Metropolis Specify 2022

NeoCon 2022

FROM THE EDITORS OF

Perkins&Will’s Jon Penndorf, David Cordell, and Brittany McNairy

INTERIOR DESIGN REVOLUTIONARIES The people leading the way on equity and sustainability

FITS IN. AND STANDS OUT.

DESIGN THAT SUSTAINS

The Melete family of chairs.

Elevated style for every space.

Designed by Afteroom.

Made by Keilhauer. ©2022 Keilhauer LTD.

KEILHAUER.COM

find your nature

Contents

60

SmithGroup’s national design director Dayton Schroeter shows Baltimore mayor Brandon Scott the installation “Society’s Cage.”

ON THE COVER Jared Soares photographed Jon Penndorf, senior associate and project manager, David Cordell, associate principal, and Brittany McNairy, senior technical coordinator (pictured from left to right), in Perkins&Will’s Washington, D.C., office.

8 EDITOR’S LETTER The Proof Is in the Process

HOT LIST 2022 The designers and manufacturers behind the most future-proof processes at NeoCon and across the industry

10 SUSTAINABILITY LAB Metropolis and theMART return to NeoCon with more resources to help the interiors industry make a positive impact on people and the planet.

40 PERKINS&WILL The firm’s Washington, D.C., office is the first of its U.S. studios ready to eliminate embodied carbon in commercial interiors by 2030.

80 BA BOOM BOOM PA POP POP A site-specific work by Nick Cave enlivens theMART’s facade during NeoCon.

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52 TOWARD A BRAVE NEW TRANSPARENCY Hear from three product innovators as they disclose ways they’re using technology, visionary designs, and manufacturing advances to make specifying greener and easier.

60 DAYTON SCHROETER Meet the SmithGroup vice president and national design director who is helping guide the 169-year-old firm to a diverse and equitable future.

70 THE SEVEN-YEAR STITCH Find out how Carnegie’s plant-based textile became the first of its kind to earn Living Product Challenge Certification 76 FAUZIA KHANANI The founding principal of Manhattanbased Studio Fōr has a background in public health, which has led her to specify materials according to data and her conscience.

NEOCON 2022

COURTESY TIFFANY THOMPSON

20 METROPOLISLIKES We reveal the winners of the MetropolisLikes NeoCon awards and the major trends shaping contract interiors.

68 ANNIE BEVAN The executive director of mindful MATERIALS explains how a resource that began as an in-house library grew into a powerful specifying tool for the entire architecture and design industry.

RESIDENTIAL ST YLE .

C O M M E R C I A L C A PA B I L I T I E S . roomandboard.com/bicontract 800.952.9155

FROM THE EDITORS OF

SANDOW DESIGN GROUP CHAIRMAN Adam I. Sandow CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Erica Holborn CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Michael Shavalier CHIEF DESIGN OFFICER Cindy Allen

EDITORIAL EDITOR IN CHIEF Avinash Rajagopal DESIGN DIRECTOR Travis M. Ward EXECUTIVE EDITOR Sam Lubell SENIOR EDITOR Kelly Beamon EDITORIAL PROJECT MANAGER Lauren Volker

CHIEF SALES OFFICER Kate Kelly Smith EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT + DESIGN FUTURIST AJ Paron EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, DIGITAL + STRATEGIC GROWTH Bobby Bonett VICE PRESIDENT, HUMAN RESOURCES Lisa Silver Faber VICE PRESIDENT, PARTNER + PROGRAM SUCCESS Tanya Suber VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Laura Steele VICE PRESIDENT, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS Katie Brockman SENIOR DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC INITIATIVES Sam Sager DIRECTOR, VIDEO Steven Wilsey

DIGITAL EDITOR Ethan Tucker ASSOCIATE EDITOR Leilah Stone DESIGNER Robert Pracek COPY EDITOR Benjamin Spier FACT CHECKER Anna Zappia

SANDOW DESIGN GROUP OPERATIONS SENIOR DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC OPERATIONS Keith Clements

PUBLISHING

CONTROLLER Emily Kaitz DIRECTOR, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Joshua Grunstra

VICE PRESIDENT, PUBLISHER Carol Cisco METROPOLIS is a publication of SANDOW VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING & EVENTS Tina Brennan

3651 Fau Blvd.

Boca Raton, FL 33431

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Tamara Stout tstout@sandowdesign.com 917.449.2845 ACCOUNT MANAGERS James Carr james.carr@sandowdesign.com 516.554.3618 Ellen Cook ecook@sandowdesign.com 423.580.8827 Gregory Kammerer gkammerer@sandowdesign.com 646.824.4609

info@metropolismag.com 917.934.2800 FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS OR SERVICE 800.344.3046 customerservice@metropolismagazine.net

Rue Richey rrichey@sandowdesign.com 917.374.8119 Colin Villone colin.villone@sandowdesign.com 917.216.3690 MARKETING & EVENTS MANAGER Kelly Kriwko kkriwko@sandowdesign.com EVENTS MANAGER Lorraine Brabant lbrabant@sandowdesign.com CONTENT DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR Amanda Kahan SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Zoya Naqvi METROPOLISMAG.COM

SANDOW was founded by visionary entrepreneur Adam I. Sandow in 2003, with the goal of reinventing the traditional publishing model. Today, SANDOW powers the design, materials, and luxury industries through innovative content, tools, and integrated solutions. Its diverse portfolio of assets includes The SANDOW Design Group, a unique ecosystem of design media and services brands, including Luxe Interiors + Design, Interior Design, Metropolis, DesignTV by SANDOW; ThinkLab, a research and strategy firm; and content services brands,

@metropolismag

including The Agency by SANDOW, a full-scale digital marketing agency, The Studio by SANDOW, a video production studio, and SURROUND, a podcast network and production studio. SANDOW Design Group is a key supporter and

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Kathryn Kerns 917.935.2900 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGERS

strategic partner to NYCxDESIGN, a not-for-profit organization committed to empowering and promoting the city’s diverse creative community. In 2019, Adam Sandow launched Material Bank, the world’s largest marketplace for searching, sampling, and specifying architecture, design, and construction materials.

Michael Croft 224.931.8710 Laury Kissane 770.791.1976

THIS MAGAZINE IS RECYCLABLE.

Please recycle when you’re done with it. We’re all in this together.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FINANCE & OPERATIONS Lorri D’Amico PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Kevin Fagan DIRECTOR, PARTNER SUCCESS Jennifer Kimmerling PARTNER SUCCESS MANAGER Olivia Couture SALES OPERATIONS MANAGER Diana Tan dtan@sandowdesign.com 6

SPECIFY

NEOCON 2022

Celebrate 75 years of pioneering design with an archival textile exhibit and the introduction of the Heritage Collection.

