Commercial Architecture January 2018 - 12

mixed use

FEATURE

About
Duda|Paine
B

oth Duda|Paine Architects principals, Jeff
Paine, AIA, and Turan Duda, FAIA, in the

recent past, have expanded their practical
mixed-use design experience with self-directed
study into issues related to public space and
the urban environment at American Academy in
Rome. While Paine focused on the form, history,
and evolution of centuries-old public spaces,
Duda explored human perception in the urban
environment.
The firm's work includes planning and
design work that is reshaping core areas of
southern cities from Austin, TX, to Orlando, as
well as Atlanta; Washington; Raleigh; Charlotte,
NC; and Chattanooga, TN. Many of these
projects present a new translation of mixed-use
by including public elements such as pocket
parks (as in The Dillon project that is reshaping
downtown Raleigh, open-air plazas that promote
walkability (Dimensional Place in Charlotte), and
even support wellness (gardens at Winter Park
Center for Health and Wellbeing in Orlando) and
integrated art on public view (as in 601 Mass
Ave in Washington and Durham.ID [Innovation
District] in Durham, NC).

Ken's V I E W

Through A Door Darkly
P

ublic spaces used to be, you know, public; like

By the way, it wasn't just disinterested critics of

the courthouse square or the plaza in front of

the architecture who gave Apple Park bad reviews.

the post office. But private developers lately have

According to Dezeen, some Apple employees were

taken an interest in public/private spaces. There is

reporting to be threatening to quit because they

a lot of talk about connecting with the community,

disliked the space so much. Now, really, that is

placemaking, new urbanism, and the like.

ungrateful. No employer I ever worked for built me

After decades of moving to the suburbs to live
in single-family homes on one-acre lots, people

In other news, Marriott and others seem to

seem to be longing for a sense of community and

have brought back the concept of the IoT hotel

connection. The buzzword in schools and offices is

room. Maybe it never went away, but it fell off my

collaboration, open offices, and all that. But wait,

radar when I stopped hearing about it and it never

wasn't social media and the Internet supposed

appeared in any hotels I stayed in. It could also be

to connect all of us and create a virtual sense of

that my interest has flagged. I'd just as soon that my

community that exists somewhere in the cloud?

hotel room not be IoT-ready.

Maybe there's still a place for bricks and mortar.
Looking beyond the immediate walls of a

with plug-in modules by which I could turn lights
on or off, dim them, and even control them with a

makes a certain amount of sense, but Apple's

timer. All this was controlled by a remote or by my

chief designer Jonathan Ive doesn't seem to think

computer. What a geek. Now I no longer care.

so. He said criticism of Apple Park, the company's

Likewise, my wants and expectations of

new doughnut-shaped headquarters in Cupertino,

technology in hotel rooms have been revised

CA, was "utterly bizarre," according to Dezeen,

downward. What I'd really like when I enter a

the online architecture and design magazine. "We

dark room and flip the switch next to the door is

didn't make Apple Park for other people," he added.

something a bit more than a feeble 40-W bulb over

That's a little cavalier, and I'd disagree. The

my head that leaves the majority of the room in

concept of Campus X, shown elsewhere in this

shadows. A little extra wiring and thought could

article, seems to be exactly the opposite. Companies

solve that by conventional means that would cost

have long designed and constructed headquarters

a lot less than anything likely to be conceived in an

buildings, at least in part, to enhance their image

IoT Guestroom Lab.

and prestige with customers. Clearly, that didn't

I don't need an app that will "start a yoga

enter Ive's mind, either when he contemplated the

routine on a full-length smart mirror" or a smart

design or when he reacted to criticism.

digital picture frame that will display personal

Apple's

headquarters

should

have been built underground so no one could

Project for Public Spaces

12

COMMERCI A L A RCHI T EC T URE

JANUARY 2018

commercialarchitecturemagazine.com

clock radio they seem to put in every room.
To his credit, a Marriott spokesman asked the

compared, favorably or not, to the Hadron

right question in a recent news article: "How much

Collider in Switzerland, which is also circular and

customization and personalization would a guest

underground. If form follows function, then Hadron

really want when they walk into a room?"

circular.

Form 4

images. Good grief, I don't even use that cheap little

see it and criticize it. Then it could have been

is the better design. At least it has a reason to be

Duda|Paine Architects

To be clear, years ago I had my home set up

business to take into account public perception

Perhaps
Want more information? To download the information
listed below, visit commercialarchitecturemagazine.
com/1801mixeduse.

a fancy, new building.

How about heat and air-conditioning controls
that actually work, lighting that's functional yet

Anyway, Ive shouldn't have been surprised.

aesthetically pleasing, and maybe a full-service

People love to criticize architecture. Like art and

restaurant downstairs? That would be a "wow"

design, they react to it, which is part of what makes

factor for me, and the hotel wouldn't have to spend

architecture interesting and relevant. A design that

money and time asking the IoT question.

elicits only shrugs is kind of disappointing.

- Kenneth W. Betz, Senior Editor
https://www.commercialarchitecturemagazine.com/linking-public-and-private-spaces/ http://www.commercialarchitecturemagazine.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Commercial Architecture January 2018
