Showrooms and House of the Immediate Future

Showroom at Design Tex

Throughout the study tour in Seattle, we toured several tour rooms, getting to experience all sorts of fields in design. Starting at the Seattle Design Center, I visited Mafi International Rugs and Design Tex textiles. I was very intrigued to learn about how the rugs were made by hand, and the customer could choose a preset design or design a rug of their own. It gives the client a chance to let their ideas shine, and this company was very passionate about meeting the client’s wants and needs. At Design Tex, the showroom manager introduced us to several types of fabric both residential and commercial.

Storage room at Pental

Showroom at Pental: Flooring Wall

Next, to accompany a current kitchen and bathroom design, I visited the DalTile and Pental showrooms. At both DalTile and Pental, I got to tour their showrooms and stock rooms where they keep all the slabs of stone for orders that will soon be cut and used in designs. At Pental, I was explained the different types of stone they carry, from granite, marble, limestone, and how each stone is give a letter grade to determine the cost, which depends on the desirability of the stone. At DalTile, we were also give a tour of the showroom and then we got to walk around and choose several samples of material that we would like and possibly use in our kitchen and bathroom designs.

                The next businesses on our itinerary included the showrooms at Knoll and 3Form. At Knoll, I was exposed to the evolution of the office environment. I learned that there are many elements that go into the design of an office work space. A designer has to consider cubicle height for privacy, and accessibility to communicate with coworkers, storage space location, work space, but most importantly, the universal design of the work chair. After gathering in the conference room for a short introduction about navigating the website, we were left to sketch in the show room.

Two chairs designed by Knoll.

Left: Platner Stool Right: Generation Task Chair

Knoll office space sketch

           

3Form office

Onto 3Form Lighting Company, I sincerely was blown away by the amazing products this company produces. This company takes inspiration from nature, ideas, and clients and to form light fixtures. After being welcomed by the manager and his team, we watched a few videos about the mission at 3Form and the elements that go into their design. We got to tour their work and construction room where they cut, form and assemble their products. I learned from the owner that sometimes in life, you have to take chances and go for your dreams and opportunities, as he was an architecture student who became an entrepreneur and started 3Form.

House of the Immediate Future

The last two destinations on the study tour was Habitat for Humanity: House of the Immediate Future and EHS Design. Natural air circulation, a wet box, and rain water use were some mentionable qualities that were featured in the House for the Immediate Future. After the tour, we got to sketch the exterior of the building. From the outside, it was easy to see a couple sustainable features of the home, including the multiple rows of windows, a ramp leading to the front entrance, and wood paneling on the outside.

                At EHS design, we toured their design firm which employs about half interior designers and half architectures.. Very high ceilings and large concrete columns were accompanied by echoes of voices traveling throughout the open office space. In their more private conference areas, a couple innovative elements in their office included full wall white boards, allowing writing on presentations, bleacher seats, and turning/folding boards with half pin board half white board. My favorite part of this design firm was resource room which included an extensive collection of materials, a light box with different colored light bulbs and individual work drawers.

From each location, I got to experience different elements of design. Each element serving a different purpose, but at the same time, everything related back together. With all this new knowledge in the interior design field, I hope to gain an internship in the near future to continue my learning outside of the classroom.

Group shot at the Seattle Design Center