02.09.09 GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE...

CITED:“INSPIRATION IS WONDERFUL WHEN IT HAPPENS, BUT THE WRITER MUST DE-VELOP AN APPROACH FOR THE REST OF THE TIME...THE WAIT IS SIMPLY TOO LONG.” —LEONARD BERNSTEIN

GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS02.09.09

Haworth’s Faciliteq: A New Way of Working

Frank Gehry hasn’t lost his touch for eccentricity. While his Guggenheim Museum and the Walt Disney Concert Hall, L.A., certainly look like they are cut from the same cloth, at least on the outside, one of Mr. Gehry’s latest creations, the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute, Las Vegas, is another eye-opener entirely.FULL STORY ON PG.3

Knoll Blows Away Financial Expectactions

Everyone knows that Andrew Cogan, CEO of Knoll, Inc. is a smart, if somewhat mercurial, leader, and this newsletter has already dubbed him “Most Excellent.” But with the publication of Knoll’s 2008 fi nancial results, we are ready to call him brilliant.FULL STORY ON PG.9

Post Post-Peak Oil Interior Design?

There is a high-stakes question – a certain kind of thought exercise – that few individuals, groups, institutions, organizations or professions have ventured to ask, and that is: What would our world look like with-out cheap oil and in the absence of large-scale realistic alternatives? FULL STORY ON PG.11

Gensler Brinkmann Scholarship

Gensler announced the winner of the Gensler Brinkmann Scholar-ship competition at Contract magazine’s 30th Annual Interiors Awards Breakfast. Danae Marie Ledgerwood received the $7,500 academic scholarship and a post-graduation internship with Gensler.FULL STORY ON PG.13

Knoll Opens New Showroom in Toronto

Knoll has opened a new showroom in Toronto. Located at 109 Atlantic Avenue the showroom is expected to achieve LEED Gold certifi cation. The adaptive reuse of 109 Atlantic Avenue is part of a greater effort to re-integrate King Liberty Village into the fabric of the city of Toronto.FULL STORY ON PG.14

02.09.09 GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS PAGE 2 OF 27

7635 San Fernando Road, Building 8CBurbank, CA 91505 T:818 252 3888 | www.dTank.com

LA WeeklyReza Moshiri, architect


companies

ft. of the structure devoted to patient care, a diagnostic center, neuroimag-ing rooms and an area set aside for clinical research.>The Activities Life Center is located in a “whimsical trellis hall,” 10,000 sq. ft. of out-of-the-ordinary architec-ture used for a variety of large-group events. Next door, 5,100 square feet house a kitchen and restaurant – de-

Haworth’s Faciliteq: A New Way of Working

Frank Gehry hasn’t lost his touch for eccentricity. While his Guggenheim Museum and the Walt Disney Con-cert Hall, L.A., certainly look like they are cut from the same cloth, at least on the outside, one of Mr. Gehry’s latest creations, the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute, Las Vegas, is another eye-opener entirely. While the Institute is not modeled on the brain, nor the focus of its activities – brain anoma-lies – the design certain suggests the complexity of the brain’s convoluted structure and its even more anfrac-tuous workings. Some suggest that Mr. Gehry’s selection for the Institute refl ect the paradoxes of the human mind: orderly, logical, chaotic, cre-ative. It could also be said to be quite ironic in that the institute’s design is the antithesis of what is required for people suffering from one of the Institute’s main research subjects, Alzheimer’s.

Pan the exterior: On the one side, a striking tangle of 75-foot-high metal-and-glass trellis glints in the Las Vegas sun; circle around to the other side and you’ll fi nd stacked plaster blocks looking like giant, opaque ice cubes. Inside, there are open spaces, odd angles, vivid colors and multiple levels that mesmerize the eyes.

The institute, named to honor the principal benefactor’s father who succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease, was commissioned by the Keep Memory Alive organization as a facil-ity that would help those suffering from diseases of the brain.

The facility is a combination of structures: >The medical and scientifi c work is housed in a staggered, multileveled platform of offi ces, with 31,000 sq.

signed and operated by the Wolfgang Puck organization.>The “Museum of the Mind” com-prises nearly 7,000 sq. ft. This in-novative space will be an interactive learning center with a primary focus on the mind and the brain.>Additional areas include a resource library, conference room, a public café and offi ces for Keep Memory Alive and related organizations.

LOU RUVO BRAIN INSTITUTE EXTERIOR

LOU RUVO BRAIN INSTITUTE REAR EXTERIOR


companies “The medical-offi ce building is user-

friendly and quite straight-forward in planning and circulation,” said Gehry Partners Senior Associate Brian Zamora. “The intent was to creatively disguise the fact that it is a medical building by using unique and inspiring design, good natural light and welcoming spaces.” To this end, Mr. Zamora created an interior design concept that played off the exte-rior of the medical building by bringing some of the same aesthetic elements inside: a white-base palette, juxtaposed “boxes” and splashes of color.

The selected furniture system needed to be facile and adaptable to fi t this vision. Keep Memory Alive hired dealer Faciliteq, based in Las Vegas, to suggest the furnishings. “Haworth’s Compose line was chosen for its clean lines and rectilinear design – its details are unmatched by other lines in its class,” said Damon Andrews, vice president of operations for Faciliteq.

LOU RUVO BRAIN INSTITUTE INTERIOR

Planna Desking SystemPLAN WITH PURPOSE. PLAN WITH STYLE.

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Awarded by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design


companiesTheir work evolved into this pricing

typical, a far different color choice:

Panel build-ups would provide much of the separation of space within the offi ce areas of the institute. Com-pose enabled fl exibility in color choice, height and size, giving a random-structure effect:

CET Designer is a smart, rules-based software, that is, the symbols representing Haworth products look and behave just like the actual prod-ucts. For example, if one component is not meant to connect with another, the software won’t let the user design using that incompatibility. Products meant to connect, however, automati-cally snap into place, and, behind the scenes, the software automatically adds the necessary connectors and related parts, thus ensuring everything necessary is included in the order and pricing without the usual specifi cation delays and errors. The bill of materi-als is automatically generated with a mouse click.

“These new tools enhance our rela-tionships with architects and design-ers,” said Ms. Stevens. “They bridge communication gaps because we can both instantly visualize the space. And it makes the process so simple.”

She and Mr. Zamora experimented with various designs and within an hour they had their typicals, and with a bit more tweaking Mr. Zamora was able to quickly determine the fur-nishing and colors based upon the preferred aesthetics and budget.

The process was really quite simple:They created this fi rst typical in CET

Designer Canvas as an idea starter:

Seeing is believingFaciliteq Designer Abby Stevenson fl ew to California in spring 2008 to meet with Mr. Zamora at Gehry Partners’ Santa Monica headquarters and, together, they started creating concepts. “I wanted to give Brian a ‘proof of concept’ solu-tion,” Ms. Stevenson said. The solution involved more than design and furniture selection: It had to be one that would allow quick back-and-forth collaboration plus fi t the client’s tight time and budget constraints. “There was very little room for error,” said Ms. Stevenson.

Fortunately, there is now technology available that can easily and effectively short-circuit the usual time-consuming comment/revision process. Ms. Ste-venson popped open her laptop and imported the architects’ base AutoCAD design into the cutting edge parametric solid modeling software that she had begun using for rendering and specify-ing furniture confi gurations while work-ing closely with architects and interior designers: Confi gura CET Designer. As a Haworth dealership, Ms. Stevenson was fortunate that Haworth had spent considerable resources over the past couple of years to bring its furniture into the software through the appropriate software extensions, which Haworth calls Canvas.

“AutoCAD would not have provided the desired and rapid visualization capabilities,” said Ms. Stevenson. “CET Designer lets dealerships work closely with the A&D community to design and render, on the spot in give-and-take-and-display exchanges, in both 2D and photo-realistic 3D.”

Together, Ms. Stevenson and Mr. Zamora began to create the space. Mr. Zamora’s concept contemplated panels of varying heights and colors – repli-cating some of the playfulness on the outside of the building . . . and also a Mondrian painting. “Constantly, I was asking Abby, ‘Can we do this?’” said Mr. Zamora, “and she’d simply drag-and-drop elements into place.


companiesA fi nal layout in 2D:

A fi nal layout in 3D:

Ultimately, they created 20 stations with 96 unique panels and a bill of ma-terials of 846 line items, all as visualized and error free.

A project that could have taken months of solid work took only weeks. “There’s no way we could have done this in AutoCAD,” said Ms. Stevenson. “And if we had had to outsource the rendering production, the time and expense in that alone could have been a deal killer. Can-vas pumps out photo-realistic renderings in a few seconds on an offi ce printer and saves them to PDF for emailing.”

around the space in 3D and from various angles added a new dimension to our visualization and an ability to see where adjustments were needed or benefi cial.”

Collaborative processThere are many benefi ts to using para-metric solid modeling software such as CET Designer, but the ground-breaking aspect is how it facilitates, even encour-ages, a new level of designer/dealer collaboration. By the summer of 2008, Mr. Zamora and Ms. Stevenson had moved into full-design mode. With-in the next few months they had to fully design and specify the furniture for the space. They couldn’t afford the time delays of back-and-forth, so they worked together online using GoTo Meeting – he from his Santa Monica offi ce, she in Las Vegas.