811 West Fulton Market Suite 600 Chicago

Editor’s Letter

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A worker crochets Carnegie’s Xorel yarn to make Xorel Vue, a collection of textiles used as space dividers.

METROPOLIS EDITORS have been thinking intensely about processes during the past couple of years. Our research has probed not only the steps used to design projects and materials, but also examined whose practices, standards, and values determine those steps.

We’ve realized this heightened focus on process is in step with best practices of the most innovative designers and manufacturers. That’s why this year’s Specify Hot List (p. 40) highlights those who are prioritizing their processes and taking actions to update them: These leaders are systematically incorporating regenerative design principles, codifying steps to source materials from suppliers they consider virtuous, and reimagining recruitment practices with an eye toward a more future-proof candidate pool.

Of course, the impact of this kind of layered selfassessment and adjustment is especially powerful where transparency is the rule. That’s why disclosures of chemistry and material health figure prominently in products selected to receive this year’s MetropolisLikes awards (“Object Lessons,” p. 20). Transparency is also a chief component of Metropolis’s Interior Design Pledge for Positive Impact, launched last year to help practitioners design for climate, health, and equity. Editor in chief Avinash Rajagopal will host the Metropolis Sustainability Lab (p. 10) during NeoCon on the third floor of theMart in suite 308, where, like last year, he’ll invite more designers to sign this bold commitment. It’s no longer enough to deliver a beautiful project or product. The key to success is in the process. —Kelly Beamon, senior editor NEOCON 2022

COURTESY CARNEGIE

THE PROOF IS IN THE PRO CESS

Advocacy

Offering resources to help the interiors industry make a positive impact on people and the planet, Metropolis and theMART’s hub returns to NeoCon.

SUSTAIN ABILITY LAB ON THE THIRD FLOOR OF theMART, the Metropolis Sustainability Lab at NeoCon is a destination to support the interiors industry in taking the next step toward regenerative and resilient design. At the exhibit, visitors can learn more about how to make design decisions that help safeguard the health and well-being of people on this planet.

The Lab showcases breakthrough products and initiatives from AVA, Carnegie, Clarus, ECONYL by Aquafil, Heirloom Design, HMTX Industries, Interface, Keilhauer, Material Bank, Mohawk Group, Momentum, Reseat ID, Rulon International, Shaw Contract, SherwinWilliams, Turf, and Ultrafabrics. Visitors can also join Metropolis on a tour of these manufacturers’ showrooms to learn more.

A host of sustainability-driven educational sessions and CEUs are also on offer at the Lab. All programming is focused on designing interiors that make a positive impact and raising awareness around equity and embodied justice (see the full schedule to the right).

Designers can also visit the Lab to get involved with important industry-wide movements, including the Interior Design Pledge for Positive Impact. The pledge, created by ASID, IIDA, IDC, and Metropolis with the support of leading firms and organizations like IDEC, provides a comprehensive framework for the future of interior design organized around three interconnected commitments to climate, health, and equity.

Visit the Metropolis Sustainability Lab at NeoCon, Suite 380 10

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MONDAY, JUNE 13 10 a.m.: L et’s Keep Great Furniture out of Landfills, presented by Reseat 12 p.m.: M aterial Innovation for the Circular Economy, presented

by Metropolis in partnership with Aquafil Group 1 p.m.: U nderstanding Paint, Coatings, and Sealants in LEED, presented by Sherwin-Williams 2 p.m.: I nteriors for Positive Impact, presented

by Avi Rajagopal, editor in chief, Metropolis 4 p.m.: C ollaborating Toward Circular Design, presented by Shaw Contract TUESDAY, JUNE 14 10 a.m.: U nderstanding Commercial Flooring Sustainability Certifications, presented by AVA Flooring 12 p.m.: D oing the Right Thing Takes Setting the Right Goals, presented by Heirloom 2 p.m.: T he Journey to JUST Social Justice Label, presented by HMTX Industries 3 p.m.: D esign for Justice, presented by Avi Rajagopal, editor in chief, Metropolis 4 p.m.: Cocktail reception, hosted by Material Bank NEOCON 2022

teknion.com

Advocacy

AVA DIGITAL PRODUCT PASSPORT

CARNEGIE BIOBASED XOREL® INDOOR/OUTDOOR

AVA is excited to announce the first Digital Product Passport for a flooring company in North America. The passport can be accessed by scanning a QR code on the back of AVA flooring planks or tiles and provides information about content, recyclability, embodied carbon, TVOCs, certifications, and technical data.

Carnegie’s newest innovation is the world’s first Biobased Xorel for both indoor and outdoor applications. Introduced in 2013, Biobased Xorel is a plant-based, rather than fossil fuel—based, product that generates significantly lower carbon emissions while delivering beauty and performance. Now with up to 85 percent plant-based content, the new Biobased Xorel Indoor/Outdoor pushes the boundaries of what’s possible.

avaflor.com

CLARUS GO! MOBILE

ECONYL BY AQUAFIL

Clarus’s rolling glass whiteboard, go! Mobile, is practical, versatile, and modern, serving as the perfect product for office spaces or classrooms, giving you the freedom to create flexible workspaces on the go. With a choice of four different sizes and the ability to customize each side of your go! Mobile, you can transform any space into a productive collaborative environment.

ECONYL® regenerated nylon is transforming the fiber industry and helping to create a more sustainable future. Designers can influence a product’s environmental footprint with their early design decisions by choosing sustainable materials. ECONYL® regenerated nylon is a product that can help you close the loop. Made from waste, it’s infinitely recyclable and can unleash infinite possibilities for makers, creators, and consumers.

clarus.com

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econyl.com/interiordesign SPECIFY

NEOCON 2022

COURTESY THE MANUFACTURERS

carnegiefabrics.com/carnegie-xorel

Natural Versatility

Gemma Collection Designed by Altherr Désile Park

lelandfurniture.com

Advocacy

Heirloom Design strives to be the catalyst of change for sustainability by powering the circular economy for the commercial design community. We empower makers, businesses, and specifiers to invest in higher-quality furniture that lasts longer than a lifetime—and creates a healthier planet in the process. Each product from Heirloom comes with a unique QR code that tells its story so you can see where it’s been and the legacy it’s left along the way as you become part of it. heirloom.design

HMTX TEKNOFLOR NATURE’S TILE AND PLANK HPD

INTERFACE

This bio-polyurethane flooring brings a new sense of versatility and sustainability to the commercial flooring industry. The collection boasts 42 visuals including abstract patterns that mimic both hard and soft surfaces, as well as a variety of planks inspired by the world’s most popular wood species. Nature’s Tile and Plank HPD offers all the advantages of luxury vinyl— durability, easy maintenance, and versatility—but without the vinyl.

