Wednesday, October 28, 2009

knoll furniture systems


design development







concept framework as of early october (it has since changed)

what should the space at 322 E. Chapel Hill Street stand for?
-- cbi's connection to duke + downtown durham
-- public vs private | community vs business
-- 'design district'
-- a modern + functional representation of this historic building

what is the type of experience we want to provide the users + visitors of this facility?
-- networking, cocktail parties, public showroom
-- private showroom, business
-- comfortable workplace

what are the specifics on the existing site that we want to engage in the design process?
-- maintain + improve historic facade
-- utilize existing circulation patterns to draw people to the space

the problems.
-- how to incorporate all of cbi's programming needs into a single, cohesive space. from a 'private' showroom for essentially just duke clients, to a public showroom for cocktail parties & networking events with the community.
-- how to create a modern + functional showroom and workplace, while respecting and celebrating the historic character and integrity of the building.
-- how to plan for cbi's current needs, as well as their future needs.

narrative.
when entering the space we are designing for cbi, we want the client or visitor to feel acknowledged and have a clear understanding of where to go and what to do. the pace will be designed so that it feels open and welcoming, but clean and functional at the same time. we plan to fuse together the differences between the historic building and modern product, as well as integrate sustainable design. this will be accomplished by incorporating a design element that has characteristics of all these things that will act as a wayfinding device throughout the space.


words.
connection | transition | circulation | juxtaposition | flexibility | change | open | intersection | fusion | display | function | interact | adjustable | moveable | adapt | blending | reaction | merging | melting


quotes.
"to dare every day to be irreverent & bold. to dare to preserve the randomness of mind which children produce strange & wonderful new thoughts & forms. to continually scramble the familiar & bring the old into new juxtaposition" gordon webber.

"you cannot simply put something into a new ploace. you have to absorb what you see around you, what exists on the land, and then use that knowledge along with contemporary thinking to interpret what you see" tadao ando.

"nothing is as dangerous in architecture as dealing with separated problems. if we split life into separated problems we split the possibilities to make good building art" alvar aalto.