QUARTERLY
ONE WORKPLACE
PRODUCT ISSUE
Develop your senses – especially learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else. — Leonardo Da Vinci
NUMBER 5
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WHY LOCAL?
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WELLNESS IN SPACE
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WELLNESS OF THE ENVIRONMENT
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WELCOME TO ONELOOK
AN INTERVIEW WITH NATALIE ENGELS
DES1GNER SPOTLIGHT
ON THE COVER Illustration of Fyrn Mariposa Chairs by Chris McNally
WELCO ME TO O NELO OK Welcome to the new quarterly ONELOOK magazine – Issue 5. In this product issue, I personally look forward to answering the question “why local?”; its importance, and how it plays into the wellness of the workplace, the community, and the environment. We will bring you with us on our journey to discover and learn about our local makers in the San Francisco Bay Area. From artists and designers to business owners, we will reveal why they are some of our favorite groups of people. We will explore their aspirations, and how they became active contributors to our community. And most importantly, why local matters. We find it fascinating how interrelated the local movement is with our vision of design at One Workplace. We believe that making emotional connections in the spaces we create by promoting biophilic designs, sustainable materials and local stories, foster healthier, and more productive work environments. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to spend some time with Natalie Engels, Principal and regional leader with Gensler San Jose, to discuss why local matters in a broader perspective. We hope that you will be inspired by these talented organizations and individuals. They empower the creative process, offer opportunities for our communities, encourage interaction between individuals and groups, and transform our cities. On behalf of our editorial team, thank you for taking the ONELOOK journey with us, welcome aboard, and happy reading!
Ivy Cheuk | CID, LEED® AP, EDAC, Assoc. IIDA Director of Design
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Why
FYR N
How does a local business affect the wellness of a community? We interviewed four thriving Bay Area businesses to understand what drives them and learn more about the impact they hope to have on the ecosystem of their community.
Local? Interviews by Kati Cesareo
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T E R R A A M I CO
M A KER S M A R KET
P EAC E IN D U ST R Y 3
FYRN
Location: San Francisco Product: Furniture Owners: Ros Broughton and David Charne
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Why did you start Fyrn? We started Fyrn to inspire a move away from disposable culture. The name Fyrn, pronounced “fē, yern/,” is an Old English prefix that means ancient, of old, and is a nod to our roots in furniture making. We think the furniture and items that you bring into your life, should be well-considered decisions, informed by how the products are made, where the raw materials are sourced, and whether the item can serve its function for a long time to come. We also want our furniture to be beautiful, comfortable and functional. It should be built to last but also capable of easily being repaired or recycled instead of disposed of. If you know the story of a chair’s origin and you live with it for decades, then it begins to hold a value that is greater than the chair itself and that’s something that can be passed on for generations.
LIN DEN What do you love most about what you do? Fyrn is a place where we get to work with our hands every day to solve problems. It’s refreshing to be a part of designing and making something tangible and useful, especially in a time and place where so much of the focus is on digital technology. The entire Stemn System was conceived to solve problems that have existed in the furniture industry for more than a century. We think there is a better way and we get to prove that every day by trying to answer questions like:
SI E RRA
— How to manufacture in the most expensive city in America? — How to eliminate long lead times? — How to create a system of furniture that can be leveraged across a family of products, not just a single design?
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Fyrn is a place where we get to work with our hands every day to solve problems.
S HO RT Y How do you feel you are contributing to the wellness of your community? We believe that in order to create a path away from an unsustainable and disposable culture, people need to see the benefits of products being manufactured in plain sight. San Francisco is expensive and has a lot of barriers to manufacturing efficiently, but this is where we live, so we are doing this in our neighborhood, literally with our neighbors. For example, we are trying to create opportunities for local artists to contribute to our story whether it be a mural that fits in with the neighborhood’s history or illustrations on our packaging and collateral. As we grow, we hope to offer more craftsmen and tradespeople a place to work and hope that this creates a roadmap for other businesses to do the same. We are trying to build a company that not only we can be proud of, but also instills a sense of pride in our customers, kids, and neighbors.
