From the Community Blog

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 ...

You may have heard the term: The Great Resignation.Anthony Klotz firsted coined this term and predicted the phenomenon in 2019, and it’s happening now. In April, May, and June of this year alone, 11.5 million workers quit their jobs. Surveys suggest that a significant portion of the population is actively looking for or creating new opportunities, and these numbers only increase when it concerns Gen Z workers[1].What can designers do to help support during these uncertain and transformative times?Designers have always been on the forefront of creative and progressive change. We may acknowledge that we’re the artists of 3D space, ...

After experiencing the collective trauma of COVID-19, today’s workforce is now in the thick of what is being called “The Great Resignation”. Studies show that a huge part of making individuals feel comfortable, safe, and productive has to do with their environment. On top of that, most employees are feeling better supported in their physical space at home, than in the office. Given that, how can employers provide physical spaces that accept their teammates where they are while providing them with a place to thrive rather than just survive?How can employers and designers bring a more empathetic perspective to workplace ...

At the onset of the pandemic, employers from every industry were forced to figure out a new way to function successfully. With lockdowns in place and the traditional office structure thrown into flux, companies had to weather the upheaval in the world while simultaneously pivoting to a new way of life that mandated new ways of working. Many people panicked about how well this would work, however employees thrived under pressure. This produced an unprecedented revelation: No longer forced between choosing to do their best work, their health & wellbeing or their families, employees now had the flexibility they craved ...

When it comes to design, there are countless choices that interior designers, architects, and owners must make. Choosing whether to include a lighting specialist on the project team can make or break a project's outcome. Lighting designers offer more than layouts, calculations, and cutsheets – they are collaborative team members first and foremost, bringing an eye for detail and a wealth of technical knowledge. We’re here to explain why a lighting designer is necessary, as everyone can agree that professional lighting expertise is essential for a cohesive design. Lighting designers care about people--from their functional needs to their spatial ...

When the COVID-19 pandemic became a reality in 2020, Rockwell Group began to think about ways for New York City restaurants to adjust their service and design. The toll on the industry, both economically and from a health perspective, was immense. Given our longstanding ties to the restaurant and hospitality community, we felt a responsibility and a desire to think about creative solutions. How could we help get restaurants back on their feet and restore jobs, while also allowing New Yorkers to come together safely to share a meal—a ritual intrinsic to the beating heart of the city? The answer ...

As architects and designers, I believe that we have mastered the power to make use of our creative skills in extraordinary ways. From hours of designing to years of learning, we possess the ability to create magical moments across interior and exterior spaces. It wasn’t until a few months ago, under the guise of a “zoomed” world during a global pandemic, that I truly began to think one step further — to the capabilities of virtual space.Employing an architectural firm to design a virtual space is quite unheard of in the gallery world (or really, most worlds for that matter.) ...

Choosing sustainable practices and materials to create beautiful spaces is one of the most pivotal and impactful design challenges of our time. According to architect Lance Hosey, FAIA, LEED Fellow, studies show that designers and architects can influence up to 90 percent of a project’s eventual impact based on early design decisions. Can we challenge ourselves to create structures that balance beauty, functionality, wellness and care for our environment? We believe we can. For too long, many have held on to outdated notions that sustainable materials are too expensive or that it is too time-consuming to do the research. Other considerations ...

From time to time, my mother asks me, “what do you do for work?” I've been practicing both architecture and design for a long time, and it's still curious to me how she continuously asks me this question. I think this has a lot to do with the hybrid approach I’ve taken on projects in this ‘digital revolution'' that we are all experiencing and navigating today.CACTUS, Oath PediatricsI prefer to see the so-called “digital world” as a twin to the analog world. Like the unique structure of DNA, two lines intertwined, similar yet different, the two live side by ...

What does a rustic, century-old cottage on the Cape that has been in my family for four generations have in common with my professional life, which revolves around the design of urban office space? Though they may seem like antithetical places, the cottage is where I find inspiration and a deep connection with nature that in turn informs my urban work.The cottage—without air conditioning or heating save for a fireplace—is a primitive setting, but it’s also the most healing place I know. The question is how can we create healing environments in the urban context, and particularly in the modern ...