The First Facility Management Blog

The Shaw Contract Group Design Is… Award is an award program that recognizes inspirational and visionary design. Seven winning projects chosen from entries submitted by firms from around the world were announced last August. As part of program’s benefits, winning firms each receive $2,000 to donate to a school or organization of their choice. Shaw Contract Group is proud to make donations in the names of the winning firms to support design education and the designers of tomorrow.

In its fourth year, the Design Is… Award seeks entrants to explain their definition of design. Entries are asked to describe the challenges, processes, and results from their projects, and will be judged by a panel of design experts. Because carpet is only a part of the project, the overall design of the space is considered. All design projects completed between February 2007 and February 2009 are eligible. 

Entry information is available at www.shawcontractgroup.com/designis. Project entries must be received by February 28, 2009. 

“Since its inception, the Design Is… Award program has elevated projects that deserve to be seen by the design community at large,” says John Stephens, vice president of marketing. “Shaw Contract Group is honored to have its carpet products play an integral role in each of these projects. We are proud that our winners have chosen these fine institutions to further support design education.” 

Last year’s winners and their donation recipients were:

• Envision Design (Washington, D.C.)—Department of Architecture, Virginia Tech;
• Gensler (Houston, TX)—College of Visual Arts and Design, University of North Texas; School of Architecture, University of Texas; 
• MCM Interiors (Vancouver, BC)—The Art Institute of Vancouver;
• Nell Studio & SABArchitects (Seattle, WA)—Department of Interior Design, Washington State University; 
• OWP/P (Chicago, IL)—School of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of Michigan; 
• Partridge Architects (Philadelphia, PA)—Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, Drexel University; 
• VOA Associates (Chicago, IL)—Turning Point, an outpatient mental healthcare center that provides care to all patients.

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. of Newport Beach, CA recently completed reconstruction of the Ronald McDonald House Family Room inside Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) at Mission Hospital. Approximately $225,000 in construction work and materials was donated by McCarthy and numerous other companies to complete the 852-square-foot remodel.

The renovated Family Room includes a windowfront sitting area.

CHOC Children’s at Mission Hospital is housed in a state-of-the-art medical facility on the 5th floor of Mission Hospital’s patient care tower. While it operates as a separately licensed pediatric facility with its own medical staff, CHOC Children’s at Mission Hospital is linked to Mission Hospital’s regional trauma center, high-level obstetric and perinatal program, and ancillary services. The 48-bed “children’s hospital-within-a-hospital” is part of CHOC Children’s regional healthcare network and serves as the only dedicated pediatric health care center for families in the communities throughout South Orange County, coastal areas and North San Diego.

Donated Time And Materials
The project, which began on August 25, 2008, included demolition and reconstruction of two sleep rooms, a kitchen area, and family room. Contractors gutted the space and installed new lighting, drywall, carpeting, ceiling tile, casework, and paint. Construction was completed earlier this month, and the renovated space was then furnished with new chairs, couches, lamps, toys, books, artwork, and an existing 42 inch flat panel television.

McCarthy Building Companies also donated two new computers for volunteer and visitor use.

With architectural design by RBB Architects Inc. of Los Angeles and interior design provided by Correy Design Group of Huntington Beach, the renovated Family Room predominantly features wood cabinetry that divides the space into different areas for volunteer activity, dining, watching television, computer use, relaxation, and children’s activities.

Two remodeled sleep rooms, a kitchen, and bathroom with a shower are located adjacent to the main family room. The kitchen and bath areas were updated with matching wood cabinetry, new countertops, sink fixtures, lighting, and appliances.

The new Family Room is a place for patients' family members.

“Parents simply can’t be in their child’s hospital room all of the time,” said Deborah Levy, Orange County Ronald McDonald House executive director. “The Ronald McDonald Family Room makes all the difference in coping with what otherwise could have been an unbearable experience. The design of the new Family Room now functions more effectively and provides crucial amenities for parents to nap, shower, grab a bite to eat, yet still be down the hall from their hospitalized child.”

Spearheaded by McCarthy I.S. Engineer Ray LaTour, McCarthy volunteers helped with the project through the McCarthy Heart Hats, a volunteer community outreach group which enables the company’s employees to dedicate time and resources to community involvement on paid workdays. Through its relationship with subcontractors and vendors, McCarthy was also able to secure additional volunteers and donations from companies such as Appolo Electric, ISEC Inc., PCI, Martin Integrated, Hasson Inc., Johnson and Turner Painting, Premier Tile, and Minka Group. RBB architects, KPFF Engineering, and Correy Design group also donated services for this project.

Ronald McDonald House additionally received donations for carpet and installation services from Shaw Carpet and Universal Flooring.

All of the audio visual and sound equipment were donated and installed by Genesis Audio.

“We could not have done this renovation project without the support of McCarthy Building Companies,” said Levy. “McCarthy took the leadership role in securing thousands of dollars worth of donations for the project. They also helped guide us through the complex process of building something inside of a hospital and were true miracle workers! McCarthy Building Companies will leave a lasting legacy on thousands of families they will never meet who will utilize the Ronald McDonald Family Room inside of CHOC Children’s at Mission Hospital.”

