With over 30 years in the industry and many awards under his belt, Phill Mashabane has acquired expertise in the fields of Master planning; Urban Design and Development Planning; Architecture; Museum design; Storyline Development and Exhibit Design; Interior Architecture; and Heritage and Conservation. Phill Mashabane shares with us his personal journey from growing up in a rural environment in South African to his Architectural Studies in Paris, then attending Harvard Law School.
Could you tell us a little about yourself and your professional journey?
I was raised by conservative rural parents who expected one to account for one’s actions at all times. Coming from a family of nine siblings, my parents could not afford to carry me through beyond primary education. I however did not give in to the social and economic pressures that my family faced. I carried myself through high school wherein I completed my A levels and technical studies in London. I further enrolled myself in Paris where I completed my Architectural Studies (BArch).
I worked for five years in Paris before I headed back home to South Africa being a transit Architect working in various countries including Saudi Arabia, Ghana, Guinee, Bangui, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. When I could not be employed as an Architect in South Africa due to the repressive segregation laws at the time (Bantu/Native Building Workers Act, Act No 27 of 1951), I went back to Paris and registered at a Law School to further my understanding of the legal frames I was subjected to.
Upon completion (LLB), I worked as a Research Attorney in Paris. However, Architecture was my first passion. Architecture being engrained with the lives of people, I further empowered myself with the knowledge of Mediation and Arbitration both in Commercial and Construction.
I further pursued studies and earned my MSc in Knowledge and Project Management. I furthered my people’s engagement studies (Negotiation) at Harvard Law School. Amongst other things, I also studied music and earned my licentiate credentials, and performed in an orchestra where I played a Viola and alto saxophone.
I am an avid golfer and a motorsport enthusiast. Areas of interest remain strong in Architecture, Art, Race Relations, Music, and Law.
As for my professional journey; I worked for a Competition Practice in Paris. Deployed to implement the projects I designed for construction in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Later left the employ and became a traveling Architect working in various countries making my way back to my motherland where I co-founded Mashabane Rose Architects. Mashabane Rose Architects have earned their projects through competitions and unsolicited project development.
Why have you chosen to be an Architect?
I chose to be an Architect at an early stage as I viewed that to be an Architect was a composite of being a solution provider to social demands. Being an Architect requires one to fulfill various roles including but not limited to understanding race relations, arts and crafts, law, etc. in my journey, I have made an effort to equip myself with those competencies
You have been involved in the realization of major projects, but If you have to choose only one, which one’s would it be and why?
All the projects I have been involved in are unique and have their significance and are impactful in their own right. Most have been legacy projects that seek to record and uplift the lives of people. These have presented themselves at another level as Memory projects. One project that has gotten me to look deeper is the Mandela Capture site wherein the process to arrive at the final establishment, has gone through various social and community loops where my varied expertise was at play.
Freedom Park
In 2016, you have received the “Lifetime Achievement award for excellence in the field of Architecture” by the South African Professional Services Industry. Can you share more about this recognition?
This was a humbling acknowledgment by my peers and many institutions that I have engaged with and served, particularly in the field of Architecture and professional practice.
You are part of various professional groups or affiliates; what is the most fulfilling part for you to be involved with many associations?
The most fulfilling part is to add value and intervene where necessary to make others realize progress.
Can you please share with us, what are the main challenges when working on Architectural projects in South Africa or Africa in general?
The main challenge, in general, is to deal with a client that is not informed of the impact of Architecture and who looks out for “wow effects’ than the reason and functionality of the architectural intervention
Last, what would be your advice as an experienced Architect to Emerging talents?
Every course affects. Emerging talents should not disregard the morality and ethics of their intervention as it may have long-lasting effects on those that may be ignorant of their activities.
Museum of African Liberation – construction on process
Dinosaur Museum
Helle Juul is an Architect, Ph.D and Founding Partner of Juul | Frost Architects, a consulting firm for many of the largest educational institutions and Scandinavian cities in the fields of strategic urban development, urban spaces, and campus development. Helle has more than 35 years of experience from her practice and as a research and international lecturer and guest professor, jury member on national and international architecture awards. She is Vice President for the International Urban Development Association, member of the European Cultural Parliament among other organizations. Hellie is sharing her professional journey and her engagement in various associations.
Can you tell us a bit about your professional journey? Where are you based?
I graduated as an architect from the Aarhus School of Architecture back in 1981, and my PhD from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts School of Architecture from 1994. The year I finished my PhD, I founded Juul | Frost Architects with my husband and business partner, Flemming Frost. Today, we are an interdisciplinary studio with around 30 employees located in Copenhagen, but we work across all of Scandinavia, and currently also in Russia.
You founded “Juul | Frost Architects”, when and why did you decide it was time to start your own company?
After more than 10 years of research, teaching, and curating of international architecture exhibitions, I longed to apply knowledge to practice. I believe that the architectural practice qualifies research – it creates a necessary dualism between theory and research on one side and practice on the other side.