“Instead of me doing renderings and sending them to him and waiting for a response,” said Ms. Stevenson. “We collaborated in real time.” Using CET Designer not only enabled the quick adjustments needed for the furniture design, it enabled them to specify all of electrical routing requirements, fabrics, fi nishes and fl ooring choices, all with 3D virtual walk-throughs.

A screenshot of Stevenson’s and Zamora’s online collaboration:

Once the panel build-up “look” was achieved, they created more-detailed typicals:

This preliminary 2D fl oor-plan cre-ated in CET Designer Canvas shows the unusual angles in the facility and how the Compose line was used to complement the space:

This preliminary 3D rendering cre-ated in CET Designer Canvas provided great detail and enabled Mr. Zamora to see how the furnished space would look:

“When you’re designing a space of this magnitude,” said Mr. Zamoraw. “It is very helpful to be able to see how the environment will look – the walls, the furnishings, the colors, the fl ooring. The renderings should be as realistic as photographs, and ability to move


companiesMr. Zamora was pleased that the

software enabled him to explore numerous options in a relatively short period of time, with immediate and accurate understanding of the fi nal product: “We were able to test a lot of layout, color and amenity options very effi ciently.”

After owner approval, the furnish-ings were ordered, and the institute was furnished in late fall 2008. The grand opening of the Institute will be held in the summer of 2009.

Proof of the puddingWith Haworth at the leading edge of adopting parametric solid model-ing software almost 3 years ago and allocating the resources to create its Canvas extensions to the software – necessary ingredients for intelligient use – a majority of Haworth deal- BEFORE: RENDERING

AFTER: PHOTO


companiesThe Lou Ruvo Brain InstituteOpening: 2009, Las Vegas’s Union Park

Architect : Gehry Partners, Santa Monica, Calif.

Furnishings: Haworth ComposeHaworth dealer: Faciliteq, Las VegasSource: http://www.keepmemoryalive.

org/Images: http://www.keepmemoryalive.

org/index.php?path=ABOUT_LRBI/PHO-TO_ALBUMGehry Partners:Gehry Partners, LLP is a full service fi rm with broad international experience in aca-demic, commercial, museum, performance and residential projects. Frank Gehry estab-lished his practice in Los Angeles in 1962. The Gehry partnership, Gehry Partners, LLP, was formed in 2002 and currently sup-ports a staff of more than 160 people.

Every project undertaken by Gehry Partners is designed personally and directly by Frank Gehry.

Source: www.foga.com

there was no way we could have relied on AutoCAD. It would have taken a huge amount of time, with endless redraw-ings as changes were made, and with inevitable calculation mistakes.”

She found the specifi cation tool built within CET Designer Canvas to be easy and reliable. “Early releases of Canvas couldn’t handle siffi ng such a huge job, but the 2.0 release has taken care of early issues.”

As a bit of frosting on the cake, the software also produces installation instructions for the later use of installers. Ms. Stevenson even walked around with her laptop during installation to show the installers how each station was sup-posed to look. The specs from Canvas were accurate. “To see our designs come to life – to literally match the renderings with no major issues – that was huge,” she said. “The client got it. They could see it. They could be a part of creating it. And that’s what sold it.”

ers now use Confi gura CET Designer Canvas. But Ms. Stevenson is one of the fi rst of her colleagues to fully explore the new dimensions of this type of software. It’s not how to use it technically, but how to develop new work-styles, particu-larly new ways of collaboration, that are the key to a wider future. Many of the Haworth dealerships apparently use CET Designer primarily as a design and rendering tool. Ms. Stevenson used it start to fi nish, and hand-in-hand with Mr. Zamora.

She, an interior designer working at a dealership, admits that using Canvas to “sif out” – caculate the costs and print a bill of materials – took her outside of her comfort zone. “As designers, we’re so used to AutoCAD, and using something that is ‘tried and true’ seems like a safe way to go. In this case, however, it would not have been smart. With 96 panels, none the same – all the odd angles and the partsy-piecy-ness of this design,

About Faciliteq:Faciliteq Architectural Interiors is a preferred Haworth

dealer, providing products and services to the Las Vegas and Southern Nevada area since 1991, where the fi rm has installed more than 20,000 workstations and offi ces.

Source: www.faciliteq.com

Benefi ts of CET Designer:Reduces learning curves and sales cyclesCreates concepts with the client in real-timeProduces inexpensive, photo-realistic renderingsEnables client collaboration and confi dent decision-making

About Confi gura CET Designer and the Canvas Exten-sion:

CET Designer is a design, rendering, specifying and ordering software tool used by the majority of Haworth dealers across North America. Steelcase and Teknion have also strategically invested in Confi gura Extension Technology and have released their own Extensions for their dealer communities to also benefi t from the CET platform. Spacefi le and other manufacturing clients are also building Extensions. A ProjectSymbols Extension of-fers more than 80% of the symbols in the offi ce furniture industry. www.confi gura.com.

Reducing the learning curveAbby Stevenson is an experienced interior designer but

her boss at Faciliteq, Damon Andrews, vice president of operations, says even new designers can quickly get up to speed on manufacturers’ products by using CET Designer.

The designers he hires know AutoCAD and have academ-ic training in commercial interior design. A typical new hire will train four to six weeks under close supervision before he or she can produce quality drawings and specs. “They can immediately draw and specify furniture with AutoCAD and in Project Spec,” said Mr. Andrews, “but until they fully understand furniture application and the rules of systems furniture design, they cannot contribute to production.”

Mr. Andrews said he recently hired a new designer with AutoCAD knowledge but no previous offi ce furniture experience. After only a couple of weeks of working in CET Designer Canvas, she started contributing by producing drawings and specs for substantial projects.

“The learning curve is dramatically reduced with CET because the ‘rules’ of furniture design are built into the pro-gram. A designer doesn’t need to study planning guides for weeks or attend lengthy training classes before producing accurate drawings and specs. As long as he or she applies proper interior design principles gained through design edu-cation, then he or she can contribute in a matter of days.”


business

But this is not a money pitch. It’s connecting just a few dots, in particular, those that create a picture that, if real money can be made creating better workplaces, inves-tors will invest, more talent will be attracted, and corporate America will pay attention and be expected to invest in workplace realty (rather than be ashamed of it because of a few high-rollers paying several thousand dollars for a waste-basket, shower curtain or umbrella holder).

So what are Knoll’s latest results? The most experienced fi nancial analyst for this industry, Budd Bugatch of Ray-mond James, characterized them as “Blow-Out 4Q08, EPS $0.52 versus Our Estimate of $0.42 (See Business/Tech this issue.)

Almost unbelievably, while 2008 was not a great year (but, in refl ection, seems not so bad for our industry as the U.S. economy now appears to be stepping over the edge), Knoll’s adjusted earnings/share was $0.52 for the quar-ter compared to $0.42 per share in the prior year, a 19% increase, and for the year, $1.82/share versus $1.45/share in 2007, an increase of 25.5%. And consider that these profi t-

Knoll Blows Away Financial Expectactionsby Brad Powell

Everyone knows that Andrew Cogan, CEO of Knoll, Inc. is a smart, if somewhat mercurial, leader. And this newsletter has already dubbed him “Most Excellent.” But with the publica-tion of Knoll’s 2008 fi nancial results, we are ready to call him brilliant.

We stopped publishing fi nancial results in our front section years ago, not because they are unimportant, but because we wanted to consolidate these stories in a separate section, and also because we are little embarrassed to publish as our stories what are, in effect, routine and required press releases.

But Knoll’s 2008 results – and, in fact Knoll’s operating profi ts since it got its feet under itself after the buy-out from Westinghouse – are more than good fi nancial news. Knoll has cast the contract furniture industry, and the interiors industry at large, in a new light, one that refl ects positive attention on all of us. We can now look back on ourselves about 10 years ago and think of how unperceptive we were thinking that Knoll’s buyout price was ridiculously high. This purchase price was repaid long ago and Knoll has made several employees mil-lionaires, and rightly so.

ANDREW COGAN, CEO, AND LYNN UTTER, PRESIDENT


At present, neither BIFMA nor Mr. Bugatch expects 2009 to be as bad as the downturn of 2001-2003, but we imagine that both are following recent events closely to determine whether revisions are needed. For Knoll, it is entitled to beat its chest a little and receive a resounding congratulations from the rest of us in the industry, even its competitors. (If we could just fi nd out how they did it.) Then it’s back to work and wringing of hands.

“I am extremely proud of what our team accomplished and the results that we delivered in 2008,” said Mr. Cogan. “Overall, in spite of a challenging macroeconomic environment [watch out if challenging turns to diffi cult in CEO-speak] on both the top line and in terms of input costs, our focus on high design content businesses allowed us to grow sales, protect our industry leading op-erating margins and deliver 28% growth in our Adjusted EPS.

“Clearly the strategies that we have put in place since the last industry downturn have placed Knoll in a much stronger position to face a deteriorating demand envi-ronment. Our sources of revenue are signifi cantly more diversifi ed and less dependent on North America Offi ce system demand trends, in particular. Our higher margin Specialty businesses compose a much greater part of our revenue and profi tability, and International sales outside of North America currently represent the largest portion of our revenues ever. I am confi dent that with our rich pipeline of new products, and our proven ability to fl ex our cost structure, we will do as well as the environment will allow.