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What business/designer/maker are you most currently inspired by? We like U.S. manufacturers that have been successful at finding ways to communicate lasting value in their products and compelling buyers to invest in something well made. We also love when companies stand by their products and assist in the repair or reuse over time. Folks that come to mind are Patagonia, Herman Miller, Heath, or old school Red Wing. We are inspired by themes from The Arts & Crafts Movement during the latter half of the 19th century, which focused on quality and design driven by good craftsmanship and the joy of making things. We also love the freedom and resourcefulness of Charles & Ray Eames, particularly their use of alternative materials and processes. And, the Bauhaus which emphasized form following function and the “needs of the people over the need for luxury.” When thinking about design and production for the future society, we think population growth and limited resources mean people will need furniture that’s functional and doesn’t have to be replaced. Learn more at: fyrn.com
MARI P O SA – SHO RT Y – B A RT L E T T – L I N D E N – STAN YA N – D E H A R O
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PEACE INDUSTRY
Location: San Francisco Product: Hand Felted Rugs Owners: Melina & Dodd Raissnia
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Why did you start Peace Industry? My husband Dodd and I started Peace Industry because we wanted to start a family business that would utilize our talents and represent our values. At the time, we [as a country] were just engaging in war with Iraq. I wanted to find a way to do something that would contribute to peace. That is a value that was instilled in me as a child. When we started, the mantra that I meditated on was: what can I do to help create conditions that promote peace. Dodd is Iranian, and we wanted to find a way to work with Iran and bring awareness to its culture. It is very easy for a culture to be demonized in a way that unfairly creates enemies. I don’t think that is a productive way to relate to other people. The way I knew best to contribute, was through my art and being able to share Iranian culture with the west, so that they could have another idea of what Iran is.
When we started, the mantra that I meditated on was: what can I do to help create conditions that promote peace.
B U OY
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What do you love most about what you do? I love that we are free to do whatever we want at our own pace. Being the owner of a small business, it means that on a whim you can decide that you want to express a certain value or idea that you may not be able to in a larger company. You can be as creative as you want, and you can manifest whatever vision you have with no restrictions. How do you feel you are contributing to the wellness of your community? We are bridging a cultural gap in a visual, tactile and useful way. By making beautiful works of art for people’s homes and lives, we connect them to their own community as well as artisans in Iran. People become very attached to their rugs. It is something that people keep for a very long time and it becomes a part of their history. Additionally, our rugs are completely chemical free, no rug pad is needed and there is no backing to the rugs. They are easy to clean and meant to last a lifetime.
What business/designer/maker are you most currently inspired by? That would be Mir Mola Soraya, an Iranian contemporary rug maker/designer in Tehran. His work fascinates me because he is carrying on the tradition of Persian rug making in a very modern way that speaks to contemporary life in Iran and the way the culture is shifting. instagram.com/mirmolasoraya
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DA M O N T E
C H OOB
Learn more at: peaceindustry.com
FRINGE
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TERRA AMICO
Location: San Martin Product: Custom Furniture from Salvaged Materials Owners: Joe & Lisa Raineri
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Why did you start Terra Amico? (Joe) It kind of happened out of necessity. I am a LEED AP, Green Builder by trade. About 8 years ago we were doing different projects, flipping homes, stuff like that, and then we had the down turn and work dried up. Basically, I was out of work. I had this old redwood that I had salvaged from a project, just sitting in my back yard and I told Lisa, “ I’m going to design and build a table”. So I designed and built a table, in my back yard, put it on Craigslist and it sold the same day. I thought, maybe there is something to this, so I built another one and haven’t stopped since. I’ve always loves old things; rusty things, old wood. Using those materials is just natural to me. What began in my back yard is now about 34 people. We are probably the largest reclaimed wood design build firm in California.