The application of research has been one of the recurrent themes during my career, which to a high degree has also defined Juul | Frost Architects’ DNA. Juul | Frost Architects have been responsible for several research projects, among others the 3 years long development projects ’Public Space as a catalyst for change’ and ‘Campus Areas of the Future – from the Academic Village to Global University Hub’. Projects that developed new approaches and pragmatic tools, that redefined how we think and design public spaces and campus areas in Scandinavia.
What are your role and responsibilities as Vice President for the International Urban Development Association (INTA)?
I was elected as Vice President based on my experience and my research in urban development, and based on Juul | Frost Architects’ focus on promoting health through urban planning – A focus our studio shares with the International Urban Development Association.
Together with the other board members of the International Urban Development Association, I am responsible for facilitating the international exchange of ideas and knowledge through collaborations, peer-to-peer panels, masterclasses and much more. I believe the international and interdisciplinary exchange is the key to innovative solutions.
What do you think are the biggest challenges and opportunities in your industry now?
With the increasing urbanization, the design of our cities, public spaces, and built environment will have a greater impact on our health and well-being as well as our health cultures: How we live our lives, our behavior, and the choices we make. Both with regards to our physical, but also mental and social well-being. Social segregation, urban loneliness, and an increase in sedentary lifestyles are just some of the challenges urban dwellers face.
I believe, that architecture plays an essential global role and is an important instrument in the development of society. For me, the role of the architect revolves around people. I’m interested in how architecture and urban spaces can act as the social glue, how they can address people’s needs, and how they can play a role in promoting their quality of life.
What are you working on at the moment, and do you have any upcoming projects or collaborations that you’re able to tell us about?
We have just initiated the interdisciplinary research project “The future’s urban health culture” supported by Realdania. The project’s goal is to secure the link between health and urban planning and to develop new tools and recommendations to work holistically with the promotion of social, physical, and mental well-being across scales.
The research project is to some extent a continuation of our focus, in our former project ‘Cities of Well-being’, where we developed a framework to secure resilience, identity, social sustainability and climate-friendly development. A framework we have applied in our integrated landscape designs, that merge natural preservation, climate adaption and promotion of biodiversity with the promotion of social, mental and physical well-being.
Arena Park Airview by Juul Frost Architects
Arena Park View by Juul Frost Architects
Last, aside from your passion for Architecture and Urbanism, what are you interested in?
I’m inspired by the arts, both literature, painting, sculpture, photography, and film. And how they can contribute with new perspectives on architecture and urbanism. It actually brings me back to my PhD which was a multi-aesthetic inquiry into arts interpretation of time and space. In that way, the inspiration from other fields of art and other disciplines has been a recurrent theme throughout all of my practice.
Campus Örebro by Juul Frost Architects
Tarkhanovo Eco-Park by Juul Frost Architects
Tarkhanovo Eco-Park Plan by Juul Frost Architects
Heath Gledhill is qualified in both design, management, and business as well as having a keen interest in Architecture, Urban Design, and Landscape Architecture. His passion for best practice project management combined with excellence in design and delivery, lead him to a Design Integration Practice Leader at Aurecon in Australia. Heath is part of the BLT Built Design Awards Jury panel and shared with us, his professional journey.
Can you tell us a bit about your professional journey? Where are you based?
I grew up in a small coastal town along the ‘Great Ocean Road’ in Victoria, Australia and have always been interested in the landscape.
From there I moved to Melbourne to study at RMIT University to study for a bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture, and have spent the remained of my time living and working predominately in urban environments.
My professional journey has afforded me time within the local government and consulting sectors (within Australia and multiple regions across the globe) and time within the Landscape Architecture, Urban Design, and Architecture fields. Across the journey, I have explored not only my design focus but the field of management and how this process impacts designed outcomes, which led me to undertake a Masters of Business Administration also to further support this interest.
What has inspired you to work in the Architecture and Urbanism fields?
Having grown up in a coastal landscape environment I have always been interested in the landscape and environment. This led to a natural progression to Landscape Architecture where I have been able to combine my interest in the landscape and the technical processes involved with complex projects.
Is there any specific processes or elements you make sure to include when working on large-scale projects like the Jumeriah Central and City Walk Central Park, in Dubai?
I think that it is always important to think not just about the project and its identified edges, but the broader place, context and connections. I firmly believe that the success of any project is as much about the design of the project itself as it is about understanding the place context and how people will access the site. This is especially important when you are considering large-scale sites and projects.
A method that my team has adopted is to think about the process in scales, starting with People, Places, and finally the City. This ensures that we think about how people will interact with the project and we can then consider the design aspirations from the human scale, as humans are the essential ingredient to activation of place.
What do you think are the biggest challenges and opportunities in your career/industry now?
I think that in a new, post-Covid world, one of the biggest challenges we face is how do we improve our cities and places to be safe yet inviting and accommodating the needs of the users.