“I want to thank and congratulate all our Associates and dealer partners around the world on this extraordinary performance.”

Did I mention that 2008 was Knoll’s second year over $1 billion?

businessability margins were generated with a 2% decrease in sales for the quarter and an increase of only 6% for the year. (BIFMA estimates that full-year 2008 shipments declined 2%, com-pared with 6% growth in 2007 and 8% growth in 2006.)

Knoll results for 2008 and its 4th quarter were (in millions, except EPS and percentage fi gures):

3 Mos. Ended 12/31/08 12/31/07 %Ch.Net Sales $276.3 $281.8 (2.0%)Gross Profit $99.5 $99.0 0.5%Oper. Exp. $60.9 $59.5 2.4%Oper. Profit $37.3 $39.5 (5.6%)Net Income $22.7 $20.7 9.7%EPS (dil.) $0.50 $0.42 19.0%

12 Mos. Ended 12/31/08 12/31/07 %Ch.Net Sales $1,120.1 $1,055.8 6.1%Gross Profit $395.1 $365.1 8.2%Oper. Exp. $245.0 $222.9 9.9%Oper. Profit $145.4 $142.2 2.3%Net Income $84.9 $71.4 18.9%EPS (dil.) $1.82 $1.45 25.5%

Operating profi t for the 4th quarter, 2008, was $37.3 million, or 13.5% of net sales; while this is a decrease of 5.6% from the fourth quarter 2007, it is an enviable level of profi tability. For the year, operating profi t was $145.4 million, or 13.0% of net sales, an increase of 2.3% over full year 2007. This level of profi tability, which is not out of line for Knoll, has literally changed the perception of what is possible for businesses creating workplace interiors.

The BIFMA forecasts for 2008 and 2009 are:Year Consumption % Chg2008 $ 13.2 billion -1.8 %2009 $ 11.2 billion -10.6 %

IN MILLIONS


do not involve some kind of serious energy input.

I have a hard time getting beyond activities such as exercises of the hu-man imagination, sketching with and on basic objects, and conversation with peers. Interior design, as much as any modern-day profession, is an energy intensive process. And even to-day’s “green interior designs” embody a great deal of energy in their products and construction techniques – not to mention a design process which often fl ies project members across countries or oceans and keeps the offi ce in op-eration into late hours of the night.

Like many others in the green build-ing movement, I have been fl oating on the cloud of technological optimism – believing deeply that wind turbines and solar panels, and of course, future miracle ideas, will simply replace fossil fuels. It doesn’t take an energy expert to acknowledge some basic facts.

Before the industrial revolution, the

are not scrambling to produce more and cleaner energy sources without fi rst asking what is being powered and why. It is a period of time where natural resources can not and will not be taken for granted. This downshift in energy use is part emergency and part increasing social and environmental consciousness, ever laced with that pesky desire for human survival.

There are so many questions about such a dramatic downshift, but I will select one of relevance to this audi-ence: Will interior design continue to be a vital and relevant profession in this brave new world? If so, will it look anything like interior design as we know it today? Probably not.

Challenges to Low-Energy Interior DesignThis is a hard pill to swallow. Looking at both the process and products of in-terior design today, challenge yourself to think of 5 pieces of either one that

Post Post-Peak Oil Interior Design?by Laura Smith

An Obnoxious Thought Experiment

There is a high-stakes question – a certain kind of thought exercise – that few individuals, groups, institutions, organizations or professions have ven-tured to ask, and that is: What would our world look like without cheap oil and in the absence of large-scale real-istic alternatives?

While “sustainability” concepts are being etched into the ethos of today’s practice, I have yet to see anyone in the world of interior design ask this almost unthinkable question. Fossil fuels have become as common and necessary to our current way of life as the air we breathe. Cheap energy is the quiet assumption underlying many of the most basic activities and objects of our daily lives.

Does it really seem so radical – in times of oil wars, global climate change, mass species extinctions and a pace of life that sometimes exceeds human coping capabilities – that we would dare to imagine a lifestyle that is dramatically less dependent on oil? And is it only the work of pessimists and environmental alarmists to ques-tion the progress – and realistic future maintenance and capabilities – of alternative energy sources? (Note that even the most promising forms of alternative energy continue to rely on a platform of cheap fossil fuels.)

In other words, what is Plan B if technology does not save us from our energy addiction? Is there a different kind of rehab for humankind?

The thought experiment begins here: Picture a world where we have downshifted energy use by as much as 80%, leaving us roughly 20% to parcel into our most basic needs. It is a moment in history where we

opinion : concurrents


The above ideas are not only controversial, but also (I believe) the fi rst step in moving toward a positive vision of the future. We will redefi ne what it means to be creative. We will redefi ne what it means to inhabit this planet. The fi rst obstacle to overcome, as usual, is denial. (Which probably explains why I have had a diffi cult time shopping around these ideas without being labeled a “traditionalist,” a “pes-simist,” or meeting concerns that I am about to sign up for an eco-cult.)

Admittedly, whisking away to a separatist eco-village sounds lovely at times. But I rather stay embedded in the fabric of our culture, asking odd-ball questions, and running peculiar thought experiments. Or better, I would like to take part of the second wave environmental movement in interior design – the one that understands peak oil as a base condition, and starts imagining what interior designers can truly offer a society in transition.

For more background reading, see articles by James Howard Kunstler on Alternet’s website. See also websites for the Transition Movement, such as http://transitionculture.org/

Laura Smith is working towards a PhD in Architecture at the University of Michigan. Prior to graduate studies, she worked for 5 years in the interior design department of Perkins+Will/Eva Maddox Branded Environments in Chi-cago. She can be reached at laura@offi ceinsight.com

>Retrofi tting and Preservation: It is likely that the vast majority of design-ers and architects will be devoted to eco-retrofi tting buildings and preserv-ing building stock that we already have. New construction on the large scale will be less and less feasible.>Low-energy construction tech-niques: Projects and processes might again be scaled to what can be ac-complished by manual labor.>Sourcing Local Products and Materi-als: To achieve the LEED credit for lo-cal materials, the local materials must comprise 10% of the project budget. In a low-energy world, this number may be more like 95%. The challenges of meeting health, safety and welfare needs with only local materials are obvious. Manufacturing will have to increasingly take place locally.>Localizing our Site Visits: The culture of designing projects in Dubai from a high rise in New York will di-minish. Designers will begin to work on projects locally or not at all. >Design Process: The design pro-cess itself will require changes – less dependence on powering computers, less intercontinental travel, and fewer offi ces “burning the midnight oil.”

I know, this thought experiment has turned into an absurd dream. The truth is that almost nobody in western culture really knows what the world is like without cheap oil. We have come to accept our current way of life – without realizing that we are living the absurd dream of a society powered on a magic elixir.

opinion : concurrentsearth supported approximately 1 billion human lives; today it supports nearly 6 billion. Peak oil is likely happening as I write, and basically means that oil will only become harder to get and more expensive from here into the future. (Not to mention the fact that US oil demands cannot be met domestically.) To date, no single solution can replace our oil-dependent energy platform, and no single alternative source has been built and maintained without cheap and abundant oil at the base-line. Thus, even crafty combinations of alternative technologies continue to rely on some kind of fossil fuel input.

It’s hard to get around a singular fact: to support an ever-growing popu-lation in a resource strained world (and to do so without exacerbating global warming), massive reduction in energy use is a necessary part of any future energy plan.

This is our new energy-deprived world. Imagine, by some miraculous feat, that our food systems, health-care support, and safety have been relatively secured. We will leave those thought experiments to others, and ask ourselves…

“If this is indeed the future that we fi nd ourselves “sleepwalking” into (As James Howard Kunstler would say), what are some of the greatest chal-lenges for interior design?” Here is a provisional fi rst list:>Designing net-zero energy projects: Every designer will be able to design a project that powers itself, or requires minimal energy from the grid.


Gensler Brinkmann Scholarship

awards

career-long commitment to nurturing new design talent by presenting out-standing interior design students with an internship and a fi nancial award to be applied to their fi nal year of school. Candidates for the scholarship must attend a CIDA-accredited school and are evaluated based upon their analysis and problem solving skills, design development, graphic presentation, communication skills and passion. The scholarship is funded by Gensler’s own fundraising efforts and contributions from the New York design community. Contract magazine, a commercial design industry publication, cosponsors the scholarship.

wood’s winning submission was chosen from more than 80 candidates from top colleges and universities across the nation. Her project titled “Preemptive Media” presents the development of a residency program and working environ-ment for interactive media designers and underground artists. The project explores innovative delivery and archiving systems for digital art through the various spaces she designed.

The Gensler Brinkmann Scholarship Fund was established in 1999 as a me-morial to Donald G. Brinkmann, a gifted interior designer, inspirational leader, and former partner at Gensler. The scholarship fund celebrates Brinkmann’s

Gensler announced the winner of the Gensler Brinkmann Scholarship com-petition at Contract magazine’s 30th Annual Interiors Awards Breakfast in New York City on January 20th. Danae Marie Ledgerwood, a senior at Woodbury University in Whittier, Cali-fornia, received the $7,500 academic scholarship and a post-graduation internship with Gensler.