Interface has been on a journey to reduce its carbon footprint, including its supply chain, since 1994. It has led the industry with the lowest carbon footprint in commercial carpet tile for many years, and all products it sells—carpet tile, LVT, rigid core and nora® rubber—are 100 percent carbon neutral across the full life cycle through its Carbon Neutral FloorsTM program. Interface can even calculate your floor’s impact so you can see its contribution to global warming.

teknoflor.com/naturesplank

interface.com/carbonneutral

KEILHAUER SWURVE

MATERIAL BANK CARBON IMPACT PROGRAM

Keilhauer’s first carbon-neutral office chair, Swurve, brings comfort and elegance to any room. When designing Swurve, Keilhauer eliminated carbon emissions at every turn by sustainably sourcing materials, responsibly manufacturing all elements of the chair, and implementing an end-of-life recycling plan.

The Carbon Impact Program is a free Material Bank initiative supporting firms on their sustainable design journey. Unlock metrics to monitor and reduce the carbon impact of your project sampling. Leverage customized digital tools to support sustainability education and material specifications.

swurvechair.com 14

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materialbank.com/carbonimpactprogram

NEOCON 2022

COURTESY THE MANUFACTURERS

HEIRLOOM DESIGN

For evolving floorscapes, nature works.

Cities are changing and interior spaces are shifting – becoming more in tune with nature and adapting to interiors that support wellbeing.

Introducing Beaumont Range™ and Fresco Valley™ – two harmonious collections of modular carpet tile and LVT, designed to combine and flex across beautifully restorative spaces that help us to live, work and thrive.

In Chicago? See us at 345 North Wells Street (directly across from The Mart).

Beaumont Range carpet tile collection Eben™ - Pebble

Fresco Valley LVT collection Cliff™ - Alabaster

Advocacy

MOHAWK ECOFLEX ONE

MOMENTUM WOVEN SILICA WALLCOVERING

Solving all flooring challenges with one complete solution is now possible with EcoFlex ONE from Mohawk Group. This state-of-the-art flooring system combines with the advanced engineering of Duracolor© Tricor fiber to deliver modular carpet that leads the industry in durability, cleanability, performance, and sustainability.

This wallcovering combines innovation, beauty, and sustainability in a product with the essence of a woven textile combined with superior performance. Woven Silica is PVC-free, derived from silica sand, and features a biobased coating that absorbs and permanently captures harmful VOCs.

mohawkgroup.com/ecoflex-one

RESEAT ID

RULON INTERNATIONAL

Great office furniture is designed to look good and is built to last. But most of this furniture ends up in a landfill after its first use. Reseat ID is a new tool for companies that automates the future resale process. It also provides a digital space to organize projects, catalogue inventory, collaborate with clients through the planning, design and building processes, and more—all in one place. A little forethought can end a lot of waste!

Wood seems inherently eco-friendly. But until you consider harvesting, processing, and the introduction of chemicals via treatments and finishes, there’s no guarantee that wood products are sustainable. That’s why Rulon International ensures that each product it makes meets the highest standards of transparency. Rulon’s commitment to sustainability on every project is unwavering.

register.reseat.com

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rulonco.com

NEOCON 2022

COURTESY THE MANUFACTURERS

momentumtextilesandwalls.com

Social Canvas & Pattern of Time Intimations of the artist’s studio: from our collaboration with ArtLifting, an organization that champions artists impacted by housing insecurity or disabilities, Social Canvas modular carpet conveys the expressive freedom of paintings by artist Charlie French.

With Pattern of Time LVT, comforting wood grain comes to life with unexpected drips and sprays of color, infusing your space with the creativity of the human spirit.

Showroom 377 | mohawkgroup.com

Advocacy

SHAW CONTRACT RE[TURN] RECLAMATION PROGRAM

SHERWIN-WILLIAMS SUSTAINABILITY BY DESIGN

Shaw Contract aims to make buildings a future source of raw materials through its re[TURN] Reclamation Program. Shaw Contract is actively identifying prior installations and partnering with those customers to reclaim and recycle their flooring at the end of its useful life, with the help of the company’s customer relationship management software.

In addition to having the largest portfolio of products eligible for LEED© credit, Sherwin-Williams is pleased to announce the launch of its Sustainability by Design program. Through this program, all products developed through its 5-Stage-Gate process will consider over a dozen sustainability attributes including ecolabels and third party—validated sustainability disclosures.

shawcontract.com

sherwin-williams.com

TURF HUES

turf.design

Ultrafabrics believes you should never compromise on performance, comfort, or sustainability. Focused on the future, the company is aiming for at least 50 percent rapidly renewable or recycled materials in all its products by 2030. The Volar Bio performance fabric is made of renewable and plant-based materials, while Dwell, Eco Tech, Geom, Pearlized, Ultraleather, and Ultraleather Pro use TENCEL Modal fibers. ultrafabricsinc.com

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NEOCON 2022

COURTESY THE MANUFACTURERS

ULTRAFABRICS

Turf Design’s new palette, Turf Hues, features 23 new colors and 9 classics that allow designers to explore the contribution of color and sound to a sense of well-being in commercial spaces. Developed in collaboration with Ames Design Collective’s Carolyn Ames Noble over a period of more than two years, the palette serves all communities with a focus on how different colors and tones affect one’s perception and environment.

PVC-Free, Bio-based Resilient We design and manufacture products to optimize human environments. The Innate Collection of sheet and tile products draws on the durable properties of natural materials. Manufactured with soybean, castor and rapeseed oils—this construction features bio-based materials that are free of ortho-phthalates, chlorine and solvents. Cradle To Cradle Certified® Silver and achieves Greenhealth Approved TM certification through Health Care Without Harm. People Together, Planet Forever.

MetropolisLikes

OB JECT LESSONS

This year’s 35 winners of the MetropolisLikes NeoCon awards embody the best in manufacturing strategies that meet the needs of healthy, climate-ready interiors.