One of the key areas that my team is exploring are the key ingredients which a city needs to flourish and considering how can we design road ecologies that regenerate, how can road environments be responsive to their context, and what level of amenity do individuals need to participate in resilient, joyous communities?
Post lockdown, Melbourne’s (as an example) urban environment is reacting to generously allow for human connection. Inner-city precincts are expanding bicycle networks and offering car spaces back to commercial enterprises in a bid to support community infrastructure and economy. We’re witnessing a re-imagining of road infrastructure and its role in supporting the vitality and health of our cities and people.
Design Integration has taught us that experiential qualities like ‘vitality’, ‘productivity’, and ‘liveability’ are often rooted in the quality, frequency, and richness of our connections with one another.
What are you working on at the moment, and do you have any upcoming projects or collaborations that you’re able to tell us about?
A core focus of my and my teams work now is focused around transport and the integration of these networks into our urban environments.
Two key projects which I am involved in at the moment with Melbourne (Australia) is the Airport Rail Link and Suburban Rail Loop projects, which are large scale, complex urban and precinct focused projects which will ultimately change the way in which people move and interact with the city, suburban areas and beyond.
These are once-in-a-lifetime scaled city-shaping projects, which are highly challenging, yet rewarding in their scope and long-term opportunity and legacy outcomes.
Last, aside from your passion for Architecture and Urbanism, what are you interested in?
In a pre-covid world, travel and exploring new places was a keen interest. Throughout my career to date, I have been lucky enough to travel to many places around the world exploring built form, urban and regional realms.
Thomas Hoepf, FAIA, is the Senior Vice President and Design Director at EXP Architects + Engineers in Chicago. His experience includes projects of ranging types and scales for public and private clients. With nationally recognized design expertise Tom’s projects have won numerous design awards, including 35 National, Regional, and Local AIA Design Excellence Awards, and have been widely published. Thomas Hoepf is sharing with us his guiding design principles and his passion for teaching.
Can you tell us a bit about your background? Where are you from?
I was born in a small town in northwest Ohio, USA and moved to Chicago immediately after graduate school. I knew I wanted to live and practice in a larger city, and Chicago was that city – an amazing history and always a history of an energetic forward-looking ethos.
What has inspired you to work in the Architecture field?
When I was young, I always enjoyed drawing, whether it was something I observed or something from my imagination, and I was pretty good at it. My family moved a few times as well, and my parents would always take me to look at houses with them. I think somehow that started me thinking about buildings and design. I made my own T-square and started designing houses and I guess my interest grew from there. I was also interested in music, as a guitar player, and debated between architecture and music. But having no formal training in the latter I never quite had the confidence to pursue it. Of course, I knew nothing about architecture either, but somehow it seemed to strike a balance of creativity and practicality.
What are you working on at the moment, and do you have any upcoming projects or collaborations that you’re able to tell us about?
One of the things I love about what I do is that I am always involved in many different projects at any given time, and those projects range in scale, type and complexity – from transit stations to courthouses, to airports, to picnic shelters – so we’re never pigeon-holed or bored. Secondly, I would say that all of our projects are collaborations. One project, in particular, I would highlight that my team and I are working on happens to be the largest project the Chicago Transit Authority (Chicago’s mass-transit agency) has ever undertaken – a project called the Red-Purple Modernization. It entails the design of more than a mile of new elevated track structure, as well as four new stations on the north side of Chicago. On the one hand, while it’s a huge project in terms of scope, it’s actually very intimate in a sense, because each of these new stations resides in a different neighborhood and street – each with a unique physical character and cultural identity. So, from a design approach standpoint, each has to be crafted to respond to those specific conditions, while at the same time, each has to be “of a family” of stations along a consistent route/line.
CTA 95th Dan Ryan Terminal Station
What are your guiding design principles?
As the leader of a team of creative problem-solvers, we collaborate across disciplines we focus on a few core principles:
You recognize the value of mentorship and continue to mentor through your teaching and involvement with the American Institute of Architects. Can you please share a bit more about that?
Indeed, I’ve had wonderful mentors throughout my academic and professional career. I was lucky to be invited to teach graduate design studio at the Illinois Institute of Technology for over 10 years, and that opportunity came directly through one of my professional mentors, who was simultaneously the design principal at the firm I was working at out of graduate school and also teaching studio at IIT. Observing that balance between professional work and teaching seemed incredibly challenging, but also like an ideal world to me.
Later, after I was invited to teach, I realized that it’s such a challenging, invigorating, rewarding experience and that I was getting as much out of it as my students were. Teaching truly had a profound impact on me in both my design sensibilities AND in the way that I collaborate and communicate with my team. Similarly, my involvement with the AIA Chicago Bridge Mentorship program wherein AIA Fellows are paired with younger architects, has been fun, rewarding and a continuation of me learning from my “mentees”. It’s such a great program that is finding its way into the programming of AIA Chapters throughout the country.
Last, do you have any tips for aspiring Architects?