“It’s critical to promote the profes-sional development of young talent in the design industry and Gensler is proud to support this through our annual Brinkmann scholarship program,” says Robin Klehr Avia, managing principal in Gensler’s New York offi ce. Ms. Ledger-

DANAE MARIE LEDGERWOOD: PREEMPTIVE MEDIA


events

with Knoll collections housed within exposed brick walls and ceiling air ducts. “The essence of this exciting project captures the Knoll focus of connecting people to their work, their lives and their world.” Mr. Rapier says. “And we are especially pleased to be part of an effort so closely tied to the vitality of the adaptive reuse of urban buildings.”

“We are thrilled to relocate to 109 Atlantic,” said Greg Rapier, Knoll Regional Manager, Canada, “a deci-sion which supports the rapid growth we’ve experienced and will allow us to better serve our customer base in this dynamic market.”

The new space refl ects both the iconically modern design of Knoll and the industrial roots of the building,

Knoll Opens New Showroom in Toronto

Knoll has opened a new showroom in Toronto. Located at 109 Atlantic Avenue the showroom is expected to achieve LEED Gold certifi cation.

The adaptive reuse of 109 Atlantic Avenue is part of a greater effort to re-integrate King Liberty Village into the fabric of the city of Toronto. The area was until recently a derelict industrial zone.

KNOLL TORONTO

KNOLL TORONTO

RODGER AND SUSAN MOLE, MOLE WHITE & ASSOCIATES; GREG RAPIER, KNOLL REGIONAL MANAGER, CANADA; LARRY SADINSKY AND YVONNE CAMPBELL, B/H DESIGN CONSULTANTS

LAURA SMITH - KNOLL A&D MANAGER, TORONTO; JESSICA MCCONNELL, RENEE MAARSE, JAYMIE COOPER - IBI GROUP; GREG RAPIER, KNOLL REGIONAL MANAGER, CANADA


PRODUCT INTRO>Carnegie added to its Sur-face IQ Collection with six new patterns and sixty-two new colors. The collection, which offers bolder, darker color ranges and patterns that allow the texture to come through, is built from the polymer up, eliminating the hazardous use of vinyl, chlorine, plasticizers, heavy metals, formaldehyde and di-oxin. It matches and exceeds all Type II vinyl specifi cations and features clean TPO poly-mer technology. http://www.carnegiefabrics.com

MATERIAL OF THE WEEK

MC# 6298-013D lacquer effect on injection molded elements. In this patented process, injection molded parts from PC/ABS (polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) receive a 3D effect surface fi n-ish. For this process, a special polymer is used that is inter-spersed with magnetic particles. These particles are furnished with the information of the desired motive. Depending on the geometry of part, they are stimulated during or after the injection molding process. In the fi nishing process, that uses a special solvent based lacquer, the individual lacquer particles are mag-netically attracted and create color aggregations which on their part produce the 3D effect. Therefore, three-dimensional effects with high resolutions can be created in rationalized process steps. The injection molded parts are produced with conven-tional machines with little extra effort and have only little impact on the costs in large-volume production. The fi nishing process is carried out using unmodifi ed conventional equipment and could also be carried out by hand. The process is suitable for the production and lacquering of home appliances, consumer electronics, automotive parts and for the production of unique parts as well as large volume production.

This column is published in collaboration with Material Con-neXion. For more information regarding the material pre-viewed, please contact Michael LaGreca at [email protected]. T: 212.842.2050.

CARNEGIE: SURFACE IQ


and business development and staff and resource man-agement. Ms. zumBrunnen, a designer with 13 years of experience, will assist Ms. Leppa in her new position. Her clients include Micro-soft Corporation, for which SmithGroup is providing site selection analysis, program-ming and design for the Microsoft Server. http://www.smithgroup.com

>Ahrend N.V. received two Good Design awards from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design. The Ahrend Jetstream by Marijn van der Poll is a table in the shape of an airplane wing, referencing aviation in the 1950s. The Ahrend 750 Bench by Wijtse Rodenburg is a fur-niture system at which several people can work at the same time regardless of their heights and ergonomic requirements. www.ahrend.com

>Confi gura Inc., celebrated the opening of its expanded offi ce space in Grand Rap-ids, MI. The Swedish-based company creates software solutions for the commercial furniture, kitchen & bath, ma-terial handling and industrial machinery markets. www.confi gura.com

>Esther Howland, Worcester, MA, is credited with develop-ing the Valentine’s Day card industry as we know it today. Born in 1828, Ms. Howland graduated Mount Holyoke College in 1847. When she received an English Valen-tine, she began to tinker with the thought of creating ones that were similar to it for use in the U.S. She imported such things as paper lace and decorations and made some herself. She was able to quickly sell them and the demand for them became so great that she had her friends join her and began to adver-tise them in a paper Feb. 5, 1850. In time her business was making her more than $100,000 each year and she was able to retire in 1881 after selling it to the George C. Whitney Co.

>Jodie Leppa was promoted to offi ce director and Roslyn zumBrunner to studio leader for SmithGroup, Minneapo-lis. Ms. Leppa joined the fi rm is 2004 as a project man-ager and recently completed design services for Virchow Krause & Company’s 92,000 sq. ft. Minneapolis offi ce. In her new role, she will oversee daily operations, marketing

>Trendway released a new seating line, Code. Offered in Executive and Task in 2008, Code now comes in Confer-ence and Stool models. All are available with a mesh back and a polished alu-minum frame for any work environment. Select models offer leather options. www.trendway.com

NOTEWORTHY>Susannah Kerr Adler was named a “40 under 40 superstars” of the U.S. design and construction industry. Appointees to the list were named by Build-ing Design & Construction (BD&C) magazine for excel-lence in their professional roles as architects, engineers, contractors and real estate executives. Ms. Kerr Adler is vice president at Parsons Brinckerhoff and manages the fi rm’s Architecture and Buildings Technical Excel-lence Center. A registered architect in six states and the District of Columbia, Ms. Kerr Adler has master’s degrees in architecture and city planning and a bachelor’s degree in art and design from M.I.T. http://www.pbworld.com

>Keilhauer introduced the Flit stacking/side chair. Designed with a thin profi le by Derek McLeod, it offers the comfort and style of a fully-upholstered chair with the functionality of a high-density stacker. A knit mesh forms the back, which fl exes to the body’s contours and ensures that there is minimal contact with its tubular steel frame. Flit is a complete line, avail-able in three heights – chair, counter stool, and bar stool and offered with and without arms. The chair is available on glides or casters and the chairs and stools with arms have armcaps that are made of black urethane or sculpted hardwood maple. For the knit mesh back, specifi ers may choose from four neutral colors, and the tubular steel frame is available in Keil-hauer’s powder coat colors, or chrome. http://www.keilhauer.com

KEILHAUER: FLIT SUSANNAH KERR ADLER JODIE LEPPA

AHREND: JETSTREAM


include Scott Gierhahn, presi-dent elect, Bryan Olen, Vice President, Elizabeth Vorass, Secretary, and Jerry Olson, Treasurer. www.ifma.org.

>Ted Moudis Associates an-nounced several promotions in its New York offi ce. The following were promoted to Associate: - Jackqueline Barr - Ms. Barr, associate design director, has 15 years of experience in designing corporate, fi nancial, legal and retail spaces. She will continue to pilot the ac-tivities of the design staff and oversee the design process of each project.

- Cesar Robles - Mr. Robles works mainly with fi nancial and corporate institutions. He is the primary client contact with all of his team’s projects.

of their billable hours to pro bono service. To date, nearly 500 fi rms nationwide have pledged to complete 200,000 hours and $20 million in pro bono services annually. http://www.humanscale.com

>Kimball Offi ce celebrated the opening of its Atlanta, GA, showroom with more than 300 guests. The show-room, a LEED-CI applicant, at 3445 Peachtree Road, Suite 440, and a see-me, touch-me experience, was designed in partnership with idea|span. Cubicles, team rooms, private offi ces, training areas and community spaces make it easy for customers to see what the products will look like in their own offi ces. http://www.kimballoffi ce.com

>RMJM formed Global Health Studio based in its New York offi ce. It will operate in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia. GHS will be headed by Steven K. Gifford, principal, with senior leaders in RMJM offi ces worldwide. The new GHS follows the success of RMJM’s Global Education Studio, established in 2007. http://www.rmjm.com

>The Southeastern Wiscon-sin International Facility Management Association elected a new President and Executive Board of Directors. Doug VerBockel was named president and will lead the new board. Mr. VerBockel serves as Operations Man-ager at Milwaukee-based Forrer Business Interiors. Other members of the board

>Humanscale’s V3 Wall Station earned a 2008 International Design Award. This winner in the Medi-cal Furniture category is a wall-mounted, track-based technology product designed to support a CPU, monitor, keyboard and mouse. The V3’s counterbalanced spring mechanism provides adjust-ments with less than a pound of force and its vertical track enables a 51” total adjust-ment range to accommodate 99% of users. http://www.humanscale.com

>Humanscale celebrated the achievements of John Peterson and John Cary of Public Architecture, a na-tional nonprofi t organization. The event, January 30, also acknowledged Contract mag-azine for naming them the 2009 Designers of the Year for their commitment to pro-moting and facilitating socially responsible design. Public Architecture and its “The 1%” program challenges architecture and design fi rms to commit a minimum of 1%

