Nature Never Fails
The connection we feel to nature is biological, yet most Americans spend close to 90 percent of their time indoors. Senior citizens spend even more time inside due to health or mobility challenges. Thankfully, it doesn’t take a wilderness expedition for seniors to experience the physical and psychological benefits of natural surroundings. With biophilic design – design that connects us to nature – in senior living spaces, everyone reaps rewards.
Office Duel: Open vs. Private
Each company has its own culture and specific needs when it comes to privacy, noise tolerance, workforce mobility, etc. Ultimately it comes down to understanding the individual client deeply and designing for the type of company culture they prefer.
The Total Lobby Experience
Recently updated “Gold Building” Lobby – Hartford, Connecticut Office lobbies used to be places you passed through on your way to an elevator in dripping soggy boots. Not anymore. Yoga class anyone? Movie night? Happy hour? In an effort to attract specific growth industries to their buildings, landlords are following a trend started largely by […]
The War of Independence
Post Occupancy Evaluation at Thames Edge – Groton, Connecticut At a recent “LeadingAge” national conference in New Orleans, we attended a session called, “Big Living in Small Spaces.” Among other ideas, presenters suggested that seniors don’t need large kitchens, so it’s not smart to build them. We wondered, “Is that true?” It’s always a good […]
Constraints Drive Design Innovation
School of Business at Quinnipiac University – Hamden, Connecticut Most people look upon tight budgets as a limitation. We just turned a similar circumstance into a design challenge and opportunity to achieve an exciting result. In the process of converting conventional classrooms to more collaborative space in Quinnipiac University’s Business School, part of the design […]
Take the Stairs!
Xylem headquarters – Rye Brook, New York As a WELL certified professional focused on elements that make our spaces healthier—Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Fitness, Comfort and Mind—I am painfully aware of the effects of sitting too long behind a desk. Do you know that sitting burns 50 fewer calories per hour than standing? Or that […]
Connecticut’s Modernist Cool
The October issue of Travel and Leisure Magazine puts our home state at the heart of architectural cool, with a sightseeing tour of “Connecticut Modernism” led by author Carol King. Of course, one of the stops is Max Abramovitz’s iconic Phoenix Life Insurance Co. Building (now owned by Nassau Reinsurance Company), or “The Boat Building,” where our […]