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in construction started as a child as my father was a contractor, and some of my early memories include coloring in superseded plans with crayons!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.
Murat Soygenis an internationally recognized architect and professor is a founding partner at S+ ARCHITECTURE. He received his architectural education in Istanbul and at the University at Buffalo. He has served as the Dean of the School of Architecture (YTU) and received awards for his contributions to the profession. He is sharing with us, his experience as an Architect and Professor.
Could you tell us a little about yourself? Why have you chosen to be an architect?
I believe the reason why I have chosen to be an architect goes back to my childhood. My family loved to travel to significant urban and architectural spots in Turkey. It was very interesting and motivating for me to see ancient cities of Asia Minor on the coasts of Anatolia, and to walk around the ruins of remarkable cultures from many chronological layers belonging to various civilizations throughout Anatolia and Thrace. Hittites, Trojans, Persians, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks, Ottomans and many others.
I remember from my childhood the Saracoglu Neighborhood we used to reside in Ankara. The housing settlement, designed by German architect Paul Bonatz during the 1930s carried traces of traditional Turkish House and was classified as an example of the 2nd Nationalistic Architectural Movement.
As a child, I enjoyed sitting on the deep window sills in between double-framed windows and playing in large tree-covered yards. The neighborhood located in the middle of downtown offered a pedestrian-oriented setting that was enjoyable for the residents. In Istanbul, as a young person, my visits to the Bosphorus, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern and many other spots had championed the urban and architectural adventure I was exposed to. All of this overwhelming experience guided me in the direction to architecture school to discover more about architecture, culture and the environment.
I received my architectural education in Istanbul and Buffalo. After receiving my undergraduate degree in Istanbul, I moved to Buffalo, New York for my graduate studies in architecture.
Which company did you work with prior to opening S+ ARCHITECTURE?
I started working with a mid-size local architectural office in Baltimore, Maryland following my graduation from the University at Buffalo. Sema, who was my classmate from Istanbul and later my wife, joined the same company in Baltimore. After three years with this firm, we switched to other companies in the Baltimore-Washington area. This was almost an eight-year period. It was very instructive and fruitful in these early years of professional experience.
Shortly after, I fulfilled the requirements to become a registered architect in the State of Maryland and a professional member of the AIA. At the same time, we started entering architectural competitions and getting small scale commissions. We decided to choose a more diversified professional path and started S+ ARCHITECTURE while we were in Baltimore, which later on allowed us to divide our time between practice, teaching, and educational administration as deans of two separate architecture schools.
If you have to choose only one project you have been involved in, which one’s would it be and why?
This is a very hard question. My answer is I would not choose only one project and elaborate on it, but rather I prefer to elaborate on the array of projects I have been involved in over the years. I should say that each and every project was a wonderful learning and experimenting experience for me regardless of its scale. In the early years, we designed and built a hotel and restaurant in Chora district of Istanbul on the neighboring lot to the Byzantium Chora Church, later a museum and a mosque.
We had experimented with creating a visually open space with intimate corners for dining. (Photo 1) In later years, explorations with flowing spaces, innovative use of materials, modularity continued in other projects at multiple scales. To name a few, I can say, modular storage units, academic buildings, a minimal rowhouse, a reuse project for a high school building on the Bosphorus, an industrial production plant, mixed-use towers. (Photo 2) Some of these projects are proposals for new constructions and some are reuse projects for existing buildings.
I can easily say that the best way to approach an architectural problem is through a platform that fosters design research. This is what we always intend to do during the design process. We like to do research, design and learn in this process.
Photo 1: Walls in the restaurant with contrasting colors
Photo 2: Project with a sense of openness and flowing spaces
You were the Dean of the School of Architecture at Yildiz Technical University. How was it to share your passion for architecture with students?
Yildiz Technical University, YTU in an abbreviated format, is one of the most competitive public universities in Istanbul and Turkey. Obviously, the School of Architecture at YTU is one of the top architecture schools not only locally but internationally too.
I taught design studio, sketching techniques courses in undergraduate and graduate programs at YTU. Also, as the Chief Administrator of the School, I initiated the process called ‘Substantial Equivalency’, later it was named ‘International Certification’, of the undergraduate architecture program through application to the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). The NAAB evaluation process continued without interruption after my deanship. The result was great.
The School received a six-year ‘NAAB International Certification’ which meant that the graduates would be accepted in international environments more widely. I am so happy that YTU School of Architecture received this international recognition it has deserved. I always share my professional experience and passion for architecture with my students. I strongly believe that service to the university and profession should go beyond mere teaching by establishing and strengthening ties between the local and international professional and academic environments.