COURTESY OFFICE SPECIALTY

By Kelly Beamon

The 2Stor Caddy by Office Specialty officespecialty.com

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MetropolisLikes

HushHybrid office pod by Hushoffice hushoffice.com

Film Studio, a collection of decorative PVC-free films for architectural glass from Skyline Design skydesign.com

COURTESY THE MANUFACTURERS

Santé seating by Patrick Norguet from Studio TK studiotk.com

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MetropolisLikes

PUTTING CLIMATE FIRST

Centric upholstery by Mayer Fabrics mayerfabrics.com

Contract manufacturers are turning a major corner, visibly shifting their production practices to favor recycled ingredients, exclude chemicals of concern, and make these actions transparent to end users.

Knit Lounge by Patricia Urquiola from Haworth haworth.com

Zody II and Zody LX task chairs from Haworth haworth.com

Miku by Brentano brentanofabrics.com

COURTESY THE MANUFACTURERS; KNIT LOUNGE COURTESY STUDIO URQUIOLA; ZODY II AND ZODY LX COURTESY LEIGH ANN COBB

Path, a carbon-negative task chair designed in collaboration with Todd Bracher Studio, from Humanscale humanscale.com

Innate PVC-free resilient flooring by Shaw Contract shawcontract.com

Beaumont Range carpet tile by Interface interface.com 24

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NEOCON 2022

systema

staccato Lightly scaled geometric elements form expansive intersecting or linear constructions of modern minimalism in a variety of configurations with a range of available luminaires. Crisp rectilinear bars support minimal tubular elements with luminous trims, extensions, or shaded reflectors for general and directed lighting functionality.

EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITIES: sonnemanlight.com SHOP ALL OF OUR AWARD-WINNING COLLECTIONS AT OUR NEW WEBSITE.

U.S. and Foreign Patents Pending

MetropolisLikes

Goldi by Giancarlo Stefani Design Studio from Division Twelve division12.com

COURTESY THE MANUFACTURERS

SPACE storage system by David A. Stubbs for VS America vsamerica.com

Cempa Alfresco seating by Dauphin dauphin.com 26

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NEOCON 2022

Active Lines Crisscross, Zoom Charcoal ALC307; Googie Telejector, Dynasphere 22643

Made in the USA

At Mannington Commercial, our heart lies in our craft. We make exceptional flooring products with thoughtful design and uncompromising performance. With a commitment to manufacturing in the USA, we strive to provide you with quick-turn products, helpful resources and sustainable solutions to support your creative vision. For more information, visit us online at manningtoncommercial.com.

MetropolisLikes

COURTESY MOMENTUM TEXTILES AND WALLS

At The Museum, by Sina Pearson, from Momentum Textiles and Wallcovering momentumtextilesandwalls.com

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NEOCON 2022

Jovalie

ª

With distinct curves that create cozy comfort, Jovalie is more than just lounge seating. Its welcoming style and versatile shape easily fit into a variety of environments, creating spaces where conversations flow and interactions thrive.

Shown with: Wixler Occasional Tables ®

Join us in Chicago | 6/13 - 6/15 Kimball International Showrooms 325 North Wells Street Suites 100 & 110

nationalofficefurniture.com

MetropolisLikes Beguiled by the Wild upholstery and wallcoverings by Charley Harper from Designtex designtex.com

BEING BIOPHILIC Deeper research on biophilia—a theory of humans’ innate connection to aspects of nature—is apparent in the more meaningful ways the concept is being expressed in new products aimed at capturing and encouraging that natural link.

Turf Hues developed in collaboration with Ames Design Collective’s Carolyn Ames Noble for Turf Design turf.design

The Fabric of Space collection by Luum Textiles luumtextiles.com

COURTESY THE MANUFACTURERS

The Inspired Nature collection of carpet and resilient flooring by Tarkett commercial.tarkett.com

Fractal Fluency modular carpet collection developed with 13&9 Design and Dr. Richard Taylor by Mohawk Group mohawkgroup.com 30

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NEOCON 2022

See you at NeoCon 2023 June 12–14 theMART, Chicago

2023 June 12-14 NeoCon® is a registered trademark of Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc.

MetropolisLikes

The Zero guest chair (held together with a single screw) by OFS ofs.com

AMAi adjustable outdoor table by Extremis extremis.com

COURTESY THE MANUFACTURERS

Solo Chair by Philippe Starck from Andreu World andreuworld.com

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NEOCON 2022

June 13-15, 2022 At NeoCon The Merchandise Mart, 3rd Floor, suite 380

Come join us at Metropolis’s Sustainability Lab at NeoCon, an exhibit and destination to help you take the next step towards making a positive impact on people and planet. At the Lab, you’ll learn about the most innovative products and dive into new initiatives and resources to help advance your work along with informative and inspiring presentations throughout the day.

MetropolisLikes

COURTESY PATCRAFT AND KRISTIN FAYE

On Neutral Ground carbon-neutral carpet tile by Patcraft patcraft.com

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Illustrations by Patra Jongjitirat Pictured: Rosie Li Showroom

There’s a lot of design to explore in New York City.

Follow NYCxDESIGN’s Self-Guided Journeys on nycxdesign.org to explore hidden gems in every borough, hear from local designers on inspiration they draw from creative communities around them, and immerse yourself in New York’s vibrant design scene.

At NYCxDESIGN, our non-profit unites the diverse design creators and industries of New York City. With our city’s creative community at the heart of our mission, we share the stories that make New York City a true driver of innovation, culture, and design. Join NYCxDESIGN’s Self-Guided Journeys for a designfilled experience that is undeniably defining the future of design locally and internationally.

THANK YOU TO OUR ONGOING SUPPORTERS

MetropolisLikes

EFFICIENCIES OF SCALE

The Forsi chair, designed in collaboration with EOOS, from Keilhauer keilhauer.com

The pandemic heightened everyone’s appreciation for supply-chain efficiency and for category-blurring furnishings. The most innovative manufacturers codified these changes to make versatility a new normal.

Kyoto Alu outdoor armchair

by JANUS et Cie janusetcie.com

Gemma Collection by Altherr Désile Park for Leland Furniture lelandfurniture.com

Dau collection of sofas, tables, benches, poufs, and lounge chairs by Stylex stylexseating.com

Zeph Chair, designed by Studio 7.5, from Herman Miller hermanmiller.com

The Avalon chaise by Union Design from KFI Studios kfistudios.com

COURTESY THE MANUFACTURERS

Glyph Collection designed in collaboration with House Industries by Arc-Com arc-com.com

Reseat ID, a furniture-resale platform reseat.com 36

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NEOCON 2022

Design Inspiration Discovery Problem-Solving World-Changing Optimism

Discover hope in radical new ideas.

Find the inspiration and energy to tackle your next challenge.

Get optimistic this September.