>Contract magazine is ac-cepting entries for its fi rst annual Inspiration Awards. Sponsored by Tandus, entries will be accepted through February 27, 2009. The awards will recognize commit-ment in the built and unbuilt environments, recognizing social responsibility in com-mercial interior architecture and cause-related work by the commercial interiors commu-nity. Winners will be notifi ed March 9 and their work will appear in Contract Magazine. www.contract

>GO Initiatives, founded by Georgy Olivieri, was certi-fi ed as a Womens’ Business Enterprise by WBENC. The Womens’ Business Enterprise National Council is the nation’s largest advocate of women-owned businesses as suppli-ers to America’s corporations, and a resource for more that 700 U.S. companies and government agencies. GO is a management consultancy that helps companies with market-ing strategies, sales initiatives, green building facilitation and training. www.goinitiatives.com

>Group Goetz Architects was named to the 2009 list of the Top 100 Design Giants by Interior Design magazine. The survey also recognized fi rms for their work in specifi c categories and market seg-ments. GGA was ranked 5th in Government Interiors and also was recognized in com-mercial interior design. To see the 2009 list of Top 100 Design Giants, visit: http://www.interiordesign.net/article/CA6631078.html

HUMANSCALE: V3 WALLJACKQUELINE BARR

CESAR ROBLES


design) where she provided leadership for the fi rm’s interi-ors practice. Ms. Dremmer is LEED certifi ed with 20 years of experience. www.perkin-seastman.com

>Brett Kraft was hired as Product Support Specialist for Dauphin North America, NYC. He will be based out of the NY showroom at 138 W. 25th Street. Mr. Kraft, a recent graduate of Lafayette University, will be focusing on the dealer market. http://www.dauphin.com

>George Melas joined Syska Hennessy Group, Inc, as Senior Vice President. Mr. Melas will lead business development, marketing and communications teams for U.S. operations and will work to expand opportunities inter-nationally. Mr. Melas, LEED

days to design and hand-draw a new “old” house that could fi t into one of Boston’s historic neighborhoods. The deadline for entries is February 13, 2009. For more information about enter-ing, contact Steve Mickley, The American Institute of Building Design. Phone: 1.866.366.2423, Email: [email protected] http://www.traditionalbuildingshow.com/boston2009/designchal-lenge.shtml

>Vocon, Cleveland, OH, ranked 48th on Interior Design magazine’s list of Top Giants. This is the eighth straight year that Vocon has been recognized by the magazine. The company moved from 107th in 2006 by increasing its overall project revenue, including interior de-sign and architecture income growth. www.vocon.com

RE-SITED>Michele Dremmer was named an Associate Prin-cipal at Perkins Eastman, Chicago. She joins the fi rm from Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates (tvs-

Additionally, - Lara Funderburk - Ms. Funderburk, LEED accred-ited, was promoted to Director of Furniture Coordination. She develops furniture budgets, issues RFPs to furniture manufacturers, dealers and installers, conducts furniture bid leveling and monitor the performance of the vendors. http://www.tedmoudis.com

>The Traditional Build-ing Design Challenge will celebrate Boston’s Historic Architecture March 13-14. Design teams, with up to 3 participants each, will work together at the Hynes Con-vention Center, 900 Boylston Street, Boston, MA, for two

- Edward Mandrin - Mr. Man-drin has over 15 years experi-ence, a team leader with the Retail Design Team, and heads up most of the fi rm’s U.S. based retail projects

- Emmanuel Enriquez - Mr. Enriquez, LEED accredited and a member of the AIA, has been a part of many of the fi rm’s projects including ING Investment Management and Centerbridge Partners.

- Manuel Sia - Mr. Sia has over 25 years of experience and leads a project Retail Design Team.

EDWARD MANDRIN

EDWARD MANDRIN

MANUAL SIA

LARA FUNDERBURK

MICHELE DREMMER

BRETT KRAFT

GEORGE MELAS


>Skanska USA Building Inc. announced that the Samuel H. Jones Innovation Center received LEED Silver Certifi cation. The mixed-used facility is the fi rst of 25 build-ings to be completed on the 200-acre campus at South Jersey Technology Park in Mullica Hill, NJ. http://www.skanskausa.com/

>Skanska USA Building Inc. reported that 31 of its New Jersey employees became LEED Accredited Profes-sionals. LEED Professional Accreditation is a voluntary designation achieved by more than 60,000 individuals who have passed the LEED Profes-sional Accreditation exam. For a list of those receiving accreditation, visit: www.skanska.com

PROJECTS>EMCOR Group subsidiary, University Marelich Mechan-ical, will install mechanical systems at the U.S. Depart-ment of Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center, Long Beach, CA. The company will plan and spec HVAC construction services for an Outpatient Clinic and Main Entrance, a Blind Rehabilitation Center and an Education Resources Center, Auditorium and Canteen. http://www.EMCOR-Group.com.

>Therese Virserius Design, NYC, was retained to com-pletely renovate the Hyatt Regency Montreal. Slated to begin in summer, 2009, the fi rst stage encompasses

>InformeDesign released its study on “Habits and Emo-tions Infl uence Environmen-tal Decisions.” It concluded:- Past behavior was a more direct predictor of intentions to use public transportation- The habits and opinions of peers and whether or not one’s actions would make a difference were strong indica-tions of the desire to use public transportation.- The desire to recycle was predicted by negative an-ticipation associated with not recycling as well as frequency of past recycling behavior.For other reported studies, visit: www.informedesign.umn.edu

>INVISTA achieved LEED Gold for Commercial Inte-riors for its Antron brand Studio showroom at the Merchandise Mart, Chicago. Created by Design Collabora-tives, Inc., Chicago, it features minimal internal structure and utilizes many of the original 1983 fi nishes and fur-niture. The design minimizes waste and the need for new materials by creating a multi-use, transformable space that can change its personality and functionality depend-ing on the event. The design also addresses future needs and reduces future waste through the use of technology to minimize materials needed for new graphic updates. Ele-ments that contributed to the certifi cation include LED ac-cent lighting, zero-VOC paints and adhesives and Energy Star appliances. http://www.INVISTA.com.

other architecture teams, will serve as co-designers in the design competition, Blueprints of Success. It will be the fi rst offi cial “green” building on the National Mall and designs drafted by the six contending teams must incorporate sustainable and energy-effi cient attributes in order for the $500 million project to be recognized with a LEED rating, mak-ing it the Smithsonian’s fi rst LEED-certifi ed museum. The National Museum of Afri-can American History and Culture will likely be the last new museum building added to the grounds between the Washington Monument and Capitol. Construction on the museum’s fi ve-acre plot is expected to begin in 2012 and should be completed in 2015. Each of the six teams on the shortlist have eight weeks to develop their proposed design for the museum, and the selected team will have three years to complete its fi nal renderings. http://www.moodynolan.com http://www.predock.com

>Humanscale’s Philadelphia, PA, sales offi ce received LEED Silver for Commercial Interiors. Humanscale’s own products were integral in the achievement of numerous LEED points. LEED-CI credits were given in the Energy & Atmosphere, Materials & Resources, and Indoor Envi-ronmental Quality categories. Humanscale products also helped contribute to an Inno-vation in Design Credit for an Ergonomics Strategy. http://www.humanscale.com

accredited, a Building Security Certifi ed Professional and a member of the AIA, has over 25 years of industry experi-ence. http://www.syska.com

ENVIRONMENT>ASID and Hospitality Design magazine issued a Call for Entries for the Earth-Minded Awards. Cre-ated to recognize excep-tional sustainable design, this year’s EMAs include a new category for interior design and architectural students: The Earth-Minded Award for Tomorrow. Projects and products should be environ-mentally innovative, aes-thetically pleasing, promote sustainability, gone through a careful materials selection process, integrate effi ciency and incorporate recycling and waste management. Only completed projects and manufactured products will be considered. For complete eligibility guidelines and to download the entry form, visit www.hdmag.com. Electronic entries must be submitted by March 1 to [email protected]. Winners will be honored at Hospitality Design’s Green Luncheon in Las Vegas, May 13-16, 2009.