Since 2006, McCarthy’s Heart Hats have provided construction and other services and donations to six Ronald McDonald Houses or facilities in California. “Ronald McDonald House is a charity close to our hearts,” said LaTour. “McCarthy builds many children’s hospitals and some of the children of our employees have experienced first-hand the wonderful and caring services these hospitals provide. We hope our most recent efforts remodeling the new Ronald McDonald Family Room inside of CHOC Children’s at Mission Hospital will help ease the daily tribulations and struggles of families with seriously ill children.”

In its third annual Design Is… Award competition, Shaw Contract Group, the leading flooring provider to the commercial market, recently announced seven firms whose projects define the concept of design. These projects surmount simple beauty by delivering innovative solutions that positively impact the people who inhabit a space and the functions that take place there. This year’s winners are:

Winner: Envision Design brings functionality, flexibility, and sustainability to the headquarters of the International Interior Design Association in Chicago. The design team’s goal was for the space to reflect the highest standards in the interior design industry in human health, well-being, materials and furniture, HVAC systems, and environmental responsibility. The end result is a LEED-CI Gold facility with a state of the art conference room, materials from throughout the industry, and a place that the design community can call home.

Winner: Gensler redesigned its Houston office, placing corporate identity, sustainable design, and a celebration of the firm’s capabilities at the forefront, all while maintaining a strict budget and a tight schedule. Using a studio design concept, the firm creates collaborative spaces with movable partitions and portable furniture to provide maximum flexibility in a space designed to accommodate 10% more staff in the same square footage. LEED Silver certification is an important measure of the design’s success.

Winner: MCM Interiors draws inspiration from client Electronic Arts’ business in video game design and development. To attract talent, inspire creativity, optimize staff and infrastructure efficiency, and enhance corporate communications and culture, the design team introduces light movement, color, scale, texture, and nature throughout the Burnaby, British Columbia facility. Common areas and wellness facilities deliver quality of life amenities that are important to the client’s values, while weaving layers of interactivity into the space.

Winner: OWP/P incorporates the Chicago cityscape in its design for the LEED certified offices of Transwestern Commercial Services. Through full height glass in corridor spaces, natural light creates a reflection element that is juxtaposed against shadow elements found in the carpet. Light and silhouette are used throughout the space to create an ethereal connection between the interior and the city beyond. The firm helps to bring a feeling of transparency to a traditionally closed door environment.

Winner: SABArchitects and Nell Studio break barriers between people and departments in their office design for Turner Construction Company, Seattle. Material choices, from wood walls to carpeting, help to define functional zones that still maintain a cohesive feel through use of color. By moving kitchen functions from small, isolated break areas to the large rooftop penthouse, space is used more efficiently while increasing interaction and collaboration between employees.

Winner: VOA Associates takes a holistic design approach to RMB Capital Management’s office renovation in Chicago. The redesigned space exemplifies international style, reflects the company’s values, and pays homage to the mid-20th century modern building where the company is housed. In order to establish a professional and inviting space that incorporates elements of home, the firm uses traditional pieces like bookcases, lamp, and plants within a business setting.

People’s Choice Winner: Partridge Architects brings confidence, warmth and security to asset management firm, Logan Circle Partners in Philadelphia. In a design that conveys affluence without arrogance, the team seeks to create an open environment that bridges departments and encourages employee interaction. Glass fronted offices surround an open trading area is surrounded by glass fronted offices, providing visibility onto the trading floor. The intense nature of trading is offset by amenities that allow employees to relax without leaving the facility.

“The Design Is… Award continues to promote successful design strategies that are improving the work of clients, while allowing those that inhabit these spaces to realize a greater purpose and
meaning for their activities,” says John Stephens, vice president of marketing for Shaw Contract Group. “This award competition celebrates the decision makers, the leaders in the interior design
industry that are redefining design, and the way it impacts our businesses and our lives.

“We hope that by announcing and promoting the winners of this year’s competition, Design Is… will inspire other organizations to rethink their role in smart design as a contribution to quality of life,
and the realization of human potential in every setting. Design Is… winners are the standard.”

Five distinguished members of the design community served as judges, who narrowed submissions based on a number of criteria which exemplified design solutions beyond aesthetic quality. Judges reviewed the challenges, processes, and results of each project and how each design team defined design. The judging process was moderated by Cheryl Durst, executive vice president and CEO of the International Interior Design Association.

The judging panel included: Kelly Bauer, principal of Richard + Bauer; Dan Lee, vice president of Halff Associates; Pam Light, senior vice president with HOK; John Lijewski, senior vice president / interior design executive with Bank of America; and Jack Weber, owner and principal with Gresham, Smith and Partners.

Winning firms will be recognized in an upcoming advertising campaign in leading industry publications and receive an original award sculpture by Bruce Mau Design. A $2,000 scholarship in the name of each winning firm will be awarded to the program or organization of the firm’s choosing. Shaw Contract Group will also promote its winners through promotional and marketing materials.

The People’s Choice Award was conducted by visitors to Shaw Contract Group’s website using a voting tool. Thirteen finalists were featured as candidates for the People’s Choice Award and over
5,000 votes were cast during June and July.