Believe in and advocate for yourself. If you don’t believe, you can’t expect someone else to. Also, recognize that making architecture is a collaborative endeavor wherein everyone must “own” the design – and it really takes a team to make relevant places and spaces.
Washington Wabash Elevated CTA Station
St Louis International Airport Main Terminal Renovation
Research Center Atrium
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Charles Prevedel Federal Building Modernization
Geoff Wilkinson is a renowned Building Inspector with over 35 years of experience in the Construction Industry. He has worked in both Public and Private practice, across almost every sector and his company currently deals with over 600 projects a year. He has served on many industry working groups in the development of UK Standards and Regulations and is highly respected for his knowledge and practical application of the regulations. Geoff is sharing his professional journey and the expertise needed to be a construction consultant.
Can you tell us a bit about your professional journey? Where are you based?
My career in construction started as a child as my father was a contractor, and some of my early memories include coloring in superseded plans with crayons!
My first-holiday job was working for my father as a general laborer where I helped knocked things down and shift barrows of rubble from site to the skip during the school holidays.
I left school at 16 and joined the Greater London Council (The Municipal Authority for London) in 1983 where I commenced a trainee program to become a Building Inspector. I worked for several other municipal authorities prior to the privatization of the sector in the 1990s, and have since worked for commercial Building Inspectors prior to setting up a family business with my wife in 2009.
I am based in the UK and more specifically in Kent – The Garden of England
You are the Managing Director of Wilkinson Construction Consultant; can you please tell us the scope of expertise a construction consultant brings to a project?
Wilkinson Construction Consultants can offer a range of professional support services related to regulatory compliance in the UK along with Expert Witness services. Our core service is Approved Inspector services, and we are one of around 100 companies in the UK licensed to give Building Control Approvals. We are not just another consultant, we are the actual decision-makers and our certificates of approval are accepted by all the relevant Local Authorities, Conveyancers, and Financiers.
Can you tell us more about your involvement in developing the UK construction Standards and Regulations?
In addition to direct involvement in projects, I have also sat on a number of working parties and committees that assist the UK government in setting the relevant standards that need to met. These have included proposed changes to UK Fire Regulations and the provision of Access for people with disabilities.
What do you think are the biggest challenges and opportunities in your industry now?
The biggest issue we currently face is climate change and adapting traditional building techniques and designs to face this challenge, including the upskilling of the workforce. Whilst a lot of focus has been placed on fire safety in recent years, there are around 10x as many deaths from overheating in our buildings as there are from fire or smoke inhalation. As the climate continues to heat up providing a cool place of shelter and maintaining access to water will provide particular challenges.
Is the ongoing Covid-19 healthy crisis affecting your field of work?
Covid -19 has affected our field of work, and it’s clear that there has been a move away from the office to increased home working. This in itself provides challenges, as our homes are not typically designed to provide suitable and sufficient working environments, and the open plan living trends of recent years, are especially difficult when focused working space is required. We are seeing our city centers empty and in need of reimagination – we look forward to new place-making that enables home, work, and leisure activity in close proximity and less reliance on the commuter journey.
What are you working on at the moment, and do you have any upcoming projects or collaborations that you’re able to tell us about?
As a practice, we have the luxury of working across a range of sectors – from well-known high street brands to unique one-off homes. We also like to focus on “retro first” – the reuse and refurbishment of disused and even historic buildings to make them fit for a new millennia. Examples across our current/recent portfolio are shown over.
Last, aside from your passion for construction, what are you interested in?
I enjoy travel (at least I seem to remember that I enjoyed travel when it was permitted) Jazz, Fine Dining and Football (Soccer for the US audience) and am an avid follower of Arsenal football club.
Canterbury Cathedral Visitor Centre
Private Dwellings – Lakehouse
Scania UK Headquarters
Simpsons Wine Estate
Anna Grichting is an architect, urbanist, and musician at Bordermeetings Switzerland and graduated with a Doctor of Design in Urbanism from Harvard University. She is a specialist in sustainable Urbanism and border landscapes. Anna is sharing the professional journey that brought her around the world and her passion for music.
Could you tell us a little about yourself? Where are you from?
I was born in Geneva Switzerland and lived in England and Ireland as a child and young girl. My Swiss ancestors are from a mountain village in the Valais, and my mother was born in Berlin. I studied and practiced architecture in Geneva and went to Boston to undertake my Doctor of Design. After working for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in Geneva, I taught architecture and urbanism in Qatar for seven years, and I am now back in Geneva working as a consultant, researcher, and designer on various projects. I like to sing, to ski, to swim (I swim all year round in Lake Geneva) and I am inspired by contemporary art and nature.
Why have you chosen to study Urbanism?
I never liked history as a young girl because I was not good at memorizing dates… but later, when I was studying architecture in Geneva, we had courses in Urbanism, which included the history of cities and the contemporary design of territories. I had great Italian professors who taught us to read the history of cities in plans and maps and also to understand the cultural and philosophical dimensions of urban settlements. During my studies, I visited my grandmother who had moved to Berlin in the last years of her life. It was my first visit to Berlin, and I was fascinated by the Wall and the divided city, the birthplace of my mother, a city that had been destroyed and torn in half. Two years later I returned to begin my diploma on the Berlin Wall and I was there when the Wall fell and since then I have worked on Border Urbanisms and Landscapes.
