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Seattle Spring
It is a cold, windy and rainy day in Seattle. In looking for signs of spring, they are evident – there are tulips, sunbreaks, and cherry blossoms, and in being in our South Lake Union neighborhood, there is something bigger happening here – something that is about to transform this part of the city. Amazon in moving in to our neighborhood – all 6,000+ of them. There are 11 buildings in various stages of completion, construction, and planning, developed by Vulcan Real Estate and Schnitzer West.  Today the first 3-building block is complete. It is the new heart, the epicenter of Amazon –…
Retailers re-energize in 2010
For those strong national and international brands that leaned out their operations, shifted merchandising to address new consumer attitudes (demanding both value and luxury), and for those who held back expansion and renovation plans during the steep slide of the past 18 months, 2010 is looking brighter. In working with leaders of brands across fashion, food, and service retail, I hear some common themes. Survivors feel stronger and fitter than they did going into the recession, and more confident about their ability to change and move into the future. They are more in tune and focused on the behavior and…
China Snapshot
 Market analysts report that China will be the world’s largest construction market by 2018, at $2.4 trillion – 19.1% of global construction output. The new report by Global Construction Perspectives and Oxford Economics was issued last week in London. The pace of development can still be seen and felt on the ground in the juxtaposition of old methods and new technology. Bamboo scaffolding spans between steel superstructures, and hand carts weave their way through tower crane supports. Construction sites turn into archaeological digs on development sites in the historic centers of ancient cultures, now the epicenters of modernizing cities. Urbanization…
Retail Leaders Gather in Dallas
 Challenging times, continued re-tuning, and celebrating the few successes. There were many key insights to learn from this group of industry leaders, gathered in Dallas recently for the International Retail Design Conference. New strategies for value and environmentally conscious consumers and brands, localization and regionalism, global retail development in markets like China, India, Middle East, Latin America, experience based retail design, and community connections were discussed in depth. Here is what some of them had to say during our 3 days in Dallas together. From Burt Tansky, CEO of Neiman Marcus “Once you acquire a taste for luxury it…
Postcard from Dallas – International Retail Design Conference
   Today, here in Dallas, leading global retailers, strategists and designers will convene for the annual IRDC conference – beginning with a keynote opening by Burt Tansky, President and CEO of Neiman Marcus.      Retail markets are over one year into plummeting sales figures, with recent results sliding along a slower decline. This cycle has caused a great deal of reflection and the development of new strategic directions for many industry leaders.     I expect this creative and dynamic group will be brimming with new ideas and energy as they stride forward into the changed marketplace. Change will be the key in…
Bravern Opening This Week
 Two days from today, Neiman Marcus celebrates the opening of their new store in Bellevue with a black tie gala, followed by opening of the new luxury collection of shops, restaurants and clubs at The Bravern. The Seattle region has had an up and down relationship with designer brands in the past, yet the demographics continue to show that this market is ready. The Bravern is strategically located in close proximity to the wealthiest zip codes in this region. Microsoft has already moved in to the 2 office towers, and the luxury residential towers designed by NBBJ are nearing completion.  The shop collection has been…
China – Fueling a New Green Economy
 This week, while working across China on a series of new development projects, major green economic initiatives are front page news. Back in the US, domestic development community struggles with financial market challenges, along with the cost/value assessment of new green building technologies and materials. China’s aggressive development expansion marches on with rapid advancement in sustainable building. The pace of this shift in China is fueled by government policy, subsidies and private business growth, based on continued domestic market development. Increasing focus on incentives for carbon emission reduction and green energy technologies are not just impacting the direction of industries in China, but rippling across the…
Sustainable Resilience
 This is not a new concept, but often overlooked in property development strategies, and in the organizational models that drive those development strategies. As architects, we are experiencing fundamental shifts in practice – from climate change, major technology shifts, energy usage and costs, and the tools with which we practice. It is imperative that we develop deeper understanding of sustainable design principles, and as many jurisdictions and business leaders are instituting environmental, energy, and health related initiatives, we must raise the bar every day on our work. When I took on the study of the USGBC’s LEED accreditation program a few…
Whole Building Design
   Kate Diamond, AIA, LEED AP, spoke with me this morning about whole building audits. Developers, building owners and occupants are all in a position to benefit from a holistic building audit. The whole building approach to energy usage and air quality optimizes assets and minimizes costs. In existing buildings, the assessment identifies where most energy is wasted, and allows building owners and tenants to develop alternatives and phased plans for optimization.  Humans thrive on exposure to daylight, views, and clean air. Strategies can be as simple as the use of low VOC paints on all renovations, to placing high walls perpendicular to windows, and…
Ideas Change Everything
Change Design – our pursuit of the moment. In developing and designing buildings —  the act of creating buildings, by its nature, is a great expense of energy and materials dedicated to a moment in time, for the human activity of it’s time. Change is a constant state — how can we create buildings that are relevant today, and lead us into our changed future? Between the economy, climate change, and the technology revolution, we must design for change. Here are some of the change design tools that we are using, every day. Understand the past, listen to the present, design for the…
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