>Curt Moody and Antoine Predock were named to the design shortlist for the Smithsonian Institu-tion’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. Mr. Moody of Moody•Nolan and Mr. Predock, Antoine Predock Architect PC, along with fi ve


>ASID Orange County Chapter announced its First Annual ASID Design Tour called Urban Living @Asto-ria. The tour, located within Central Park West, Irvine, CA, features six living spaces, four penthouse lofts and two fl ats, in a high rise complex in a planned community. The benefi ting charity for the event is the Orange County Performing Arts Center. The tour will be open to the public April 21-May 17, Tuesday – Sunday from 10 am- 5 pm. www.asidocc.org

>The A&D Building and The Armory Show will host a panel discussion on March 6, 11am-1:30. The discus-sion, Exploring Art & Design Trends in Today’s Economy, and moderated by Julie Lasky, Editor-in Chief of I.D. magazine, will take place at the Architects & Design-ers Building, 150 East 58th Street, 5th fl oor, NYC. An attendee luncheon will follow the panel discussion. Guests are also invited to tour the 40 showrooms of the A&D Building featuring kitchen & bath, appliances and home furnishings. www.adbuilding.com/armory

>IIDA NE issued a Call for Entries for the IIDA New Eng-land Interior Design Awards. The third annual awards will be held on June 23, 2009 at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA. Interior designers are invited to nominate their best projects and the team involved in making each one a reality.

the Museum of African Art and Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution, and is an active member of the Or-ganization of Black Designers. http://www.tcaup.umich.edu/

>AIA NY and the Check-erboard Film Foundation continue their series on, Films and Conversations with Architects. On February 12, 6:30-9:00, at the Center for Architecture, 536 La Guardia Place, NYC, Peter Eisenman will take his guests on a fi lm tour of the Arizona Cardinals football stadium. Mr. Eisen-man will explain his intentions for the stadium, which is the culmination of nearly a decade of his work. The next two fi lm events are February 19, with guest speaker Steven Holl who will present his work on the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, and March 5 with guest lecturer Thom Mayne, who will discuss the U.S. Federal Offi ce Build-ing, San Francisco, CA. www.aiany.org/calendar

>AIA NY will hold a luncheon on February 11, 12-2:00, to discuss the impact of the economy on the design com-munity. The advocacy update, Not business as Usual, at the Center for Architecture, 536 La Guardia Place, NYC, will focus on federal and local government efforts to stimulate the economy and how these efforts affect the design professional Special reports will be given by AIA NY staff and Board members. Contact: Laura Manville, mailto:[email protected]

serve on a panel to discuss European design over the last century. The event is free to the public.- The History of Alessi, 1921-2008, and the phenomenon of Italian Design Factories, Cranbrook Academy of Arts, March 8, 2009 ,3:00-5:00 pm. A ticket can be pur-chased for $10. www.alessi.com

>Cheryl S. Durst will be the guest speaker for the MLK Lecture Series in Ann Arbor, MI. Ms. Durst, Honorary IIDA, LEED AP, Executive Vice Presi-dent and CEO of the Interna-tional Interior Design Associa-tion will speak at the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture + Urban Plan-ning on Tuesday, February 19, 2009 at 5:00 p.m. Sponsored by the National Organization of Minority Architecture Stu-dents, Ms. Durst’s presenta-tion, The Future of Design, will explore the implications and expanded horizons for Power of Design and its infl uence and impact on social, global, and economic issues. Ms. Durst is a former Docent for

renovating the ballroom, pre-function and meeting spaces. Design plans include an interactive art gallery, eight porcelain-ceiling sculptures to replace traditional chande-liers, sculptures by Toronto artist Ken Ganbar, and backlit glass panels. Located in central Montreal, it is in the heart of the entertainment and shopping district. www.theresevirseriusdesign.com/

EVENTS>Alberto Alessi, CEO and Director of Marketing Strate-gies and Design Manage-ment at Alessi s.p.a, has planned a media tour for early March. His itinerary includes:- A Conversation with Alberto Alessi, The Times Center, March 3, 2009, 8:00-9:30 pm. Mr. Alessi will share his insights with T, The New York Times Style Magazine, Design editor Pilar Viladas. www.ticketweb.com- EuroDesign Symposium, Indianapolis Museum of Design, March 6, 2009, 2:00-4:00 pm. Mr. Alessi will

ALBERTO ALESSI CHERYL DURST


WE STAND CORRECTED>In our article on the Interior Awards Breakfast last week, we did not give adequate credit for Jennifer Busch’s dress design. Every year, a textile manufacturer creates apparel for Ms. Busch’s role as moderator of the break-fast. This year’s dress design was created by Randall Buck and Jee Levin, of Trove, a NYC wallpaper design fi rm. Fortunately, Ms. Busch did not have to wear the wallpaper, itself, although we are sure that, with a little glue here and a little glue there, a wallpaper garment reasonably approximat-ing one of Cindy Allen’s Hall of Fame capes could have been fashioned. Instead, Trove trans-ferred one of its designs to silk, and voila, a thing of beauty. http://www.troveline.com

exposition and conference for the design, construction and management of the built en-vironment. For 2009, IIDEX/NeoCon Canada has new and returning features includ-ing, Light Canada Expo and Conference, an expanded Material World Expo and the co-location of the Canada’s largest Green Building Festi-val with IIDEX.- NeoCon East, October 28-29, 2009, Baltimore Conven-tion Center, Baltimore, MD. NeoCon East showcases interior design, architectural and facilities management industries of the Mid-Atlantic region, with a special focus on the Federal Design Com-munity. www.merchandisemart.com

with Lessons for the Future. Mr. DiLaura will review the most important changes and developments in the light-ing industry from a social, economic, technical and historical context. LFI also brings together fi ve experts in lighting design for a panel discussion on: Celebrating the History of the Independent Lighting Designer. Moderated by Addison Kelly and Bill Maiman, this presentation features insights from Howard Brandston, Ray Grenald, Da-vid Mintz, Sonny Sonnenfeld and William Warfe.

>MMPI announced the 2009 schedule for its NeoCon shows. MMPI has been man-aging and producing NeoCon World’s Trade Fair since 1969 and regional NeoCon shows since 1998. They are as fol-lows:- NeoCon World’s Trade Fair, June 15-17, 2009, The Mer-chandise Mart, Chicago, IL. NeoCon World’s Trade Fair is the contract furnishing indus-try’s premier event and North America’s largest conference and exhibition for interior design and facilities manage-ment. Other highlights of the fair include LIGHT! Expo, Ar-chitecture Stone and Ceramic Tile Exposition, GREENlife, Buildings Show Fine Design, LuxeHome, OFDA and NE-WHospitality.- IIDEX/NeoCon Canada, September 24-25, 2009, Direct Energy CentreToron-to, ON, Canada. Celebrating its 25th year, IIDEX/NeoCon Canada is Canada’s largest

>IIDA NY presents, “How To Specify Systems Furni-ture.” Part of the 101 Series, the program will be held on March 10, 2009, 7-8:30 pm, at the Knoll showroom, 76 Ninth Avenue, 11th Floor, NYC. Presenter, Chris Gra-ham, Knoll, will discuss differ-ent types of systems furniture available in the marketplace and will explain the process of specifying systems furniture and the information needed to specify a project accurate-ly. CEU credits are available. Cocktails will be served at 6:00 pm. http://www.iidany.org/page/page/4671598.htm

>Haworth’s Penelope chair is on display at the Pratt Institute, 200 Willoughby Avenue, Brooklyn, NY. The chair is part of an exhibition featuring life works of Charles Pollock that includes paint-ings, drawings, sculpture, and furniture design. The show will run through Feb 20, 2009 with gallery hours from 8:00 am–10:00 pm. Mr. Pollock created the stacking chair, which features a rounded, wire mesh shell, for Castelli in 1982.

>LIGHTFAIR International will offer two Masters’ Courses as part of its lighting design education. Held at the LIGHTFAIR International Trade Show and Confer-ence, May 5-7, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 655 West 34th Street, NYC, David DiLaura will present: 20 Years of Light and Lighting: A Look at the Recent Past

JENNIFER BUSCH IN TROVE

02.09.09 GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS PAGE 22 OF 2700.00.00

JOB SITETo place ads:ad@offi ceinsight.com Billing information:brad@offi ceinsight.comOr, call or fax:T 203 966 5008F 203 972 6512

Southeast Regional Sales Atlanta, GA

IZZY, a rapidly growing manu-facturer of cool and affordable furniture products including branded lines Harter, Hag, izzy, and Fixtures Furniture, is looking for candidates to fi ll the position of Southeast Regional Sales Manager.

Qualifi ed candidates will possess Bachelor’s Degree and 5 years experience in Sales Management with an extensive background in working with independent rep groups with an expertise in selling to the specifi er.

Knowledge of the A&D market is benefi cial. The company prefers this position be based in the Atlanta, GA area. Quali-fi ed applicants will be talented and motivated with a “can-do” attitude and bring their own style, creativity and overall enthusiasm to our team. IZZY offers a com-petitive compensation and benefi t package as well as a positive work environment.

IZZY is an equal opportunity em-ployer. For more insight, please visit www.izzydesign.com. Quali-fi ed candidates should send their resume to [email protected].

Textile and Wallcovering Sales South Florida

Carnegie, a leading innovator in the textile and wallcovering fi eld, has an opening for a Sales Representative in South Florida. Seeking an established multi-line rep or organization with experi-ence calling on the A&D com-munity. Experience in textile and/or wallcovering sales is preferred. The Carnegie line is extensive including wallcoverings, uphol-steries, window fabrics, privacy curtains, and panel fabrics.

If you have a strong appreciation for the design industry, this is a prime opportunity to join this esteemed company and cultivate relationships with top notch A&D fi rms in this territory. Please forward your resume to Debbie Blackwelder, VP of Sales: [email protected]

Director if Distribution

Join one of FORTUNE Magazine’s “Top 100 Companies to Work For” as Director of Distribution for Her-man Miller, Inc.

The Director of Distribution devel-ops and maintains a sustainable, durable, high performance distri-bution channel and serves as the primary conduit between Herman Miller, our Field Sales Teams, and our Dealer Distribution Partners. You will conduct an annual sales planning process to assure dealer sales performance is in line with HMI growth and revenue targets, monitor performance metrics and facilitate action plans when required. You will also review and analyze the market “footprint” and market potential to determine proper distribution strategies.

Minimum qualifi cations: bache-lor’s degree in business or related fi eld; 7 years experience in the offi ce furniture industry, prefer 3 years in connection to contract furniture dealers; thorough un-derstanding of distribution mod-els, dealer fi nancial models and reporting; ability to teach, coach, mentor, and infl uence; demon-strated leadership competencies; ability to think strategically and execute tactically; expert com-munication skills; willingness to travel at least 50%.

