What does your team draw inspiration from? We are totally focused on our clients, meaning that we try to understand their goals by being very good listeners – hearing what their desires are and what they are trying to achieve as a business, i.e. image, functionality, attracting and retaining new employees, etc. Based on these parameters (also budget and schedule) we are able to develop a solution for the design of their new space. If you’re interested in why we design in a certain style, that has evolved over the years and as new designers join our firm, we work together as a team to direct their design solutions. Primarily we are a modernist firm, so we have been inspired by the great modernist architects that have practiced or designed some of the great buildings in New York. Talk to us about the collaboration between Berger Rait and client. How do you weigh a client’s wants and needs with your expertise? We are hired by our clients precisely because we have the ability to translate their concepts into reality. Some clients have a very abstract concept of what they envision for their new office space while others couldn’t be more precise. I think that the more abstract a client is, the better they utilize our creativity and experience. We avoid any preconceived ideas which allows us a much broader bank of solutions. When a client has a specific solution in mind, it handcuffs us to that design without the opportunity to explore ideas that may be valid. Describe your ideal client. Do you prefer them to present a lot of ideas, or do you prefer to collaborate heavily in initial phases of planning? Either way works for us as long as their ideas are conceptual, i.e. “I want to see everyone,” as opposed to “every office should have a two foot strip of glass next to the door.”
Febuary - March 2012 \ 143