As our Richmond office prepares for a big move later this year, we’re sharing the details on our process and our progress. Previous installations in our 2020 Vision series can be found here.
It’s no secret that designers are passionate folk. Creative, dedicated, inspiring, innovative. To do this kind of work – to define the spaces where learning, healing, discovery, and connection take place, well, it takes devotion. So when we started talking about the spirit and aesthetic of our new James Center office, it was no surprise that it was the work, and the love of the work, that we kept coming back to.
Like many other industries, design has its own language. Sure, there are words and theories and acronyms that are used, but unlike most other vocations design has a powerful visual language. It’s that visual language that universally connects designers from all geographies, experience levels, and walks of life. This language is an innate partnership – a code that links architects, engineers, and designers in a covenant that builds the story of each unique space quite literally line by line.
The lines, dots and dashes of this language – the ones you see on building plans and in 3D models – aren’t arbitrary. There is meaning behind every mark on the page. A solid line versus a dashed line means the difference between building or demolishing; a hatch pattern informs which kind of metal to use. A well-drawn detail doesn’t need words at all.
In our new home color blocking will define line, space and value. Hatch patterns on glass partitions add detail and demarcation. Tile patterns signify brick coursing. Art & artifacts serve as landmarks and guideposts to direct, awaken, and inspire – an homage to who we are, what we do, and the language and tools we use every day.
This space is a celebration of the craft, and the work. A space made for designers, by designers.
With the countdown to our big move on, we’re digging into how we translated the big ideas into the floorplans and design decisions taking shape today. By treating ourselves like a client (likely — as designers designing for other designers — the toughest client we’ll ever have), we’ll get up close and personal with our own process, sharing the lessons we’ve learned along the way.