Herman Miller, Inc. creates great places to work through the design, manufacture and distribution of furnishings, interior products, and related services.

To apply or learn more about this great opportunity please visit our website at: http://www.herman-miller.com/careers

Sales Representative Career opportunity as a Sales Representative (Manufactur-ers Representative), the ideal candidate will have a successful background of fi ve or more years in outside sales.

The Sales Representative will be a mature, polished professional who has excellent communication skills, comfortable speaking with many different levels of people. He/She must possess a solid foundation in using technology to communicate, and will have strong organizational and time management skills, as well as outstanding new business devel-opment skills.

This professional will excel in a very entrepreneurial, yet team based environment that rewards focused, result oriented individu-als.

Please email resume to [email protected] or call Searchwise Consultants 800.923.5003. All resumes are held in confi dence.

© 2009 offi cesite, inc.24 East Avenue (#1299)New Canaan, CT 06840

Bradford J. Powellbrad@offi ceinsight.comT 203 966 5008F 203 972 6512

Jean Linjean@offi ceinsight.comT 203 912 7423

www.offi ceinsight.com


businessRAYMOND JAMES BRIEF: 02 05 09

KNL: Estimates Adjusted Post-Call; Reaffi rm OutperformAnalyst(s): Budd Bugatch

>We reaffi rm our Outperform rating on Knoll while increasing our FY09 EPS estimate following management’s conference call. Our 12-month target price is now $11, down from $13. This represents just 7.8x our FY09 EPS estimate, below historic norms and a signifi cant discount to our EVA/FCF-derived esti-mate of intrinsic worth, which suggests fair value in the high-teens. Knoll continues to execute admirably, despite mounting economic headwinds. While sales volume and pricing pose the most signifi cant risks, we are heartened by Knoll’s track record of managing the business through diffi cult times.

>As detailed in an earlier comment, Knoll reported 4Q08 adjusted EPS of $0.52 versus our $0.42 estimate and the $0.41 consensus. Sales declined 2% to $276.3 million, but exceeded our $267.0 million forecast. On this morning’s conference call, management announced it would discontinue its past practice of providing specifi c quarterly sales and EPS guidance - preferring to focus on longer-term performance.

>Management noted that the quantity of orders, customer visits, mock-up activity, and all economic indicators for the industry remain negative. It assumes that FY09 U.S. offi ce in-dustry revenues will approximate $8 billion to $9 billion, which would represent a signifi cant drop versus $11 million in FY08. That said, Knoll believes its sales will decline less than the overall industry, due to its increasingly diversifi ed revenue stream, new products, and growing specialty and internation-al businesses. The company also expects to benefi t in 2009 from moderating commodity prices (1H09 headwind; 2H09 tailwind) and weakness in the Canadian dollar relative to the U.S. dollar (each $0.01 change in the exchange rate impacts operating income by ~$1 million). Entering 2009, employee headcount is down 9% year-over-year.

>Our FY09 adjusted EPS estimate is now $1.41, up from $1.30 on an assumed total sales decline of 12.2%, approximat-ing the BIFMA forecast. We peg normalized operating margin at 12%, down from 13.4% in FY08, as favorable currency, slightly positive pricing, and restructuring savings partially offset fi xed cost de-leverage. Our model assumes neutral FY09 impact from commodity costs.

RAYMOND JAMES BRIEF: 02 05 09

KNL: Blow-Out 4Q08, $0.52 versus Our $0.42; Orders WeakeningAnalyst(s): Budd Bugatch

>Before Thursday’s market open, Knoll reported 4Q08 GAAP EPS of $0.50. Excluding $0.02 of restructuring, adjusted EPS were $0.52, handily exceeding our $0.42 estimate and the $0.41 consensus. Total sales declined 2% year-over-year to $276.3 million, $9.3 million better than our $267 million forecast (consensus had been $273 million). Management’s pre-existing guidance had been for EPS in the range of $0.44 to $0.47 on sales of $278 to $283 million.

>Earnings quality was excellent. On a GAAP basis, operating EPS beat our model by $0.04 as higher sales (+$0.02) and bet-ter gross margin (+$0.07) were partially offset by higher SG&A ratio (-$0.05). Gross margins benefi ted from the weakening of the Canadian dollar versus the U.S. dollar and reduced trans-portation costs as fuel costs abated. Below the operating line, EPS benefi ted from higher other income (+$0.02), lower tax rate (+$0.01), and lower share count (+$0.01). Knoll generated $14.7 million of cash fl ow from operations in 4Q, repurchased $8.3 million worth of stock, and reduced debt by $5 million.

>Backlog increased 5.8% year-over-year to $201.7 million, implying an order decline of ~9% against 12% order growth in 4Q07. 3Q08 orders had increased 18% versus 2% growth in the prior year.

>Deviating from its past practice of offering sales and EPS guidance for the next quarter, management demurred to quantify its outlook in its press release. We would expect management to provide some additional color on this morning’s conference call, though it is unclear how much. Management also noted it expects to take $8 million of restructuring charges in 1H09 ($6 million in 1Q), associated with voluntary and involuntary layoffs.

>While the order decline and lack of guidance may give some investors pause, it is not surprising given continued macroeco-nomic pressure and the recent deterioration in the monthly BIFMA statistics. We will have additional commentary follow-ing management’s 10:00 a.m. (ET) conference call.


businessBUSINESS AFFAIRS>Design Within Reach engaged the services of San Francis-co-based investment banking fi rm Thomas Weisel Partners LLC (TWP). The TWP team will assist in the review of strategic alternatives, including advice related to an unsolicited offer recently received by the company.

“We have decided to evaluate alternatives that will better serve the interest of all of our shareholders given our depressed share price,” said CEO Ray Brunner. “The Board has ap-pointed a committee of independent directors to work with TWP to allow our management team to focus on day-to-day operations.”

The review process will consider a full range of options, includ-ing possible sale, merger, strategic partnership, or refi nancing. http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=177796&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1250954&highlight=

>Kimball International, Inc., on Feb. 6 released results for its FY09 second quarter, which ended Dec. 31, 2008 (dollars in millions except EPS):

3 Mos. Ended 12/31/08 12/31/07 %Ch.Net Sales $327.6 $347.8 (5.8%)Gross Profit $56.3 $66.7 (15.6%)SG&A $49.0 $60.2 (18.6%)Oper. Inc. $16.2 $5.9 174.6%Net Inc. $8.2 $4.2 95.2%EPS (dil.) $0.22 $0.11 100.0%

6 Mos. Ended 12/31/08 12/31/07 %Ch.Net Sales $667.1 $681.7 (2.1%)Gross Profit $114.8 $134.5 (14.6%)SG&A $102.3 $119.7 (14.5%)Oper. Inc. $20.4 $13.8 47.8%Net Income $10.4 $10.7 (2.8%)EPS (dil.) $0.27 $0.28 (3.6%)

Second-quarter income includes a $4.8 million after-tax gain related to sale of undeveloped land holdings and timberland; $1.6 million of after-tax income resulting from the termination of a real estate contract in Poland; and $0.7 million restructur-ing expense. Excluding these, the company recorded non-GAAP income from continuing operations of $2.5 million, or $0.07 EPS for the quarter.

RAYMOND JAMES BRIEF: 02 03 09

SCS: More Cost Cutting; Estimates AdjustedAnalyst(s): Budd Bugatch

>We reaffi rm our Market Perform rating on Steelcase while adjusting estimates following the company’s intraday press release and 8K fi ling detailing additional cost cutting measures. SCS now trades at ~17x our forward EPS estimate, reasonable against historic norms but signifi cantly higher than the current peer median forward P/E of ~10x.

>On Monday, Steelcase announced several cost cutting ac-tions including: 1) a 5% base reduction for its North American workforce; 2) a 12% annual salary reduction for CEO Hackett and a 10% annual salary reduction for other senior offi cers; 3) a 15% reduction in annual Board compensation; and 4) a sus-pension of discretionary matching contributions and a planned reduction of non-discretionary contributions to the Steelcase retirement plan. Management expects these cuts to deliver $25 to $30 million of annualized pretax savings, beginning in March 2009.

>We are lowering our FY10 EPS estimate from $0.31 to $0.29. Our next 12 month’s (NTM) EPS estimate is now $0.26, down modestly from $0.28. We have also updated our NTM EPS sensitivity analysis. Our model now assumes total NTM sales -23% versus our previous -17%. This incorporates unfavorable currency translation of $143 million (~4%) up from our prior $103 million; and a $24 million benefi t from list price increases (unchanged). At the operating income level, the increased negative effect of volume de-leverage is offset partially by incremental savings from yesterday’s actions ($26 million) and $34 million of benefi ts from year-over-year commodity defl ation versus our pervious assumption of $10 million of commodity infl ation.

>Each 1% variance in revenue growth relative to our base case (-23%) drives an $11 million change in operating income, or about $0.05 EPS. We forecast EPS would break-even with sales -29%; while free cash fl ow would be zero with sales down 35%.


businessour customers, is very limited and much more unpredictable than at any time in the past. Our balance sheet remains strong which will allow us to continue to invest prudently to improve our market position.”