What do you love most about what you do? (Joe) I love that every day is different. Every day we get to create. Every day we get to be a part of something different and new. Design isn’t just visual, I think it has to stimulate all the senses, most importantly your imagination. That’s what we try to do every day, that’s what we try to do with this [Studio] space. We try to stimulate your imagination and inspire you. That’s kind of what we are about.
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How do you feel you are contributing to the wellness of your community? (Joe) Part of our mantra, or philosophy if you will, is to be supportive of small, local business. The way we do that is, as much as we can, we do business with other local businesses. For example, metal. We do a lot of steel work in our designs and we buy from a local mom and pop business in Gilroy. We could go to one of the big national steel companies and probably pay a little less for the volume we do, but we’d rather do business with Steve and Mike in Gilroy. Of course, we still have to buy some things from “big box” stores, but we are all about supporting local businesses as much as possible. We are also very involved with local nonprofits. We give back to local fire departments and schools and we donate our space for events. Another thing we do is, we promote other local artists and craftspeople. We bring them in, it doesn’t cost them anything. For example, there is a magicians group, that we have in every other Saturday and they will perform. It promotes their art, gives them a venue to get in front of an audience. And then they do a workshop, where they teach some of their tricks.
(Lisa) We just started doing the same thing with a local comedy show. They are San Jose State students that wanted a place to practice and perform. So now we do comedy [shows]. We had almost a 100 people here last Saturday night. It was crazy. It was so fun. People just come here, they wander in, they come to a workshop, grab a cup of coffee, they hang out. Last Saturday we had Bernie here, he is a local wood carver, and he has a wood spoon carving workshop. Turn off your electronics, and sit and take a hatchet, you start out with a chunk of wood and you walk out of here with a spoon! [Laughter]. (Joe) We give back [in these ways] because we feel like to all comes around. You give a little and it always comes back.
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Nature inspires me.
What business/designer/maker are you most currently inspired by? (Joe) This is a tough one. I don’t know if I get my inspiration from any other specific designer or other artists. I would say the thing that inspires me the most is nature. Nature inspires me. (Lisa) We just moved to a 5 acre parcel in San Martin and he has gotten into organic farming. He pulls ideas from the plants and the landscape. I can see it in his work the next day. Learn more at: terraamico.com
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MAKERS MARKET
Location: Bay Area Product: Accessories Owner: Suzy Ekman Operations Manager: Heath Owen
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Why did you start Makers Market? Suzy Ekman started Makers Market in 2014 with a vision to fill a niche in the retail market that needed to be filled - American handcrafted. Even with thousands of incredible makers and artists around the country, there were limited outlets to bring their work to consumers. Suzy and I met in 2015 and quickly we realized how aligned our passions were.
O B L ATE & TI LTE D
Growing up, my family was never in the financial situation to acquire and appreciate handmade goods. Fast and cheap was always the name of the game. In college, I began to educate myself on sustainability. The United States produces about 700,000 lbs. of garbage every day. Consumers should have \sustainable choices more easily accessible. Makers Market has given me the platform to educate consumers on the importance of sustainable and ethically made products.
Makers Market has given me the platform to educate consumers on the importance of sustainable and ethically made products.
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What do you love most about what you do? My biggest passion is small business. Every day I get to go in to work knowing that I am helping to support many small businesses. Every item that we sell in our stores was hand crafted by someone that wants to make their passion their full-time job. Getting to meet our makers, spending time together to develop relationships, is unequivocally fulfilling. The maker community here in the United States is a tight knit group of people that strive to do their best and support each other to do the same. I have never met more driven, kind-hearted, and talented people.
E CO A M ER ICA N
W O O D B R E A K FA ST 18
How do you feel you are contributing to the wellness of your community? Supporting small and local business is one of the easiest ways to better your community. By bringing locally made products into each store, we are making the connection between consumer and craftsperson. When you purchase a product from Makers Market, you are not only supporting that maker but also Makers Market. You are allowing us to expand and bring in even more local makers. You can leave our store knowing that the product you purchased was sustainably made and made to last.
