June 1 marked the competition deadline for a global initiative sponsored by the Open Architecture Network and Architecture for Humanity, the 2009 Classroom Challenge.

“According to the World Bank, educating all children worldwide will require the construction of 10 million new classrooms in more than 100 countries by 2015. At the same time, millions of existing classrooms are in serious need of repair and refurbishment.
The 2009 Open Architecture Challenge invites the global design and construction community to collaborate with primary and secondary school teachers and students to create smarter, safer, and more sustainable learning environments.” Orient Global

The Indy chapter of Architecture for Humanity partnered with the Project School to develop proposals for expanding their existing facility while embracing their wholistic teaching philosophy. The Project School is a cornerstone redevelopment of the Martindale on the Monon district on the near north side of Indianapolis. My collaborator’s Marco Landron, Rene Martinez, Javier Rodriguez and I lent our vision and time to participate in this exciting initiative.

To view our design submission go to:
http://www.openarchitecturenetwork.org/projects/4964

To learn more about the Open Architecture Network go to:
http://www.openarchitecturenetwork.org

For more on Architecture for Humanity Indianapolis and the Project School please visit:

http://www.afh-indy.org and http://www.indianapolisprojectschool.org

For any questions about Architecture for Humanity or the Open Architecture Network please contact Janet Thomas

In previous blogs, I have discussed the transformation of the modern workplace caused by technology and generational diversity and their potential impact on office design. As important and dramatic as these two factors are, perhaps the single most important emerging factor impacting organizations today is sustainability.

Sustainability is a very broad term. Today’s current economic downturn has us all thinking about our own “economic” sustainability. The “State of the World 2008” recently published by Worldwatch Institute states: “The assumed independence of economic activity from nature, always illusory, is simply no longer credible. These changing circumstances demand the upending of some fundamental economic notions.” Translation; we can no longer view economic growth without considering the environmental impact of that growth.

In the same report it was noted: “a second outdated tenet is that growth ought to be the primary goal of an economy. This remains the central operating assumption in finance ministries, stock markets, and shopping malls worldwide despite the clear threat to natural capital, because rapidly growing populations and the creation of consumer-driven economies have made growth seem indispensable. But growth (making an economy bigger) is not always consistent with development (making it better).”

Can it be that simple? Sustainable design, sustainable environments, sustainable businesses, sustainable communities, sustainable economies; is it really just making things better and not necessarily bigger? Sustainability as it relates to the building industry can make the built environments we design and plan better places to live and work. Sustainable environments minimize their impact on the environment and they enhance the well-being of all who inhabit them. With that said, we all know it is just not that simple.

Issues of sustainability have yielded a new application recently, especially here in Indiana. It is very encouraging to note that there are currently 20 or more bills being introduced in our 2009 State legislative session dealing with environmental or sustainable building issues.

We also have a newly established Office of Sustainability within our local city government here in Indianapolis called “SustainIndy”. SustainIndy is aimed at delivering long term cost savings to tax payers and improving our local environment. SustainIndy is also focused on improving the quality of life for citizens while building our local economy. Its efforts are designed to aggressively move Indianapolis forward to make it one of the most sustainable cities in the Midwest.

SustainIndy is driven by the City’s Office of Sustainability and takes a public-private partnership approach to making Indianapolis a great place to live for generations to come. You may want to check out their new website at
http.//www.sustainindy.org

We have explored just a few of the factors that are changing the way people work. There are more that are worthy of attention and likely still others to be discovered. Change of any sort can create internal and external conflicts for an organization. As we strive to resolve these conflicts for ourselves and our clients, we are committed to finding creative solutions that align our businesses with changing demands of the workplace, our community and our environment. It is clear there is a need for new kinds of organizations that are willing to adopt new methods of work, creatively manage economic pressure, and minimize their impact on the environment.

Shall we lead the way in their creation? Please let us hear your ideas. From your view, what are the biggest challenges in your organization? What kind of changes would help you make things better for your organization? What do you think is needed to meet the challenge and make the necessary changes?

My best;

jill mendoza

In my most recent blog, I discussed the transformation of the workplace born of new technology, especially in communications. Another significant factor, though perhaps less obvious than technology, is diversity, especially generational diversity. For the first time in history we have three, sometimes four, generations of workers in the workforce, each with its own unique values. For years, the post-World War II generation known as “Baby Boomers” – those born between 1946 and 1964 – has been on center stage. It’s no surprise that marketers, especially in the furniture industry, have focused on these Boomers, given that they control three-quarters of the wealth in the U.S. with annual buying power of $1.6 trillion. Gradually, though, the makeup of the workforce has been dramatically altered. Generation X, the 60’s & 70’s generation, and Generation Y, sometimes called “Millennial Generation”, have joined the Boomers in today’s workforce. One way to illustrate the diversity among these groups is to look at the way they view work itself. Baby Boomers “live to work” and tend to define themselves by their jobs. The Millennial Generation “work to live” and place a high value on lifestyle.

The generational differences regarding work attitudes, ethics, career choices and work patterns represented in the modern workplace is dramatized by a 56 year-old mother whose 24 year-old daughter came home days after college graduation with a great job offer. The mother’s pleasure and pride turned to shock when she learned that her daughter had turned down the offer. Her daughter explained that the company offering the job expected her to report to their office everyday and she just could not see herself going into the same office every day!

It is our role as designers to guide those we serve by proactively planning for the functional needs these varying work styles manifest. Different styles and work modes must be integrated physically and networked technically to create a sense of organizational community around movement, knowledge, people and information. Emerging work styles and modes require attention on three dimensions: physical (the conventional office), virtual (Internet-based, computers, e-mail, smart phones), and collaborative (team, learning and social spaces). We are coming to realize that organizations may not need or want to support all work modes. What sort of “new office” best serves this diverse group of workers? How can the office be designed to maximize the synergy diversity can offer while minimizing the potential for dysfunction and conflict? What is the “true value” of the office?

Please join the discussion. I welcome any comments and/or thoughts you may have…….

Jill Mendoza

As we enter another new year, there are many changes impacting the business landscape. Change creates both challenges and opportunities. As interior designers, we must respond to our clients’ current organizational needs. But we also should take note of some amazing transformations that are changing the very essence of how our clients’ businesses are organized.

This, and my next few blog entries, will explore the transformations we see occurring in the workplace and raise related questions we should be asking of ourselves and our clients. To begin this exploration, I’ll start with perhaps the most tangible factor and one we have continued to experience for some time: the use of new and rapidly changing technology in the workplace.

Today’s technology enables people to work anywhere, particularly if they’re in the information business. When you walk into many business offices, you’ll see a lot of empty desks; the people are somewhere else. This phenomenon is due to a variety of changes in the environment in which businesses operate, particularly in the use of communications technology. We have witnessed the workers in yesteryear’s “workplace” morph into “Networked Persons”, a species that can now be observed almost anywhere: in airports, student lounges, and restaurants. The “Networked Person” is always on the move, juggling a laptop computer, a mobile smart phone for e-mails and keeping in electronic touch with each other on a 24/7 basis. Anyone who has a “Networked Teenager” at home knows this phenomenon is not limited to the workplace!

Some of these workers no longer have a physical office in a building provided by their employer. Others have one they don’t use or need. This begs the question, since office space is increasingly expensive, doesn’t it seem crazy to allocate a private space to every individual? Yet, for designers, the answer to this question is no mere financial calculation. We must also attend to issues like maintaining a sense of community in the organization and a sense of belonging in the worker. How shall we accomplish that?

Your ideas and comments are welcome and appreciated!

Submitted by: Jill Mendoza