GS&P DIALOGUE - "Interior Architecture"

Designing to Improve Workers' Health

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 08:49:53 GMT

We have all read the news articles and heard the radio reports that our nation is getting heavier and that the obesity epidemic is growing exponentially. My home state of Tennessee is one of America's most unhealthy: it currently ranks 46th in adult obesity (and was 48th in 2010!). Other States where GS&P has office locations are nearly as unhealthy. Go here to see how your state measures up: http://healthyamericans.org/report/88/

So what can we as designers do to make healthy choices easier and more obvious? The design of the built environment (in architecture, interior design and urban design) can greatly increase daily users' physical activity in order to promote these regular instances of physical activity. According to research, workers spend as much of 90% of their time indoors, engaged in sedentary occupations. Providing opportunities to use the stairs, to walk to the copy machine, or to workout without leaving the building break up long periods of inactivity and provide easily accessible ways to engage in physical activity.

VanderbiltHealth at One Hundred Oaks is a {Green} Star!

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 08:28:27 GMT

There was a great turn out for the Middle Tennessee Chapter of the USGBC's recent Green Star Awards event. The recognition event was held downtown just around the corner from our Nashville office at the Rymer Gallery. While the peer to peer event was about celebrating this year's award-winning local projects that have had a positive impact on the environment, there was a true sense of respect among those in attendance for the impact we are making on our community through our collective efforts.

Five projects were honored with awards in varying categories – and I was proud to represent GS&P for our work on VanderbiltHealth at One Hundred Oaks (OHO) which was awarded in the Existing Building category. Bobby Otten, Vanderbilt's project manager, and I made a short presentation to the group which hit on the highlights of the project, while also paying special attention to the details the jury (comprised of members of the East Tennessee USGBC Chapter) noted in their selection of the project to receive an award.

Tackling Toilet Issues: The ADAAG Toilet Room Dilemma

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 09:30:20 GMT

I realize that I am not the only daughter in the world to think that her mom is the most amazing person that ever lived. My mother, a coal miner’s daughter from the hills of east Tennessee, was fiercely independent, selfless, kind, funny, gracious, and… well, simply amazing. Our family and friends painfully watched as she was robbed of her abilities to care for herself. The culprit, a rare neurodegenerative disease called progressive supranuclear palsy took her life one year ago. Living nearly 700 miles away, I was unable to help care for her to the extent I wished, but during my frequent visits I helped her get dressed, put on her earrings, brushed her hair and assisted her in the bathroom. In my parents’ home, the toilet is located between the vanity and the tub, and the bathroom is not large enough for a walker or wheelchair. There is little room for an assistant to stand alongside to help. My mother fell in the bathroom on more than one occasion. This difficult design problem, however, is not unique to 1960’s ranch-style homes, but exists even in our healthcare institutions – in hospitals and skilled nursing facilities where we care for patients who need assistance with toileting.

The Evolving Workplace – How to Meet Expectations of Millennials at Work

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 09:10:14 GMT

When organizations consider their future, they will be looking forward to the day when growth is steady, and they can begin to hire new employees. It will happen. It’s just a matter of time.

Now is the time to ask - Is your workplace attractive to your next hire(s)?

That new hire will likely be a Millennial – born between 1980 and 2000. Within the Millennial generation; approximately 50 million are between the ages of 18-29. A recent report from the Pew Research Center shows that of these 50 million, about 37% (or ~18.5 million) have been underemployed or out of work during the recession - the highest share among the age group in more than 30 years. Despite this fact, Millennials are still upbeat. Most notably, they are on track to become the most educated generation.

Empowering a Mobile Workforce

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:49:05 GMT

Why do many of us work at one location all day long? What ties us down? What if you could choose where you wanted to work each day? Would it be the same space in the same office? Would you choose a different location in or out of the office to complete different tasks? Would you prefer a closed space sometimes and an open space at other times?

Good Design is Good Business

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:53:30 GMT

Sometimes it seems so obvious to me...but then again, I’m biased. Why don’t companies pay more attention to the design of the office environment?