Kimball’s complete 2Q09 earnings release, along with a replay of its Feb. 6 conference call, is available at http://kimball.com/discoverKimball/ir.aspx?title=Overview

>Knoll, Inc., on Feb. 5 announced results for the fourth quarter and full year ended Dec. 31, 2008 (dollars in millions except (EPS):

3 Mos. Ended 12/31/08 12/31/07 %Ch.Net Sales $276.3 $281.8 (2.0%)Gross Profit $99.5 $99.0 0.5%Oper. Exp. $60.9 $59.5 2.4%Oper. Profit $37.3 $39.5 (5.6%)Net Income $22.7 $20.7 9.7%EPS (dil.) $0.50 $0.42 19.0%

12 Mos. Ended 12/31/08 12/31/07 %Ch.Net Sales $1,120.1 $1,055.8 6.1%Gross Profit $395.1 $365.1 8.2%Oper. Exp. $245.0 $222.9 9.9%Oper. Profit $145.4 $142.2 2.3%Net Income $84.9 $71.4 18.9%EPS (dil.) $1.82 $1.45 25.5%

“I am extremely proud of what our team accomplished and the results that we delivered in 2008,” said CEO Andrew Cogan. “I do not think that anyone expected us to perform so well in 2008. Clearly what we have achieved since the last downturn began in 2001 puts Knoll in a much stronger position to face whatever the next couple of years may bring.

“Our sources of revenue are signifi cantly more diversifi ed and less dependent on North America Offi ce system demand trends in particular, something that we could not have said seven years ago. Our higher margin, more diverse Specialty businesses compose a much greater part of our revenue and profi tability, and International sales outside of North America currently represent the largest portion of our revenues ever. In fact, this quarter we booked one of the single largest interna-tional orders in the history of our company.

“Going forward we would expect our sales to decline less, not more, than the overall industry. Our balance sheet is strong, with our outstanding debt the lowest it has been in the past decade and with leverage also at near record low levels. Our liquidity is strong, at close to $175 million, and our credit facil-

Electronic Manufacturing Services Segment

3 Mos. Ended 12/31/08 12/31/07 %Ch.Net Sales $166.9 $177.4 (5.9%)Inc. (Loss) Cont. Op. ($0.7) ($2.1) 66.7%

Furniture Segment

3 Mos. Ended 12/31/08 12/31/07 %Ch.Net Sales $160.7 $170.4 (5.7%)Inc. Cont. Op. $4.0 $5.8 (31.0%)

“The global economic recession has dramatically affected order rates in both of our segments,” said CEO and President James C. Thyen. “The automotive market in our EMS segment, along with the contract/project furniture market in our Furni-ture segment, are experiencing the most volatility and stress. We continue to respond to the rapid change in the markets with a sharpened focus on preserving liquidity while seeking to sustain sales and market share. Contingency plans have been implemented and are constantly being updated. Capital expen-ditures are being deferred, and working capital – particularly receivables and inventory – are being closely monitored.”

The company’s administrative staff is nearly 10% smaller than a year ago as a result of staff reductions announced in March 2008. CFO and Executive Vice President Robert G. Schneider noted that second quarter SG&A as a percent of net sales was the lowest in more than a decade at 15%.

“Our strategies in each of our markets have not changed due to the economic climate, but our priorities have,” said Mr. Thyen. “Our fi rst priority is liquidity, the second priority is our cost structure, and our third priority is to maintain our core.”

Operating cash fl ow for the second quarter of FY09 was a cash outfl ow of $1.1 million compared to a cash infl ow of $12.4 mil-lion in the second quarter of the prior year. The company’s net cash position from an aggregate of cash and short-term invest-ments less short-term borrowings decreased to $7.6 million at Dec. 31, 2008 compared to $29.8 million at June 30, 2008.

Mr. Thyen concluded, “This economic environment will continue to present very signifi cant challenges in the near term. Until the fi nancial and housing crises abate and recov-ery is demonstrated by increased consumer confi dence and spending, we will be forced to make very diffi cult cost choices impacting quarterly earnings versus sustaining longer-term core capabilities. A common characteristic of all of our vertical markets is that changes in demand for products and services can and do change weekly. Visibility into the future, for us and


businessworkforce generally, and larger reductions for certain levels of management and executive offi cers. In a similar spirit, the Board of Directors voluntarily reduced their annual fees. The company announced that for fi scal 2010, it will suspend its discretionary matching contribution under the Steelcase Inc. Retirement Plan and is planning a reduced annual non-discre-tionary contribution to the plan.

These actions are projected to remain in effect for approximate-ly one year or until economic conditions improve. The company estimates it will reduce annualized pre-tax operating costs by approximately $25 to $30 million, during the time these actions remain effective.

In addition, the company expects to begin laying off approxi-mately 300 of the 600 members of its North American hourly workforce who were previously notifi ed of a potential lay-off in November 2008 and January 2009.

“The current economic environment and its potential impact on industry demand around the world remains highly uncertain,” said James P. Hackett, President and CEO. “These actions are diffi cult, but necessary in light of the uncertainty as we seek to conserve cash and reduce expenses.”

ity runs into 2013. From a macro standpoint, it’s hard not to be all doom and gloom, but as I look across Knoll, I also see great reason for optimism. I am confi dent that with our rich pipeline of new products, and our proven ability to fl ex our cost struc-ture, we will do as well as the environment will allow.”Knoll’s Board of Directors on Feb. 4 declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.12 per share payable on Mar. 31, 2009, to stockholders of record on Mar. 16, 2009. The company’s com-plete fourth-quarter and full-year 2008 earnings release, as well as a webcast replay of its Feb. 5 conference call, can be found at http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=66169&p=irol-irhome

>StarMine added Christopher Agnew of Goldman Sachs to its list of top-ranked research analysts covering Knoll. http://fi nance.yahoo.com/q/sa?s=knl

>Steelcase Inc. on Feb. 2 announced additional actions to further reduce costs amid continuing global economic challenges. These measures primarily include reductions to employee and executive compensation and changes in retire-ment benefi t programs.

Effective March 2, 2009, the company will implement a 5% reduction in base salaries for its North American salaried

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Soduko: Fill in the empty cells so that every row, column and cube contains a digit from 1-9, without duplication. (Level: Hard)


technology>A universal adapter introduced in 2008 by Green Plug for electronic devices has received little support from device manufacturers, The Industry Standard reports. One reason for the lukewarm reception is a lack of fi nancial incentive to adopt the technology, which would require that manufacturers incorporate additional hardware and software to accommodate it. A standardized universal adapter is also a threat to the re-placement power supply market. Green Plug recently launched a new website -- iwantmygreenplug.com – to drum up grass-roots support from consumers. http://www.thestandard.com/news/2009/02/04/universal-power-adapter-still-struggling-support?source=nlt_weekly

TECHNOLOGY>Google Latitude, a new feature in Google maps that allows users to map people’s locations based on their cellphone signals, may pose security risks, according to watchdog organization Privacy International. Although Latitude is based on a reciprocal opt-in system requiring consent by the person being tracked, the group warns that there are numer-ous ways for second parties to enable the software without the user’s knowledge. http://www.privacyinternational.org/article.shtml?cmd[347]=x-347-563567

2.6.09 12.26.08 9.26.08 6.27.08 3.28.08 12.28.07 9.28.07 %frYrHi%fr50-DayMA

ChromC 0.3 0.4 1.7 3.3 4.7 4.9 4.7 -94.1% -13.6%

CompX 5.8 5.2 5.8 5.2 9.3 14.8 19.6 -52.0% 6.9%

HMiller 12.1 13.9 25.1 25.2 24.5 28.8 27.1 -63.9% -3.3%

HNI 13.8 14.7 25.6 18.4 27.7 35.7 36 -59.8% -5.5%

Inscape 2.3 2.3 3 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.7 -49.1% 3.0%

Interface 4.1 5.3 11.9 12.9 14.3 17.5 18.1 -77.0% -7.2%

Kimball 8.3 8.2 11.2 8.6 10.8 14 11.4 -35.1% 3.3%

Knoll 7.5 8.6 15.2 12.4 11.6 16.6 17.7 -60.0% -8.1%

Leggett 13.6 14.7 22.3 17.2 14.9 18.7 19.2 -44.9% -2.5%

Mohawk 36.9 35.7 69.9 64.8 71.5 75.5 81.3 -54.0% -4.0%

OffDepot 1.8 2.6 5.8 11 11.1 14.4 20.6 -87.7% -32.0%

Staples 16.8 16.9 23.1 24 11.4 22.6 21.5 -36.9% -3.6%

Steelcase 4.5 6 10.4 9.9 3.1 15.3 18 -70.5% -8.1%

20-20 Tech 1.0 1.8 3.4 5 6.1 6.4 6.6 N/A% N/A%

UntdStat 28.6 33.3 49.4 36.6 47.7 47.4 55.5 -52.6% -8.5%

USG 7.8 8.8 28.7 30.1 35.2 36.6 37.6 -93.2% -7.0%

Virco 2.4 1.9 3.6 4.7 5.4 5.9 7.8 -64.4% 12.5%

SUM 167.5 180.1 315.9 292.9 335.5 378.6 406.4 -37.2% -

DJIndust 8,280 8,629 11,143 11,346 12,216 13,339 13,895 - -

Industry Stock Prices

02.09.09 GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE...

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