Hospitality Design - July 2023 - 53

verb. There is always a solution. Use your network to fi gure out the
best way to solve the problem.
LH: People are important. Every person we work with matt ers, and
everyone thinks diff erently. When there's a hiccup in the road, it's
important to be cognizant of what's causing the issues. You can't
just check the box. Gett ing from A to B to Z is not the same for
each individual.
The handiwork of Baskervill, the Perry Glass Art Collection in Norfolk,
Virginia is an extension of its sister space, the Glass Light Hotel, next door
AS: We give our younger staff members the power to communicate
with the client and to learn how to problem solve. It gives them
their own voice because they learn from it, and it makes them
more eff ective. The next generation coming out of school is [savvy]
with technology, but sometimes I want them to slow down. I let
them go, but I have to reel them back in sometimes.
William Smith, senior vice president of design and construction,
Shopoff Realty Investments: The issues change through the course
of the project, and it's my role to help my employees solve their
problems so they can do a good job. If people are overloaded and
you don't do something about it, they're going to make more
mistakes. As a leader, you have to understand where those points
are in order to help your employees. No matt er what business
you're in, it's all about communicating and honesty.
On professional guardrails
AS: If you don't have a project management company, one of the
fi rst things I do on a project is send [everyone] the schedule. If
you send that email right away, it makes everyone pay att ention
to what's the reality and what's wishful thinking. Be honest and
upfront with your owners.
A rendering of the lobby lounge at the Design 360 Unlimited-crafted
Pierside Santa Monica in California, an RLJ Lodging Trust project
LH: Even if we're looking at a draſt schedule at the beginning of the
project, we, as a project management owner's representation team,
have involved all the players (procurement consultant, design team,
architect, general contractor) because if you're not agreeing in a
draſt format, you're never going to get off fi rst base.
On the key to a successful project
AS: Integrity. It's one thing that no one can take away from you as
long as you have it to start.
MZ: Treat everyone as you want to be treated. It's an old saying, but
it's true. It's also about understanding what makes people feel safe
in environments where they're not the majority. The diversity we
have now in our industry is diff erent from what it used to be, but
not everybody feels safe. We want to make sure we are normalizing
the conversation and that we're mindful of that as we move
through these projects.
AB: The key is to have the discipline to not take on that one bad
project. It goes to trusting the gut.
Benjamin West worked with Parker-Torres Design on the Ritz-Carlton
Naples in Florida, which boasts an expansive, light-filled lobby
LH: You can't assume that because the solution worked the last
time, it's going to work on the next project. If you've seen one hotel,
you've only seen one hotel because every single one of them is
diff erent. hd
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Photos and renderings courtesy of PWP STUDIO, PARKER-TORRES DESIGN, PHOTO FUSION MEDIA, and RLJ LODGING TRUST

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Hospitality Design - July 2023

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