Have you noticed any particular recent trends in architecture?
Besides my practice and teaching, I am a jury member for many local and international architecture awards and competitions that exposes me to a high number of built and unbuilt projects. The recent trends in architecture are many. My list includes sustainability, carbon-neutral and environment-friendly architecture at the top. Modularity, flexibility, prefabrication, disaster-proof design, small space design, multi-generational living, accessibility have always been issues for a long time, and are still on the list especially in this region.
The coronavirus pandemic showed us how important it is to be able to work virtually with no physical contact with each other. Now, in pandemic conditions, architects are learning to use virtual technologies to contact, collaborate and design. I think more trends that will be new to many of us are around the corner.
Are there any specific processes or elements you make sure to include in your design?
We give enormous importance to freehand sketching at all stages of a design process. It allows the architect to regulate his/her thoughts while thinking and sketching. I encourage all team members of a project to use hand sketches from the very early to late phases of the project. For further exploration of the design problem, we employ workshops and charrettes. The outcome is always amazing with so many unique ideas sketched on a paper. Of course, computers are always there to further develop sketchy ideas. We seem to like experimenting with environment-friendly and concept-driven design and concentrate on flowing spaces versus boundaries, modularity and flexibility. (Photo: 3, 4, 5)
The American Institute of Architects recently elevated you to its prestigious College of Fellows based on your significant and lasting contributions to architecture and society, and for achieving a standard of excellence in the profession. FAIA honor marks a milestone of lifetime achievement. What do you say about this?
I am very much honored and happy to be recognized by the AIA’s highest distinction of FAIA honor. Of course, the fellowship was not the ultimate goal in my career but it indicates that I am on the right track. Above all, I love what I do as an architect and a professor. I will always be motivated to research, design, build and teach as I have been doing for the past few decades.
Photo 3: Projects experimenting with environment-friendly design, modularity and flowing spaces
Photo 4: Work in progress
Last, do you have any tips for aspiring architects?
I encourage all aspiring architects who are recent graduates and are new in the field to:
1- Master skills in technology. Keep up to date with new software, apps that ease and advance online communication and presentation skills. This will definitely help them in all online professional activities like virtual internships or others.
2- Build their contact list. They can communicate with principals and owners of firms for job openings or work-from-home options.
3- Consider further education. They can extend their studies for a master’s or PhD degree for a multidisciplinary profession. Later, they may choose a career path in academia or in both offices and academia.
4- Diversify. Diversifying always helps. This diversification strategy may include teaching, practice and research in architecture.
5- Architecture is a lifelong learning process. The best thing to do is to continually better equip yourself with new skills, expanding contacts, further education and diversification strategies. I definitely think that it is fun.
Sara Jazayeri earned her Master’s degree in Architecture from L’Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris La Villette in Paris, France before starting Studio 360, an architecture and interior design firm based in New York City. Sara Jazayeri is also the Bronx chapter President of the American Institute of Architects, the first woman to hold the position since the organization was formed in 1931. Sara has recently joined the BLT Built Design Awards Jury panel.
Can you tell us a bit about your background? Where are you from?
I was born in Ahvaz, Iran moved to Paris, France as a young teenager in the 1980’s, and moved to NY, the USA as an adult in the 1990’s. If there was a Global Citizen’s passport, I would be eligible to get it!
What has inspired you to work in the Architecture and Interior Design fields?
I never thought of becoming an architect! When I was a child, I was the one playing the doctor and nurse, and my brother the one who played with Legos building tall buildings. Now, I am an architect and he is a
doctor! Go figure! I did 2 years of premed in college before telling my dad who is a physician that I hated medicine and didn’t want to continue the family legacy. He was shocked and asked me why it took me so long to talk to him. Actually, he was the one who suggested architecture. I was always interested in art, drawing, design, activities that combined creativity with practicality and problem solving for as long as I can remember. Now, I can’t imagine doing anything else.
You graduated from the L’Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris La Villette in Paris. what has inspired you to move to NY to open Studio 360?
My husband wanted to continue his higher education in the united states. We moved to New York with our 1-year-old son initially for two years but fell in love with New York. I started to work for the United Nations and then design firms. In 2007, I was working in an architectural firm as their head of the interior design department. A higher position in your career equals longer hours at the office, and less time with your family. Life became even more complicated with the birth of my second child and having a life-work balance for me became like traveling to the moon. An unachievable dream that some people can have it but not me, for sure! Necessity is the mother of invention! I wanted to have control over my life, my time, and my 200 miles an hour life. I had only 2 choices, starting my own firm or starting my own firm. I chose to start my own firm!!! That is how my 3rd child, Studio 360 was born!