What business/designer/maker are you most currently inspired by? Currently I am most inspired by Ben Johnson of Johnathon Q Swanson. Ben started a small woodworking business a few years ago. A year ago he was doing a popup shop when I came across his work, which included planters, tables, and chairs. I was struck by how modern and clean his designs were. When he spoke about his products, you could clearly see the passion. I had the pleasure of giving him his first purchase order and bringing his products into our store. The market has responded incredibly to his work, allowing him to grow and turn his passion into his full-time job. Learn more at: makersmarket.us
TRI PT YC H
L E AT HE R
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Wellness In Space
How Biophilia reduces stress and promotes renewal at work.
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Excerpts and photos from “Restoration Office� by
Today, more than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas, and according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the average American spends nearly 90 percent of their time inside. Yet nature and the outdoors have a powerful hold on our wellbeing.
According to environmental psychologist Stephen Kaplan, nature powerfully engages the mind with “involuntary fascination,” which actually helps to restore directed attention and focus. The result is an effortless mindfulness that promotes stress reduction and renewal while stimulating curiosity and imagination. Design is the tool that can interpret nature in many accessible ways, to activate our innate sense of places that are calming, pleasurable and secure.
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Biophilic design is increasingly being integrated into furnishings as well as architecture. Steelcase brands Coalesse and Designtex have co-created a series of patterns, color palettes, textiles and print capabilities in North America that bring the principles of biophilia to core product applications for the design community.
To create a biophilic pattern, the process has been one of progression, from direct natural sources through many steps of manipulation and reduction. Ultimately, the motifs have the resonance of a natural form or rhythm, but are experienced as a simple geometric or dimensional texture.
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Many attempts to integrate nature into workplace design remain shallow or literal: a screened print of a field of grass; leaves etched onto a glass tabletop. The following facets offer a more nuanced perspective: Sensory Richness Sensory-rich environments include layers of color, pattern, texture and other elements that surround the senses. Engaging multiple senses creates experiences of renewal and inspiration and many design sources of sensory richness will boost attention and reduce stress.
Local Distinctiveness Celebrating locally distinctive features, people and events help to create grounding in place and community. In this way, local natural colors and materials have long been part of the architectural and design character of most places. From wood to stone to clay, people instinctively prefer natural to artificial or foreign materials. These elements can provide positive associations and an antidote to the antiseptic, anonymous look of standard offices and office furniture. Showing past presence and preserving local symbols adds more attachments to community, especially in spaces such as renovated and repurposed buildings. Read or listen to the full article here:
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https://www.steelcase.com/research/articles/topics/wellbeing/restoration-office/
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Wellness of the Environment How conserving one thing contributes to the better being of connected parts.
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The Forest Stewardship Council, the world’s most trusted forest certification, is an independent nonprofit organization that promotes environmentally sound, socially beneficial, and economically prosperous management of forests.
V E CTO R
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E MM ER SON
TIMBER
Their protection of forests also: • Protects water quality • Prohibits hazardous chemicals • Prevents loss of natural forest cover • Protects rights of indigenous people and local communities For more information visit: onesimpleaction.fsc.org
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A ST R I D
FSC was created in 1993 to set the standards by which forests are certified, offering assurance to consumers and businesses that the wood products they buy originate from well-managed forests. More than 5,000 companies and nearly 170 million acres of forestland are certified under FSC in the United States and Canada.