MetropolisLikes

Expansion Cityline desking system by Teknion teknion.com

The moblView glassboard with Logitech’s Scribe technology by Clarus clarus.com

COURTESY THE MANUFACTURERS; BOTTOM: COURTESY PETER LUSZTYK

The Vox Outline credenza by Nienkämper nienkamper.com

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Introducing Deep Green, a Metropolis podcast about how the built environment impacts climate change and equity.

In bi-weekly episodes, we explore sustainability in the broadest sense of the word—encompassing inclusive, healthy, and resilient design alongside reductions in carbon emissions and toxic waste.

LISTEN HERE

Hot List 2022

The firm’s Washington, D.C., team is the first of its U.S. studios set to eliminate embodied carbon in commercial interiors by 2030.

By Nigel F. Maynard

PER KINS & WILL

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Photography by Jared Soares

From left to right: David Cordell, associate principal, Jon Penndorf, senior associate and project manager, and Brittany McNairy, senior technical coordinator, in Perkins&Will’s Washington, D.C., office, which is leading the firm’s push for net-zero interiors.

NEOCON 2022

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To study the feasibility of a zero-carbon interior, P&W designers used their Washington, D.C., office (shown on these pages) as a case study and achieved a 56 percent net reduction in embodied carbon.

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Hot List 2022

A

ctions speak louder than words. That’s one reason why the Washington, D.C., office of Perkins&Will (P&W) is solidly on track to be the firm’s first U.S. studio to deliver on the firm’s Net-Zero Now Interiors pledge by the target year 2030.

Another reason is that the global firm long ago developed a clear set of tools and steps individual studios can use to achieve that critical climate goal. “Perkins&Will has a really long history of leading by example when it comes to sustainability,” says associate principal David Cordell.

In 2008 P&W launched its Precautionary List of hazardous building material substances designers should avoid; that list remains a groundbreaking resource, publicly accessible to everyone through the firm’s online Transparency platform. Then in 2020 the D.C. office made its Net-Zero Interiors NEOCON 2022

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Hot List 2022

“I think there’s a misconception that the design of interior spaces won’t have much of an impact on climate change.

That’s a hundred percent not true.” —Jon Penndorf

pledge and anchored it with a plan to establish net-zero supply chains, set carbon budgets, conduct whole-life carbon assessments for projects, and specify only recyclable products made from a minimum of 75 percent recycled or reclaimed content by 2025. Last year, P&W studios in London and Dublin rolled out another tool: the Now Database of products ranked using internal metrics that determine how well they support designers’ net-zero goals.

It’s in this firm-wide ecosystem that “going back 10, 12 years ago, we signed on to the American Institute of Architects’ 2030 Challenge and have publicly reported performance data on our projects for over a decade,” says Cordell.

“The firm as a whole is starting to look at embodied carbon and carbon analysis in general as part of our commitment to living design,” adds Jon Penndorf, senior associate and project manager for the Washington, D.C., office.

Still, tools are only as effective as their users. “When we published our goals we were doing it as an individual office,” Penndorf says, underscoring his team’s special commitment. The D.C. team is especially motivated (meaning it’s “aggressively” looking to increase its sustainable performance) because it has a large commercial interiors studio, and U.S. commercial interiors are infamous for their frequent renovation cycles.

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What was a 14,300-squarefoot former warehouse has been transformed into a flexible and adaptive 21stcentury workplace, using a thermal gradient model and free address desking.

NEOCON 2022

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The designers avoided Red List materials that contain harmful chemicals, eschewed PVC laminate in favor of porcelain tile, and specified lots of wood for its warmth and carbon sequestration benefits.

Hot List 2022

“For most of our interior design projects–and for interior projects in general– they have short life cycles because tenant lease terms are usually five to 15 years,” says Brittany McNairy, a senior technical coordinator in the D.C. office. “As a result of that, we’re evaluating the demolition of interior spaces and projects that we’re working on. We’re looking at those projects and searching for opportunities to salvage and repurpose materials.”

Construction and material fabrication account for 25 percent of the embodied carbon of a building’s lifetime carbon emissions, so the team is constantly searching for opportunities to reuse doors, ceiling tiles, ceiling grids, and millwork, McNairy says.

According to Cordell, they’re also taking steps to investigate what happens at the end of a product’s useful life. “We’re having conversations with manufacturers about take-back programs for things like carpet and tile, where manufacturers reclaim those [materials] so they can recycle and reuse them.” To avoid adhesives and glues that undermine the reuse of partitions and ceiling systems, the designers are collaborating with millworkers to detail connections differently and assemble those elements with mechanical fasteners instead, he explains.

U.S. commercial interiors are infamous for their frequent renovation cycles.

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Care in selecting new materials is also a large part of the net-zero embodied carbon mission, so the team is giving priority to products with a high level of environmental transparency.

To grasp the feasibility of these processes, P&W designers turned their new D.C. workspace into a case study. Located in a warehouse building that was once John F. Kennedy’s campaign headquarters, the 14,300-square-foot space is flexible and adaptive for a 21st-century office. Using a thermal gradient model, height-adjustable desks, and free-address desking, the design encourages employees to choose seating each day based on their individual comfort and needs.

“Our goal was to design a new space that serves as an embodiment of our environmental stewardship as well as demonstrating our leadership in living design,” McNairy says. For that purpose, they pursued certifications for the workplace from multiple third-party rating systems, including WELL, LEED, the Living Building Challenge, and Fitwel.

The design formula was clear and easy to reproduce: They avoided Red List materials of concern, eschewed PVC laminate in favor of large-format porcelain tile, and specified wood for its warmth and ability to sequester carbon. In the end, the firm saw a 56 percent net reduction in embodied carbon, without compromising on design or budget.

Turning their workplace into a laboratory confirmed for the D.C. team (Jon Penndorf, David Cordell, and Brittany McNairy) that they could succeed in dispelling clients’ misunderstandings about an interior’s impact on carbon emissions.

The firm’s Washington, D.C., team is the first of its U.S. studios set to eliminate embodied carbon in commercial interiors by 2030.

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P&W’s D.C. studio found that pursuing multiple third-party certifications, including WELL, LEED, the Living Building Challenge, and Fitwel, allowed the design team to find synergies between the different systems and prioritize design decisions accordingly.

“Our goal was to design a space that serves as an embodiment of our environmental stewardship.” ­—Brittany McNairy

“One of the big takeaways from [our own space] was the importance of pursuing multiple third-party rating systems,” McNairy explains. “We were able to understand the synergies of those systems, as well as where there were conflicts between them. It required us to prioritize our design decisions.”