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?
I am working on the renovation of a few residential projects that include the interior design in New York City and Westchester (a suburb of NYC). Today, I am going to visit my furniture maker, checking a home office desk area that I designed for a fortune 500 CEO that needs another new home office with an impeccable zoom background! On the commercial side, we are going to collaborate with a famous Norwegian design firm on a building in The Bronx. The South Bronx has one of the highest rates of poverty and crime but is also known for its hip hop culture and graffiti. The neighborhood is changing and we want to be part of the positive change. Our project will include artist studios, music performances, a garden, and a restaurant with a 5-star chef that will offer free meals to the community.
You have been named the Bronx chapter President of the American Institute of Architects, AIA Bronx; congratulations! Can you please share what are your main involvements and responsibilities?
Thank you so much for the kind words. I am very excited about my new role. To be an architect, a woman, an immigrant, and a leader is a privilege that so few people have the opportunity to experience. In 2021, my goal is to inspire and motivate the young generation of future architects. “You can’t be what you can’t see.” For that, we will continue our children education program in the disadvantaged and minority communities of the Bronx and for our student and recent graduate members, we will start a mentoring program to create an environment that encourages them to pursue their dreams and find their voice.
Last, do you have any tips for aspiring Architects?
Don’t wait until you graduate before getting your first job/internship. Be good with marketing yourself. If you feel miserable, never play the victim, do something about it.
“COVID-19 was a wake-up call”, a sentiment shared by a lot of people in the construction industry where the current pandemic has halted or slowed down the progress of a lot of construction projects across the globe.
Lockdowns and restrictions continue to bring large losses to the varying sectors and economic and policy uncertainties. In the global construction industry alone, a sharp decline from USD 11,217.4 Billion to USD 10,566.8 Billion is projected in early 2021. However, data also shows that it will reach a market size of USD 11,496.7 billion, projecting a CAGR of 1.2% between 2019 and 2021, where the residential is the primary construction sector. These figures are a part of the Construction Market Report by a research firm Markets and Markets.
Construction Impacts – Globally
Among construction sectors that were totally put off during the lockdown are the hospitality and retail projects which are deemed unessential in most published guidelines. Others are in slow progress if not put-on hold, where 27% of construction firms laid off clients and 59% have a variety of problems. If there are continuing construction activity these are mostly covering residential and health construction sectors.
The added extra costs, balancing inflation productivity, and deflationary market conditions are other hurdles for contractors especially for smaller firms.
Aside from the issues on capital liquidity, the blocked cash flow from developers equates to reduced investments. The degree of this crippling varies in the locality, the legalities and implementations of each region. In retrospect, the impact of COVID-19 in the construction industry is inconsistent and evolving.
A Silver Lining – Positive Inclination
Though amidst the continuing economic and policy uncertainties, an overview of the data projections sees that the construction industry will pick up the pace once the easement on restrictions starts. As early as September 2020, there are 26000 construction jobs added, and the construction industry has recovered approximately 64% of the jobs lost since the start of the pandemic.
A Catalyst for Change – A unique form to reform and innovate
Project Management Leveraging on Experience
According to a survey of project managers across North America, 89% of states and provinces deemed construction an essential service. This presents a need for national governments to provide flexible guidelines that allow construction projects to continue to operate. Though some construction sectors were allowed to continue an operation that is with some restrictions, project managers experienced furniture delays, supply chain delays, decreased labor abilities and permitting delays.
As projects vary in scope and from region to region, OSHA’s Pandemic Flu Guidelines, released way back in February 2007 is a sensible guideline to be adapted when creating risk management plans for construction projects. With the onset of the pandemic, it is evident that the front liners from the safety and health departments on a project site are crucial in the implementation of existing risk management programs. Health and safety departments on-site together with the project management team are likely to be more active in developing counter-measures in anticipation of any similar project risks.
Update Skillset and Learn New Skills
The current pandemic poses unique challenges making it essential for the project managers to do an upgrade or upskill. New skills will need to be learned, primarily in the world of digitization. These new skills will include communication tools, creating emergency plans, and working with software and data. At this point, it is no longer an option but a requirement to acquire a variety of skill-based opportunities.
Adjustments will have to be made in terms of project management and standard operating procedures (SOP). The need to break away from traditional construction policies and systems is a must, to be able to mitigate any risks of budget, schedule, and scope will improve.