ST R ETC H ER
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Photo: Content Magazine
Natalie Engels
An interview with Natalie Engels, Firmwide Technology Practice Area Leader, Design Director & Principal at Gensler San Jose. What happens when one of your biggest local resources is tech? Natalie Engels sat down with us to chat about how the workplace is rapidly becoming a new type of local community, the importance of incorporating local story into a space and how technology might help us in the future to tie all of our global stories together. SHARE WITH US YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON HOW SOURCING AND USING LOCAL CONTRIBUTES TO THE WELLBEING OF COMMUNITY. There are many ways we think about community. There is the community where we live and where we play, and there is the workplace community. A few years ago, we [at Gensler] were pinning up various design projects from both Gensler and other design companies and I hid the names of the companies to try to see if anyone could figure out which company the space belonged to. No one knew which company the projects were from because they all looked the same. We’d all become so global that we had become almost too global. It was the result of having access to everything; from ideas to physical product, from a grand gesture down to a tiny little object. As a solution, we thought, how can we appreciate a local place and give that to the workplace community? A space still needs to be holistic and global because we’re working with global brands, but it also needs to speak to the unique attributes of the location in which the space resides. It really helps create pride of place, comfort and connection for the inhabitants, when elements link them to their distinct place, creating more personal and meaningful ties to the community.
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HOW HAVE LOCAL COMPANIES OR ARTISTS ALLOWED YOU TO TELL STORIES UNIQUE TO OUR AREA? At the time, people were interested in supporting small and local businesses. With the rise of platforms like Etsy, it made it easier to seek out unique, local product. Sometimes you find an item that is absolutely perfect for a project and other times you find the artist or vendor and engage them to create something new; something special. One drives the other; we seek more, and they create more. There is definitely a distinct state of mind in Silicon Valley (that everybody tries to recreate across the world), one that believes that anything is truly possible. Whether you’re in tech or not, you accept that things are going to change, and can, just like that. As a result, there’s so much raw talent here and little to no barriers to what is possible. At the same time, the history of this valley encompasses orchards and farmers and honest values. Honoring that is important. It creates an interesting tension. It is a story that we’ve been telling with the help of local artists and companies: melding this humble way of life with this “anything goes” forward-thinking state of mind. We’ve been discovering what that looks like and how the two perspectives come together. One of our challenges is, how do we make a space unique without making it too local or too specific? How do we do that without alienating anyone, from a diversity standpoint? HOW DOES BUYING LOCAL CONTRIBUTE TO THIS SUSTAINABILITY OF A PROJECT? Well, there’s a literal sense with programs like LEED. The bigger picture is, what is the carbon footprint, effects of sea level rise, and energy consumption? There is no single solution, but if we can start to chip away at the effects caused by what we have been doing for the past 80 years…anything can help. Obviously, there are some things that you can’t have locally made. Often, it’s due to testing requirements and the necessary rigor that comes with a lot of the larger manufacturers. Of course, there’s a place for that. There’s also a place for local. I think what people are craving is for manufacturers to really look at how they operate; “Okay, yeah, it’s going to be more expensive to change my manufacturing process to buy local products, but it’s worth it. So is making sure there are not chemicals that are leeching out over time.” These are people’s lives and with as much sickness and cancer that has touched just about every community, I think it’s worth making sure that what we’re specifying and what we’re putting into spaces and buildings are not hurting people. WHAT ARE THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS ON A COMMUNITY WHEN WE SUPPORT LOCAL SOURCES AND RESOURCES? Sometimes it is more expensive to use a local resource, but as there’s more demand for it, there are more options. The possibility to hire more people and be more competitive is greater if local companies have more support, more business. With support it won’t just be one person making one table, it can grow to a whole company and more products.
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LOCAL BUSINESS HELP TO SHAPE THE CHARACTER OF A COMMUNITY. HOW DO YOU SEE WORKPLACES TODAY DOING THE SAME? This speaks to the future of work. People are wanting to live, play and work all in the same place. No one wants to spend hours and hours commuting, they want to be in their local community. That’s not possible for everybody. Many people have to drive long distances [to work]. Therefore, we want to create workplace communities where people can get their best work done, but also where they feel like they are a part of the local community. By bringing the outside community in and giving access to diversity and different viewpoints, we are helping the workplace community to thrive. Globally, in more densely populated cities, there is much more visual chaos and noise. The workplace really becomes a bit of a reprieve, a place to focus and get work done.