It also confirmed for the team that they can dispel long-held misunderstandings among clients and the commercial interiors industry overall.

“When you look at the life span of an office building, you look at the embodied carbon of the building itself, which is built once versus all of those interior spaces that are renewed every five or ten years.

The interior build-out represents far more embodied carbon than the original building,” Penndorf says. “I think there’s a misconception that the design of interior spaces won’t have much of an impact on climate change. That’s a hundred percent not true.” ■ NEOCON 2022

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AVA’s FAVE flooring (top), Smith & Fong’s Plyboo Cosmopolitan panels (above), and Watson’s Edison Junior system (right)

TRANS PARE NCY Three product innovators disclose ways they’re using technology, visionary designs, and manufacturing advances to make specifying greener and easier than ever.

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Sustainability Manager for AVA

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Specify: We’ve heard that AVA is using QR code technology on its flooring units, which, if scanned, provide access to a set of data called a digital product passport with information on the product’s contents, embodied carbon, TVOCs, certifications, and recyclability, among other data.

Graham Capobianco: Yes, we have published two digital product passports for the AVA RYME and AVA VRSE loose-lay planks, and we’re hoping to roll out the QR code on the backs of all products by 2023.

Specify: That makes a lot of information readily available to users. Is this level of transparency new?

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GC: We already publicly disclose all of our ingredients via ILFI Declare labels and Health Product Declarations. But we’re the first flooring company in North America to use the QR code tech to make it this easy to access.

wholly and easily incorporated into other materials as a filler, such as car mats or PVC pipes. Though AVA products do contain PVC, the VOC emissions of our products have been independently tested to meet the most stringent requirements in the industry. Additionally, we aggressively screen our raw materials to make sure that our products contain no California Prop 65 chemicals or Living Building Challenge Red List chemicals other than PVC.

Specify: Many people feel that vinyl is the opposite of eco-friendly. How would you argue for its merits when it comes to sustainable construction?

Specify: What’s new from the company at this year’s NeoCon?

GC: Those who feel that vinyl flooring is not eco-friendly may believe it emits harmful VOCs or contains hazardous phthalates. AVA products do not contain phthalates and often contain bio-based plasticizers. Flexible vinyl flooring is one of the easiest flooring materials to recycle, as it can be

GC: We will be showcasing our AVA 2SPRK line and highlighting 18 updated color options. The collection features on-trend essential colors and a blend of coordinating neutral tones perfect for education, retail, corporate, hospitality, and health care, including high-traffic areas with heavy rolling loads.

Available in 38 colors, including 18 updated options, AVA’s 2SPRK line is designed for hightraffic education, retail, corporate, hospitality, and health-care environments.

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President and Co-Product Designer for Smith & Fong Co.

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Specify: Smith & Fong Co. is known for its Plyboo flooring made of bamboo, a rapidly renewable and sustainable material. What makes the material so versatile for other applications?

Angus Stocks: Our collections are fabricated using our special RealCore® technology to form a bamboo plywood that has a strong bidirectional core; that’s our foundational Decorative ULEF panel, which performs well for feature walls, elevator lobbies, reception areas, conference rooms, and ceilings. Patterns are carved into the panel’s face ply, and relief cuts made on the back provide the balance and flexibility to achieve a range of installations.

Specify: How do you make the green attributes accessible to designers working on LEED projects?

AS: We offer standard three-part Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) specifications but also documentation related to FSC-certification and life-cycle analyses along with Health Product Declarations and Environmental Product Declarations. Our products meet ULEF standards for CARB II Declare® and are Red List Approved.

Specify: What new products will you be introducing at NeoCon?

COURTESY SMITH & FONG CO.

AS: Plyboo’s newest collections, Gravity and Cosmopolitan, feature designs with perforations and cuts that give the panels acoustical properties.

One of Smith & Fong Co.’s newest Plyboo collections, Cosmopolitan features perforations and cuts that give its panels acoustical properties.

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Content Strategist for Watson

Specify: Watson has won 10 NeoCon awards in ten years and prioritizes sustainability. What’s a must-see introduction from them at this year’s NeoCon? Katie Kuffel: Edison Junior is a power, voice, and data rail system that bends to optimize any floor plan. It is also lightweight and can easily be reconfigured to suit spaces as staff density or department needs change.

Specify: How does sustainability impact function and aesthetics?

KK: Maximizing function and building pieces to last—aesthetically and structurally—are some of the best ways to mitigate waste.

Specify: What about sustainable materials?

Specify: How do your manufacturing processes contribute to a lighter footprint?

KK: Each stage in our production process is designed to maximize our ability to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Our nesting algorithms help minimize the number of resources we need, which creates less waste. We reclaim and repurpose powder, sawdust, and water, and rethink each piece of scrap to determine if it can be recycled— meaning the absolute minimum goes to a landfill.

Specify: From a design perspective, how can you extend the life of the product?

KK: Extending a product’s life means it won’t need to be replaced as often, and fewer things end up needing to be recycled or disposed of. ■

COURTESY WATSON

KK: Materials like Forbo—a biodegradable surface finish made from wood flour, pine rosin, and linseed oil—help us deliver greener options to our customers without sacrificing any of our core design beliefs: that function comes first, that our designs should demonstrate timeless beauty, and that everything is built with respect for people and planet.

The HighLow table is part of Watson’s Haven collection, designed to fit the needs of a variety of users with the goal of a longer product life.

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SmithGroup’s vice president and national design director is helping guide the 169-year-old firm to a diverse and equitable future.

By Nigel F. Maynard

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Dayton Schroeter’s process for embedding equity in the firm’s culture includes partnering with historically black colleges and universities for meaningful on-the-job learning.

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Schroeter created “Society’s Cage,” an award-winning traveling installation (shown at top on the National Mall and right in Tulsa, Oklahoma), with SmithGroup architect Julian Arrington.

Opposite: He shows the project to Baltimore mayor Brandon Scott.

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espite gains in equity and inclusion, architecture still has a diversity problem.

According to the latest numbers from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), 84 percent of U.S. architects are white, 16 percent identify as “people of color,” and the portion who are Black has remained unchanged for the past 30 years at 2 percent—even as the number of licensed Asian and Latinx architects has grown.

“Many of the initiatives in our industry fall short in prioritizing and centering historically marginalized groups. So even in the process of attempting to reconcile systemic injury, we ironically repeat the same pattern of effects—prioritizing the historically dominant culture over the marginalized,” says Dayton Schroeter, vice president and national design director at SmithGroup in Washington, D.C.

