15
Jan
2016

The word design can be defined in many ways, but I like one of the Merriam-Webster’s definitions best where design is described as “the arrangement of elements or details in a product or
work of art.” So in other words, it is both how the colors in a painting make you feel, but also how the frame around that painting is constructed and holds that piece of art to the wall. But when it relates to architecture and the space around you where you live and work, what does design really mean?

Design in architecture can mean things like “the spatial relations of the void and the solid space,” “a harmonic juxtaposition of materiality,” or it can be as simple as “the bathrooms are centrally located for the convenience of everyone.” Making spaces and places that are
beautiful and artistic are an important part of architectural design, but the seemingly simply details of where the restrooms are located, and how many cabinets you have can sometimes be even more important. When it comes to making sure the space around you helps your life and work function better, having a design team beside you that asks the right questions, and considers the easily overlookable functional tasks is how you create a space that works for you.

That’s right, your space work for you. You did know that the role of the building around you is to make your life better and easier right? That is what design means to me; design is functionality that also happens to be attractive. The process of design is listening to you to find out what it is that you need to be successful, and then transforming that into a physical space that helps you be successful. This can be as simple as making sure your new office furniture is arranged correctly, or it can mean making sure your new building is tall enough to accept that new very expensive piece of equipment you just bought. Either way the design of how it WORKS matters just as much (or more) than how it looks. Don’t you want your space designed to work for you AND look the way you want it to?