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Much like a stadium is a place for athletes to train and perform, I see the workplace as a stadium for mental athletes.
DO YOU SEE THIS TREND LASTING? HOW MIGHT IT EVOLVE? At some point, it’s not going to be a trend. It will just be. The design community has been really good about getting access to and showcasing local vendors and local businesses. Whether its rugs or furniture or art, searching for these items is just a part of the process now. Some trends are trends. And some trends lead to something bigger or adapt over time and help us accept another trend coming in the future. Locally made and pride in place, will just become the norm.
WHAT’S THE MOST FASCINATING OR EXCITING THING HAPPENING LOCALLY FOR YOU AT THE MOMENT? Right now, I am most fascinated with digital experiences. The ability for people to create anything in their minds and make it a reality. I was particularly blown away by the digital exhibit at the Pace Gallery [in Palo Alto] by teamLab. There was a wall that you went up to, and as you stood in front of the monitor, these butterflies and flowers bloomed, and all came together. And as you moved away, they dispersed and became something else. When you can start to engage with something digital, and it can take you to a different place, or you’re completely immersed within a digital experience within a space; I just think that is beyond fascinating. As we attempt to make different cultures feel comfortable in spaces around the world, are there different textures or patterns or tactile experiences that can help to make people feel at home? How can you make people feel warm and safe just by touching something textural. How do digital fabrics or even morphing matter tap into emotions? Will things, or space, be able to change and start to influence mood in a positive way or in an emotional way for people? Storytelling is really prevalent right now. We have so much global access that cultural signifiers are all starting to blend together. We’re moving away from family and long established communities are dispersing. How can we start to tie our stories together with a culture that we’ve joined? Because our lives have become so digital, people are in constant search for connection.
All Images: Adobe Headquarters, San Jose, CA. Photography by Emily Hagopian, provided by Gensler
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Each issue we are handing over a few pages to let one of our designers take the spotlight and share what current products and trends are at the top of their minds. Read on. Be inspired.
ARIEL MAGIDSON
Office Location: San Francisco Role: Designer & Ancillary Specialist Hometown: Oakland, CA
Des1gner Spotlight 34
PA N TO N E CO LO R O F T H E Y E A R – VI OLET
How do you describe what you do? For specific projects I help others find and curate ancillary products and designs that meet the client’s needs. This includes public office areas such as meeting areas, lounges, and cafes. I also work on our internal database, the Ideas Hub to help designer’s search, price, and order unique ancillary items they wouldn’t ordinarily find from typical manufacturers.
FO R M & FUNCTI ON – DU O
What do you like most about your job? I love working with others on creating spaces that allow interactions between employees that are functional and casual. It’s important to consider the wellbeing of the overall company and each individual worker. I enjoy curating products that make each space unique, and add a “wow” factor to the overall design.
TEX TU RE – P E ACO C K
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S PAT I A L DI V I S I ON – TOKU SC R EEN
What do you do when you’re not working? When I’m not working you can find me painting, walking my dog (for far too many miles he begins to drool), or reading a book.
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B IOP HILIA – ON PO I N T
ACC E S S O R I E S – A L P HA B E TA
Design trends that are inspiring the spaces I create are all about blending materiality.
T E X T U R E – D O LO REZ 37
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R O C KI N G CHA I R – GIM BA L H IGH BAC K
ACC ESS O R I E S – F E G U I N A L E S
If you could do one thing to make the world a little better, what would it be? If I could make one thing better about the world, it would be our consideration and activeness to think about sustainability. We should all think about preserving and improving our current environmental status. We must treat our planet and our bodies as a temple.
PE R S O NA L E SCA P E – 1040
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EDI TO RI AL TEAM E D I TO R I N C H I E F: KAT I C E S A R EO AS S O C I AT E E D I TO R : L I S A W E LT Y- O ’H A R E C REATI V E D I R E CT I O N: I VY C HE U K & C HR IS GOOD D E S I G N : JA S O N A N D E R S O N
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oneworkplace.com