I was attracted to urbanism as it is an interdisciplinary field, and I like to work in connecting different systems, modes and layers of information. During my studies at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University, and through my research on borders and buffer zones, I became increasingly interested in landscape urbanism and realized the importance of landscape as a foundation for all urbanism and architecture. We also were introduced to landscape in my undergraduate studies, so I had a very broad training and outlook on the profession. The city is connected and made up of Open space… it is the glue between the buildings and the theatre where people collect and connect. Squares, Public spaces, parks, promenades, cemeteries, gardens, natural habitats … all of these link into the green and blue networks of the city.
In urbanism, there are many fields – from legislation to policy, geography, to design – and today with growing tendencies to “design with nature” and natural systems, coupled with the development of technology – the fields of ecology, biology, climatology, cyber,,, digital. There are also multiple scales of urbanism, historical scales, spatial scales, and I like to work on these various dimensions of urbanisms, from designing pocket parks – which I did with a local community in Boston – to creating visions for large border landscapes such as the Korean Demilitarized Zone and the Cyprus Buffer Zone. I have also connected art and music to my urban projects
Can you please take us through your professional journey?
After finishing my architecture diploma I worked as an architect in Geneva both in a private office and for the City of Geneva where I designed the public space and infrastructures for an annual music festival. At the same time, I was studying for my Masters and teaching at the University of Geneva, as well as singing in a Rhythm and Blues Band. My life has always been between Architecture and music, between practice and teaching. On returning from Boston, I worked with the Aga Khan Award for Architecture on an Education Initiative, and more recently I conducted on-site project reviews and interviews for the award-winning projects.
During my time as a professor, I have always maintained a close connection with the profession, presenting and chairing at conferences and traveling worldwide. This academia and industry connection has always been important to me as well as mentoring young women (and men too) and I took an important role in the professional training of students as part of their curriculum.
Today, I work as a researcher and consultant on various projects and continue to lecture and write articles and books as well as mentor young and aspiring architects, urbanists and researchers.
What are the challenges in developing sustainable Urbanism?
Challenges are at different levels. Individual, collective, global. We need to be ready to change our own habits and ways of living, and also to create the structures that will enable us to transition to more healthy environments and lifestyles that respect and regenerate nature
We have to be ready to work with more complexity, with many interconnected systems, and to be open to changing our way of living and doing. I believe it is also important to have a longer view of the impacts of what we do. The Native Americans always said you have to think of what impact your actions will have seven generations ahead. There is a lot of wisdom in indigenous communities that we have overlooked in our times, but there is a resurgence of these indigenous approaches which are very close to nature. We find them also in our own cultures if we listen to our elders.
We need to put the environment at the top of the value chain and transition from an ego-centered to an eco-centered society and economy, and to give more value to our natural environment, to work with nature and not against it, to create healthy cities, ecosystems, and promote human well-being…
Doha new Urban Green Belt Forestry by students in the Masters in Urban Planning and Design, Qatar University.
As a University Professor, do you mind sharing some of your research topics?
My long-standing research is on border landscapes, which began with the Berlin wall, expanding to the buffer zones of Cyprus and the Korean Demilitarized zone. In Qatar, I developed research on Blue Design in Drylands, looking at water – both sweet and salty – as a landscape and infrastructure for urban development. I also conducted research with my students on Public Art and Public Space, and with the upcoming World Cup in Qatar, the subject of Mega-Events and Urban legacies was a fundamental one for the city of Doha and Qatar. As Qatar has high food insecurity, I developed research and projects on Food urbanism, and on the nexus between food water, energy, and waste, to develop designs and scenarios to optimize these resources and to design better urban environments. The questions of soil and biodiversity are integrated into the research, looking at both natural and technological systems.
Doha Corniche, New Design for Climat changes by students in the Masters in Urban Planning and Design, Qatar University.
What is the most rewarding part about teaching/ research at University?
Firstly, the students. Without the enthusiasm and dedication of the students there would be little satisfaction. Working on important and exciting, creative projects with students, and seeing them evolve is very rewarding. Secondly, the opportunity to bring new pedagogical methods and projects which are developed to respond to the environment, as well as to the student’s needs and desires. There is often resistance in Institutions when one brings new ideas, but these challenges are also part of the rewards.
What are the advice and professional tips you give to your students?
1 – Go out of your comfort zone. That is where you learn the most and I speak from experience.
2 – Think big, and always look beyond your site to better integrate your project into the environment.
3 – Create designs that give back to the environment, that create great outdoor spaces, that contribute to public space, to biodiversity, to carbon capture.
