaverse” on everyone’s lips as we head into the second half of 2022, the race is already on. The technology is coming. Fast. ...

As workers return to offices, shoppers and designers revisit their favorite showrooms, and industry events once again draw attendees from across the country and beyond, THE MART, an icon in Chicago’s history since the 1930s and home to NeoCon, is creating a new experience for all who enter. The vision embraces the desire for increased hospitality-driven environments within the building, providing balance and well-being to tenants and visitors in our new understanding of work and life. Re-emerging from the pandemic with new perspective and a reinvigorated focus on what will best serve the many visitors that filter through the 4 million square ...