Flexible and Long-term Solutions are Keys
The pandemic situation has certainly forced a majority of employees and even employers to work at home, leading to the realization that some departments can operate remotely. The industry has seen an unprecedented change in how work is done since flexible work schedules can be implemented this way. Furthermore, there is a huge saving in fuel costs and time. There’s a great chance that many organizations and firms might consider continuing to some degree when it comes to the remote working of their employees.
Now, this is not to say the shift is resulting in pure benefits like increased productivity. Certain tasks that require spontaneous collaboration is more difficult to manage. A group of people that are connected remotely will have to throw ideas at one another while facing potential technical difficulties. This will certainly bring a new challenge to the management.
Predictions and Possible Trends that will Stay
Lockdown will accelerate a lot of trends, moving away from traditional systems. Though, before lockdown, a lot has already been established. Such as cashless payments and delivery services.
Keeping construction projects going is essential in the economy, in so many ways. The construction industry is a significant driver for economic growth. On a global scale, construction is more than USD 11 trillion industry with residential as the largest sector and 13 percent of the global GDP. Moreover, it is essential in providing employment, building the economy, and just recently held an important role in providing the essential infrastructure for health and safety. With these, project management after the pandemic has actually gained an invaluable lesson and pointed out adjustments and much-needed improvements within the industry that are essential in being prepared in such similar situations in the future.
Architects make good project managers, where they can bring considerable value to projects with their wide-range of skillset and extensive experience in overseeing projects. As natural strategic problem-solvers, architects who are genuinely passionate about project management will sensibly want to go to the next level of managing large projects.
Transitioning to a project management career looks brighter for architects. The need for project managers is in high-demand. A PMI-commissioned report shows 33 percent growth by 2027 or about 22 million new jobs in project management. This data shows the importance of project managers in organizations, where there is a need to fill in the talent gap and shortages in the profession. This shortage is a pressing issue for both the construction and business sector.
What does it take to be a project manager?
The prospect of moving forward with a project management career can be an exciting and rewarding experience. Though not without challenges, it is a routine transition. Project management requires an understanding of the basics, where project architects are no stranger to the design and construction process. The difference is that project management and leadership increase in importance as the project becomes more complex and integrated.
Design and Field Experience
Most construction firms take construction experience as a determining factor to promote or assign potential candidates as a project manager. But what defines an experienced architect? Although this question can be subjective, most large companies prefer project manager positions to be filled by someone who has gained five years or more commercial construction experience as a project architect. According to the Architect’s Handbook of Professional Practice by the American Institute of Architects, project managers should have more than ten years of experience.
Most Sought Out Qualifications by Most Firms in a Construction Project Manager Include:
Certification
More than experiencing the real-world, aspiring project managers, with formal training, have the edge where you can learn the methodologies, strategies, and how to utilize the other project management tools. While not required, getting certified is proven to provide invaluable benefits to potential or present project managers. Moreover, having been certified demonstrates competence that can lead to job security and higher salary rates.
At the onset, many may see project management as mainly delegating others, attending meetings, and taking notes. But, the breadth of knowledge, requirements, and skills of a project manager goes beyond. Examples of issues are understanding and mitigating risks, leveraging opportunities in a project, and spotting signs that your project will go over-budget. Learning basic strategies with creative solutions is highly likely to lead to successful project management and completion.
Project management certifications that you should consider are PMP® certification, the PRINCE2 Certification, and Scrum certifications.
Project Management Tools
Leveraging project management tools have mainly benefited small firms. The non-development teams’ flexible methodologies are put to use in their project execution. Scrum, which is one of the frameworks teams and companies use to instill Agile (an iterative project management approach) values into their daily operations, has grown to 49% users. Kanban (which is an emerging PM methodology) users increased to an astounding 300%.
Architects who want to transition to the project manager can benefit from knowing the latest management methodologies to project management software. Many technological innovations in design, materials, and construction methods can result in significant changes in construction costs, where the most dramatic new technology applied to construction has been the digital advancements.
Beyond the Office
Project Managers will need to interact with numerous external consultation firms, trade contractors, subcontractors from different disciplines, and most importantly, with the client. Young aspiring architects should observe how project managers operate in their respective firms to get a feel for how project management works in real life.
If you love people, value good and clear communication, and value the importance of good project management, then this profession is feasible for you.
Bottom line, a project management position is an ideal career leap for experienced architects as there are similarities and overlapping qualities of an architect and a project manager. Furthermore, architects have always been used to overseeing the project, starting with the planning and design phases making project management a fitting choice for the next career path.