4 – Always analyze the topography of a site you are working on – my students used to joke about my obsession with topography, but it is essential in working with the nature, with the natural flow of water, and the correct siting of structures and activities.
5 – Collaborate with the users to co-create the most appropriate designs for space or building.
Last, you are also an accomplished musician … where can we listen to you?
Since returning to Switzerland I have been playing with a Jazz Trio, Anna Jazz and Roses. You can listen to our music and watch our video here.
With my late husband Cheo Solder, we created Desert Bridges and performed in Qatar for the opening of the Swiss Embassy. You can watch the video here and listen to the CD.
Bordermeetings is a project which puts into music and words my work on borders.
Sufi Moon was a collaboration with Swiss alphorns and Qawwali musicians from Pakistan.
A selection of Dr. Anna Grichting Solder projects and urbanism works
Qatar Blue Tallin Vision Competition
Regenerative ecologies on the Baltic Sea. A Vision competition designed with students in the Masters in Urban Planning and Design, Qatar University.
Field Trip with students in Qatar
Cyprus borders.
Palimpsest Chess Board Cyprus Buffer Zone. The layers of history at the Paphos Gate.
Qatar Living Lab poster
Angelo Bucci founded in 2000 the “deZign Studio”, working in Interior Design, Product Design, Advanced Design, with the aim to mend the tear between companies and designers produced in the last years. Since 2009, He is Head of the Interior Design Department and teacher at UED-Università Europea del Design of Pescara, Angelo is sharing with us his professional journey and his passion for teaching.
Could you tell us a little about yourself?
Well, it’s always hard for me to talk about myself… When I was 10 years old, I decided I would become an architect therefore I studied Architecture; one of my best characteristics is perseverance! Other important traits about myself are my curiosity and my empathy whose helped me a lot in my career. Since a young age, I loved teaching and this, somehow, shaped my today’s job.
Why have you chosen to be working in the Design field?
At the age of 10, I decided to study to become an Architect, it started after meeting an Architect (the father of a friend of mines), and I was so fascinated by him. During my studies, I realized that the job I would like to do in the future was in the fields of interior and product design. Maybe because I’ve always been attracted by finding solutions in small spaces and working on details. This consciousness helped me to choose my specialization in the last year of my educational path. Now I can say that I’ve been so lucky to meet people who were able to stimulate my creativity and my sensitivity, making me, become the person I am.
Which company did you work with prior to founding the deZign Studio?
I founded the deZign Studio when I still was a student! It was a bet, I can say now. What I mean is that I was so young, but this condition of unconsciousness about what could happen, helped me to start something new and an important step in my life. In a couple of years, the deZign Studio becomes an important studio in the center of Italy thanks to my unconsciousness. It was quite tough but I would do it again!
Prior to founding the deZign Studio, I had some collaboration with several firms that taught me a lot about how companies work.
In your entire career, if you have to choose only one project you have been involved in, which one’s would it be and why?
If I can, I’ll talk about two projects, one in the Interior Design field, and the other one in the Product Design.
The one in Interior design was a Hair Salon, in Pescara, called HairLab. It was an interesting project to work on because it was a place where sustainable products were used and so, the objective was to make the space the more sustainable as possible. When thinking about the concept, we find out that the only way to reach our aim was to reduce the number of furniture and using sustainable materials. The result was a beautiful space, light and fresh, a place where to relax and enjoy the moment.
The other project is a product called Wall Chair. Wall Chair born after several brainstorming about a folding chair. Every brainstorming stopped at the moment of understanding how, the customer, could hide the folding chair, used for a guest, in our houses that are becoming everyday smaller. The idea has been to transform these minus points in a plus point and, so, we decided that the folded chair wouldn’t be hidden but showed! From that moment, we started designing a chair that, when not in use, can become a painting. This is how we designed Wall Chair, a folding-chair/painting that we patented in January 2009.
You are also the Head of Interior Design Department at the Università Europea del Design in Pescara, Italy. What has brought you to an Academic Career?
Well, first of all, I think it was my personality. My empathy and natural inclination toward teaching somehow were recognizable from when I was a teenager. I used to help my brother and my friends with their studies and it was a great satisfaction for me to see their results.
There’s something between egoism and altruism in teaching because there’s a part of personal satisfaction that arrives from the results of other people and from their satisfaction too. Work with the students is always something that makes me feel richer, also when it’s tough. To see their smiles when they reach the goals… or years later to hear about their accomplishments, are the best things! I knew that it could have been my career and now I can say that I was right.
What professional advice do you give to your students when graduating?
Of being modest, listen and learn from everybody they will meet in their lives. To stay side by side with artisans and carpenters, especially at the beginning of their working experience, watch and ask them all the questions you can. To learn to listen and understand what clients really want for their projects and share ideas with them. Never impose your ideas, if there’s something wrong with the client’s requests, try to give them the space to understand what’s wrong and let them understand why you deserve their trust.
Last, have you noticed any particular recent trends in Interior Design?