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“The events of spring 2020 made it clear that we weren’t doing enough to address systemic racism in our firm, our industry, and the built environment.”

—Dayton Schroeter

For that reason, Schroeter has put in overtime to help steer SmithGroup toward a fresh stage of awareness and action on the problem—a stage that prioritizes pragmatic steps and is aimed at meaningful change.

He wears a third hat at work as a member of the firm’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) committee, and heads up its projects that address injustices the architecture and planning professions have historically perpetuated. For Schroeter, who considers himself a social activist, a DEI agenda has been a natural lifelong goal. Now it’s also a priority for his employer.

“There’s been a convergence of action in a lot of what we’ve been doing in the last couple years. But I think the events of spring 2020 made it clear that we weren’t doing enough to address systemic racism in our firm, our industry, and the built environment,” Schroeter says.

In response, SmithGroup established the JEDI committee to analyze what it was getting right and doing wrong. Using members’ feedback, it established clear goals to collect data and to uncover and address systemic injustice within the firm, in the industry, and “in the work we perform,” Schroeter explains. “The goals should start with data, so that there’s quantitative and qualitative information to establish baselines and measure our effectiveness as a firm,” he says.

In another important step, the firm set up three guiding principles of development,

which came out of those early discussions: cultivate, educate, and advocate.

“Cultivate is largely about creating an organic structure for finding, recruiting, nurturing, and maturing talent that will support future generations and improve the structures of promotion,” he says. “Educate was about providing resources, tools, and training . . . equipping our firm with the proper mindset to approach JEDI objectives. And advocate is about incorporating justice as an integral component in our design ecosystem.”

A separate multistep process evolved for reaching the next generation. SmithGroup determined that a real impact can be made by working directly with historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), such as Hampton University, Howard University, and

Schroeter is the architect for a SmithGroup-designed headquarters for D.C.’s water utility. With technology such as its sewage waste energy exchange, the project has earned LEED Platinum certification.

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SmithGroup has been working with the city of Richmond, Virginia, on a design for the National Slavery Museum at the Lumpkin’s Slave Jail site, a spot once occupied by a slave auction during the mid-1800s. The goal is to create a memorial and interpretive center to bring this history to light.

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Florida A&M University. The firm’s designers now almost serve as adjunct professors working with these students weekly on desk crits or conducting portfolio reviews. The goal is to amp up students’ awareness of the latest resources and tools they will need to be effective in the industry.

Of course, even formal processes are meaningless if they aren’t also reflected in the firm’s actual architectural work. “We are deeply passionate about design as a force to understand and contemplate the Black experience, but also to shape, repair, and remediate the circumstances around spaces that shape Black life,” Schroeter says.

As a result of this position, the firm has taken on a significant body of work centered on Black historic sites, especially those associated with trauma. This portfolio of work includes the National Slavery Museum at the Lumpkin’s Slave Jail site in Richmond, Virginia; the renovation and expansion of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; and the Whitney Plantation Museum master plan in Louisiana, among others.

Even formal processes are meaningless if they aren’t also reflected in the firm’s architectural work.

Schroeter says these projects are an essential component of the firm’s DEI efforts, because they involve Black architects in decision-making roles and enable them to influence the design—an action that should not be overlooked.

“A lot of what we do is rooted in social justice. It’s rooted in truth telling, and reconciling Black and indigenous cultural memory loss and erasure,” he explains. “It’s about storytelling, it’s about community engagement. These are all foundational pillars that shape the work.” ■ NEOCON 2022

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The executive director of mindful MATERIALS explains how a resource that began as an in-house library grew into a powerful specifying tool for the entire architecture and design industry.

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Interview by Murrye Bernard

Specify: What inspired HKS to share the platform of sustainability information they’d developed in 2014 with the larger design community?

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Annie Bevan: HKS’s designers wanted to know more about what was in the products they were using, but they didn’t have (a) a consistent [method for asking] their manufacturer partners or (b) a streamlined way to [record] which products had transparency and optimization information and which did not.

The label (and an associated spreadsheet for manufacturers to complete) gave them a way to tie transparency to materials—by physically attaching a simple indicator to products in their library.

Specify: Right. Now designers recognize that label as meaning a product’s manufacturer is practicing transparency.

AB: From the start, the label generated interest among other design firms. And HKS realized the system could have far greater impact if the [information request] to manufacturers was much larger. So the firm took its system and the underlying data and made that publicly available in a digitized format (enter the mM Library!) to drive a larger, more unified ask of the industry.

Specify: How does the platform sustain itself now?

AB: Currently, mindful MATERIALS enables a crossfunctional, industry-wide collaboration hub. The pledges of various stakeholders in the hub drive create an aligned set of standards, and that powers a curated and connected digital materials library with a vision that “mindful materials” are clear to identify, easy to find, and the standard on every building.

Specify: Is it geared toward any particular green certifications?

AB: As a certification-agnostic collective, representing all stakeholders in the built environment, our biggest value is in the act of convening the industry to build the hub of central, aligned resources and solutions.

That’s why our biggest initiative right now is building a Common Materials Framework to support achievement of the material sustainability

components of all stakeholder pledges, such as the AIA Materials Pledge and the Interior Design Pledge for Positive Impact, among all others. The Framework will enable sustainability as a product decision point in every project in the future.

Our next frontier is working with owners on assembling an Owners Forum (a cross-sectional group representing all different types of owners).

Specify: What feedback have you received from designers and manufacturers?

AB: Designers seem to be eager for next steps and accountability. They want to know how they can make better choices, and mindful MATERIALS allows them to do that by making the connection between sustainability documentation and materials data explicit. From the manufacturers’ standpoint, we’d love to hear examples of how their products supported the sustainability goals of projects.

Specify: What are your latest updates to the system?

AB: We recently updated the library to reflect five buckets, according to the AIA Materials Pledge: Climate Health, Human Health, Ecosystem Health, Social Health and Equity, and Circularity. Project teams seeking products that align with these buckets can search the library for options addressing them.

In the future, the library will be evolving, in which case the mM team will be focusing on digitizing the Common Materials Framework (the materials road map) and having that digitized filter system follow the products into all technologies where product decisions are made. This will further reduce the time it takes to find sustainable products, while also aligning the industry on an agreed-upon definition of what a sustainable product is; mM is seeking to become the United Nations of sustainable materials. ■ NEOCON 2022

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Here’s how Carnegie’s plant-based textile became the first of its kind to earn Living Product Challenge Certification.

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By Joseph P. Sgambati III

First launched in the 1980s as a synthetic performance fabric, Xorel has been reengineered using a biobased yarn derived from sugarcane.

