A letter from our IIDA NE Chapter President, Nico Flannery-Pitcher:

It is typical to look forward to all the potential a New Year brings. This is especially true for 2020, which has felt so incredibly long. The Coronavirus pandemic has greatly impacted every facet of daily life, the struggle for racial justice continues, and politics were at the fore during this election year. Lives have been lost and the full economic impact of this ongoing pandemic is still uncertain…

Designing for Different Learning Styles

What has historically been known as the traditional classroom is quickly being replaced by a new breed of learning spaces and classroom designs that are evolving, not only in response to shifts in technology, but also with higher regard for differences in learning styles. The idea of rows of individual desks facing a chalkboard is now largely seen as outdated and ineffective, instead being replaced by more flexible classroom arrangements.

How Technology Lessens the Distance

The beginning of a new year often signifies a time of change in our lives. People choose to explore new hobbies and habits with the intension of improving their knowledge and lifestyle. Yet, 2020 induced change at a rapid pace with the explosion of the Coronavirus and drove the world to adapt and advance in a matter of months. Upon the first reported COVID-related death in the US in February 2020, The New York Times reports an immediate skyrocketing on the reliance of technology. Infiltrating all aspects of our lives, technology was used for work and play in an effort to connect people back to the same everyday experiences they had pre-virus. Included in those experiences are the retail and hospitality industry; who are looking to capitalize on the implementation of technology as a way to bring back the customer.

Bringing the Outside In

In recent years, the concept of biophilia has exploded onto the scene, changing the way people think about their interior spaces, both at home and at work. This concept stems from the idea that the great indoors should mimic the great outdoors to improve people’s lives – an insight that is backed by increasing amounts of research. Because humans today spend 90% of our time indoors, according to the EPA, it is necessary to create indoor environments that reference nature's patterning and tranquility. This idea poses interior design not merely as an aesthetic discipline, but as a way to improve people’s mental and physical well-being.

Fabrics that Fight the Good Fight

Antimicrobial fabrics. What are they? What are they made of? Why are they effective? Where will we see these specialty fabrics being used?

The (R)evolution

Back in the late 1700s, Samuel Slater built the first factory in the United States to produce yarn in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. It was the beginning of a huge paradigm shift from cottage industry to industrialism. Similarly, we are in another of these historic times right now, driven by a pandemic from commercial spaces back into the home. Tech companies have been preparing for this for some time now, but with the commercial building boom in Boston, the transition seemed to be lacking a motivator until March of 2020. There are so many facets to the changes taking place, both good and bad: a rise in productivity, increased work hours, the blur between work and home, shrinking real estate costs, flexibility, no more long commutes, the tracking of employees online, contract tracing for in-person meetings, more productive online meetings, increased social media, stronger online presence for companies and individuals branding themselves, amongst others.

Retrofitting the Learning Environment

When we look back on the spring of 2020, few will debate the enormity of the change that has taken place. It is pretty clear that things will never be the same as they were only three months ago. As the world changes, we have to adjust and prepare for the new future.

New Hampshire!

Having the smallest coastline in the nation does not detract from all that New Hampshire has to offer. Each region of this state, which holds 1.3 million people, provides history, industry and refuge in its beaches, lakes and mountains.

A History of Advancing Sustainability in Healthcare

In 2012, when corporate and education projects were looking to become more sustainable through the various programs that were available at the time, twelve of the largest healthcare systems in the United States formed The Healthier Hospitals Initiative (HHI) along with the Center for Health Design, Health Care Without Harm and Practice Greenhealth. As the purpose of all healthcare is to restore patients to health, the healthiness of the environment is a vital part of the equation. With the original goal to transform healthcare so it reduces its environmental impact, six challenges of the Healthier Hospitals Initiative were created as a road map…

Poet Thomas Carlyle once said, “Silence is the element in which great things fashion themselves together.”

Advancements in scientific research are helping designers and architects make better informed decisions about the acoustical products that they use for commercial, education, and healthcare projects. As a direct result of this research, standards have been developed declaring maximum background noise in specific environments. Excessive noise in office environments can interrupt workers' productivity. Excessive noise in classrooms can disturb learning and reduce test scores. Excessive noise in healthcare facilities can lead to decreased healing. Noise, design, and these outcomes are all interconnected.

Design & Vision for a Defunct Power Plant

In stark contrast to the development of the Seaport District, the future plans for the Old Edison Power Plant (dating back to 1898) just over the bridge in South Boston are taking shape. Hilco Redevelopment Partners and Redgate have been busy pitching the 1.8 million square foot redevelopment that will include luxury condos, apartments, two hotels, retail and office space.

Where's My Seat?

Free address. Hoteling. Hot desking. No matter what you call it, the unassigned-seat office has exploded onto the scene over the past few years and is on the rise. Often, due to the increase in the number of employees working from home and the desire for non-traditional settings for different types of work, a company can reduce their overhead by reducing the number of private offices or assigned spaces that they provide within their office walls. This concept is based on data that says as much as 40% of an office's dedicated desk space sits unused on a given day. And with them sitting idle, the question is: is this an efficient use of space? As a result, many offices have adopted the free address mantra where fewer desks serve the same number of employees. This model certainly has both pros and cons.