I think we are facing a lot of changes in architecture and interior design, due to the pandemic. The fact is that, first of all, we are structuring a brand new approach to the spaces of our houses whose are used for working, playing with our kids, relaxing, etc., instead of just eating and sleeping. That’s why all the spaces in our houses will change progressively and so the furniture.
Moreover, we are, finally, exiting from the modernism way of thinking about spaces and materials, so our buildings won’t be machines for a living but will be a changing space, able to adapt to all the changes in our lifestyles, I mean, our houses will become a “liquid” space instead of a rational “machine for living”.
Furniture will finally reopen to decorations, we are all quite bored by these spaces with no colors and no fantasies, in my opinion, sooner or later we’ll start again designing objects and spaces and their decorations. I know that this isn’t specifically a “trend” but these new approaches will define new trends in product and interior designs.
Kavitha Iyer is a licensed Architect and Designer with 21 years of experience in Hospitality, and a passion for Art and Travel. In her current role as Head of Design for Intercontinental Hotels Group, she leads Brand Design for the Americas, with a focus on defining inspiring design experiences for each brand. She is sharing with us her love for design and travel.
Could you tell us a little about yourself? Where are you from?
I grew up in three different countries starting in Houston TX, USA, Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia and Chennai, India. I went on to live in 6 other cities before I landed in Washington DC, so the concept of home is always present tense with fond memories of past landscapes.
What has inspired you to work in the Hospitality Design field?
I have had the successful opportunity to blend the two things I love, Design and Travel. My parents were avid international travelers, so I spent my early years in many hotels and resorts for extended periods of time. On the one hand, it was enjoying the joy and perfection of the guest life, learning the remarkable impact of expression and on the other, appreciating our tremendous hosts and service culture in remarkable hotels all over the world.
A quote by Gustave Flaubert is what I hold dear to my heart and it makes one realize the significance of designing for travel. “Traveling makes one modest – you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” – Gustave Flaubert
What are your key responsibilities as the Head of Design Americas for Intercontinental Hotel Group?
I head up a group of highly talented Designers to provide Brand Design strategy across the IHG Hotels & Resorts portfolio of Brands. My role focuses on providing individualized interpretations of the unique personalities of each Brand into memorable Design experiences for our guests, and achievable and trustworthy business investments for our owners.
If you have to choose only one project you have been involved in, which one’s would it be and why?
Every project I’ve worked on and continue to be a part of is near to my heart. I’ve long dispelled the notion that there is the “one” thing. The best-in-class projects are the ones that are truly multi-disciplinary and the ones which forge impressionable learnings on how we revise the way we think for the better.
What do you feel is the most challenging part of working in Hospitality Design today?
It is a challenging time in any industry at the moment. I would say in Hospitality we have an opportunity to provide for our guests’ by way of creating memorable and trustworthy experiences which offer respite from everything happening around us. An empathetic haven, to suit a variety of needs states, whether it be for work, destination leisure or extended stays, with the assurance of being safe, clean, and reliable.
Outside of the Design World, do you mind sharing your other passions?
I started out as a painter before I decided to pursue Architecture and Design as a career. Painting is the much-needed analog respite in today’s “at the tip of your fingers” digital world. I also enjoy cooking. As an early age traveler, spending time in many hotel kitchens, nurtured an appreciation of cuisine as a process and art form to bring joy to my community of friends and family.
Last, do you have any tips for aspiring Hospitality Architects/Interior Designers?
One, Design is Design. In Hospitality, Architecture and Interior Designers should speak each other language and fluently. You aren’t designing within a discipline, you are designing an experience.
Second, Network. Reach out. Introduce yourself. Be curious and let learning be a continuum.
The world of Hospitality and the Designers within form an inspiring, talented, and thought-provoking community. There are so many forums and associations which provide support, education, and engagement at various levels.
Claude Paquin is a recognized publisher profoundly concerned by our living environments. He’s working in the media industry for almost 35 years as a journalist, researcher, publisher, and editor. He launched FORMES in 2004, a publication that proposes unrivaled content in a diversity of formats, across multiple platforms. Claude shares about his professional journey and contribution with FORMES…
Can you tell us a bit about your background? Where are you from?
I have always been interested in living environments, for personal interest and also for my academic profile. I graduated in urban planning from the Faculty of Planning of the University of Montreal. This progress in a faculty that brings together all the professions associated with architecture, design and town planning has certainly influenced my vision on the importance of decompartmentalizing the professions and approaching projects by linking all the actors associated with achievement. Regarding my professional profile, I have always acted in media environments as well as consulting with the construction sector.
What has drawn you to work in the media industry?
I would say it is for educational purposes. To contribute in some way to improving good practices through publications, seminars, conferences and other opportunities for exchange.
In 2004, you launched the magazine “FORMES”. What were the original ideas/contents of the magazine and how did it develop?
From the launch of FORMES, I wanted to clearly position the importance of concerted work between the various professionals and actors, and this at all stages: from the design, to the realization as well as to the management of the building and the territory. FORMES is positioned as a multidisciplinary publication in order to bridge the gap between professionals. The opposite of “silo” thinking in a way.