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o fully appreciate the significance of Biobased Xorel’s Living Product Certification (a distinction that measures seven performance areas with 20 detailed imperatives), it is important to understand the series of engineering developments and research stages that made the textile possible.

“It took almost seven years,” says Carnegie’s chief creative officer Heather Bush. “We replaced virtually all fossil fuel content with a biobased yarn sourced from the sugarcane plant.”

In contrast to that benign chemistry, Xorel was initially launched in 1981 as a natural gas–derived vinyl alternative for wallcoverings. Even then, Xorel outperformed other synthetic textiles in terms of environmental impact; the earlier formula helped garner Carnegie other laurels, including Cradle to Cradle Silver (2007) and B Corp certification (2014).

Biobased Xorel’s Living Product Challenge certification is the latest in a series of green accolades, including Cradle to Cradle Gold in 2013 and Carnegie’s B Corp certification in 2014.

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Special knitting technology allows the fabric to wrap complex curves, which has enabled designers to use it for an array of applications, including upholstery, ceiling panels, and acoustical baffles.

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This product proved a high-performance textile can also be highly sustainable.

“We matched all the performance attributes of the original line to bring [the biobased version] to market in 2013 at the same price,” Bush says.

The Carnegie design studio’s success in engineering Xorel’s unique procurement of raw materials and innovative production techniques has even helped dispel the broader industry perception that a sustainable high-performance fabric is an oxymoron. Now used in durable wallcoverings, upholstery, acoustic panels, and window treatments, Biobased Xorel counts toward a project’s LEED credits.

Additional advances in Carnegie’s yarn technology—such as specialized knitting machines that produce fabrics with the strength to wrap complex curves—greatly expanded the material’s upholstery applications, including on ceiling panels and baffles for sound management.

“This is a design system with an expansive toolbox enabling us to create bespoke solutions beyond basic aesthetics, to realize client goals without negatively impacting people or the planet,” Bush says.

“Our clients recognize genuine efforts around innovation and sustainability,” she says, “as opposed to ‘greenwashing.’ ” ■ NEOCON 2022

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Fauzia Khanani founded Manhattan-based Studio Fōr to foster a connection between good design and good stewardship among specifiers.

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The founding principal of Manhattan-based Studio Fōr has a background in public health, which has led her to specify materials according to data and her conscience.

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Specify: Before earning your MArch from UC Berkeley, you had a career in social science research and public health. How has that shaped your approach to design?

Fauzia Khanani: Yes, before grad school I worked as a researcher for Westat, a company that supports research and data collection for studies conducted by state and federal agencies and institutions. During the latter part of my career, I began to make the direct connection between health/ wellness and shelter. The idea that space has a fundamental impact on our health and wellbeing—be it physical, mental, emotional—became more apparent as I began to study architecture.

We, as designers, have the power to create spaces that contribute to positive public health outcomes for the people that experience and use them. This notion is foundational to my practice.

Specify: What does it mean to apply that view in practice?

FK: Coming from a background in sociology, I think about most things from a research and data standpoint.

Research and engagement were fundamental parts of my previous career, and I’ve tried to carry that over into my architectural practice.

This manifests in spending significantly more time with clients before we delve into design. We try to learn their current needs, what’s working and what’s not, and how we can best plan for their future. We do this information gathering via interviews, focus groups, workshops, and observing and spending time with them in their respective space. The most important part of this process is relationship building with clients and stakeholders, which creates a space for us to learn from each other and to subsequently create a design process that is collaborative and inclusive.

Specify: Please tell us about your process for vetting products.

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FK: Whether it’s vendors, collaborators, consultants, or even clients, the first thing we look for is a set of shared values. Our core values are based on tenets of change, collaboration, care, and craft. We often try to identify whether our collaborators are acting as agents for change in the industry with regard to diversity and inclusion internally and externally. Or if they are putting forth sustainable practices—not only in their products but their processes as well.

A really important question we ask is “Will they be a good collaborator that is invested in working with our team and supporting our ethos?”

Specify: In what ways is the process collaborative?

FK: We strive to have our clients alongside us every step of the way in the design process, whether it’s helping us develop the best ways to collect information and initial concepts, or designing specific elements of a project. We want the whole team, which includes clients, to feel ownership in the process and final product.

Specify: Can you share some specific ways you’ve supported inclusivity in your firm and the practice at large?

FK: Within Studio Fōr, the majority of our team has historically been women and BIPOC, while also spanning four generations from an age perspective.

We come from various backgrounds with some being immigrants, some first-generation Americans, and others whose families have been in this country for many generations. This kind of diversity not only brings a richness to our internal relationships and conversations, but also influences our external relationships and practice by offering a multitude of perspectives and considerations. Inevitably, this also provides a certain synergy to clients. ■

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n choosing any product, designers at Studio Fōr first consider its impact on the planet and on everyone from users to the assembly-line workers who make it. The founder, Fauzia Khanani, shared this process with Specify.

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To furnish contract interiors like financial index provider MSCI’s Budapest office (opposite), and residences such as this one (below) in New York’s Hudson Valley, Studio Fōr picks companies it considers ethical.

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A site-specific work by Nick Cave will enliven theMART’s facade during NeoCon.

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A LIVELY, COLORFUL VIDEO by American artist Nick Cave is among the latest sensations being projected onto the river-facing facade of theMART this summer, as part of its Art on theMART series. On view nightly at 9 p.m. through October 22, the site-specific projection (Ba Boom Boom Pa Pop Pop) features dancers wearing Cave’s famous “Soundsuits,” costumelike sculptures he’s been making since 1992. The work showcases original footage together with remastered content from an earlier film by Cave titled Drive-By (2011). NeoCon registrants can learn more about his provocative art and unique perspective by attending “Between Art and Design,” a June 13 conversation at theMART between Cave and his design partner Bob Faust moderated by IIDA executive vice president and CEO Cheryl Durst.

Cave’s first-ever retrospective, Forothermore, is also on view at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. ■ NEOCON 2022

TOP: COURTESY JAMES PRINZ; BOTTOM: COURTESY SANDRO BLUE

By Kelly Beamon

A New Path Forward

Learn more at humanscale.com/Path

D E F I N I N G N O R D I C DESIGN SI N CE 187 2

For 150 years we have shaped Danish design tradition in collaboration with visionary designers.

Our belief in Nordic simplicity continues to bring extraordinary designs to life. Designed to stand the test of time and crafted in a quality to last a lifetime.

Join the design celebration at fritzhansen.com

Arne Jacobsen Series 7™, 1955