Where does FORMES stand in regard to sustainable development?
Here too, we have always been a forum for responsible practices.
What are you working on at the moment, and do you have any upcoming projects or collaborations that you’re able to tell us about?
We want to remain an active player in discussions with various designers and industry stakeholders as well as an influencer in order to improve best practices and promote thoughtful and sustainable approaches in the fields of architecture, territory, and design. To pursue this mission, we are working with various organizations, including universities and industry associations, to create an intersection of skills that help to establish promising links between research, action, training, and dissemination of knowledge.
We are also working to expand our distribution platforms, to bet on a multiplatform strategy, which is based on events, digital, and of course print. We see that the strategy based on a single platform is not optimal.
Last, have you noticed any new trends amongst Canadian Architects and Interior Designers?
Yes, fortunately, the professions are evolving. There is an increased sensitivity to environmental aspects. Some innovative movements are also emerging, including a “slow tech” approach which is proving to be a great trend for the future of professions and the planet!
About FORMES magazine:
FORMES is an active player in conversations with members of the various design disciplines and an influencer when it comes to improving exemplary practices and implementing well-considered and sustainable approaches. Its audience consists of architects, designers, urban planners, entrepreneurs, and trendsetters, who rely on us for our take on today’s architecture, territory (land use), materials, and environment scene.
FORMES engages readers. Its contributors, both local and foreign, draw from multiple backgrounds: advanced research, teaching, centers of excellence, and professional associations. The result represents a multidisciplinary, multi-sectoral product with an intersection of skills that help forge promising links between research, action, training, and dissemination of knowledge.
Based in Shanghai, Lynn Wang and Jason Wang share how the Asia Pacific Design Center helps Architects and Interior designers promoting their work on the global stage. They are also launching the Guangdong Exhibition & Exchange Center this year… a very exciting project ahead.
Could you tell us a little about yourself? Where are you from?
We are both based in Shanghai, Mr. Jason Wang is a leading figure in the Chinese design arena who had devoted himself to the design industry as a curator since 2009. Jason is the Secretary-General of Asia Pacific Design Center (APDC) as well as the Secretary-General of the Organizing Committee for the APDC Asia Pacific Interior Design Awards for Elite.
In 2010, Jason established the Asia Pacific Design Center (APDC) in Hong Kong, China, and initiated the Asia Pacific Interior Design Awards for Elite with the theme ‘Celebrating Creativity’, which has become one of the most important design awards in the Chinese community.
Ms. Lynn Wang, passionate about the organic lifestyle, sees herself as a LOHAS, low on carbon footprints and big on sustainability. In 2014, Lynn joined APDC and became the Head of Overseas Affairs Dept of APDC, in charge of establishing mindful partnerships and increase the APDC reach. Lynn is dedicated to providing Chinese and International Designers a platform for communication and cooperation.
Can you share with us what are the roles of the Asia Pacific Design Center?
Asia Pacific Design Center (APDC) is a global platform of the International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers (IFI), which is considered as the “United Nations” in the Interior Architecture/Design field.
Mr. Claude Bérubé is the founding president of APDC, a leading figure in International Design. He was previously the president of the International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers and the president of the Interior Designers of Canada (IDC). Core members of APDC include talented architects, interior designers, and product designers who are active in Greater China and the Asia Pacific.
What is the APDC International Design Exchange Center? What are the mains missions?
APDC International Design Exchange Center is a membership exchange platform for designers, focusing on providing service to Designers worldwide. We help to find resources, strengthens trans-regional cooperation, improves designers’ status and professionalism, spreads green ideas, and advocates low carbon and healthy lifestyle.
What kind of support are you providing to Architects and Interior Designers of your community?
We advise professionals established Architects and Interior Designers, while helping emerging Designers and organizations to improve the profession’s status, using our influence and promotional platform. We also support our members when participating in our own APDC Awards and other International awards, helping them to shine on the international stage.
Can you please share with us your next project? Will you expand APDC?
2021 is a very exciting year for us, we will build and launch the Guangdong Exhibition & Exchange Center for of International Design Competition. The center will integrate three major sections: International Competition Award Training, New Product Material Application Teaching and Global Ceramics & Sanitary ware Product Design Competition, to promote the interaction between design and product.
We want APDC to be more universal and international, this year will be the 12th Edition of the APDC Awards, and we have launched in 2020 the APDC Space Wizard Awards. We hope to increase our International reach and support from other organizations like the Farmani Group.
Are there any particular trends in Architecture and Interior Design in China?
“Less is more” is always the endless pursuit of designers, and since the COVID-19 crisis, they pursuits even more sustainability and eco-friendly materials and concepts.
Last, what are your advice to Emerging Architects and Emerging Interior designers?
Learn more and do more, do not be fear of making mistakes! Participating in valuable design awards is a smart way to test your level and approve your work.
