Contract - January 2009 - (Page 18)

industry New Approach New York—Joseph Klaynberg, president and CEO of Wonder Works Construction and Development Corporation in New York, knew a good idea when he saw it. “When my wife Emily and I visited the pioneering school at Reggio Emilia International Center in Italy, we were so impressed by the scale and breadth of the learning process that we felt compelled to bring this unique teaching method and philosophy back to New York,” he says. And so they did. Green Beginnings Academy & Arts Center Cafeteria (courtesy of DIA/WRKS) Wonder Works, along with a design team including architect Karl Fischer and Arsha Cazazian and Ryan Connolly, principals at New York-based DIA/WRKS, began development and construction last month on Green Beginnings Academy & Arts Center in New York. Opening is slated for the spring 2009 semester. The school will encompass 8,000 sq. ft. on a ground level and second floor, and it is anticipated that it will house up to 100 students, aging from 6 months to 5 years old. The educational philosophy will subscribe to the Reggio Emilia methods, which are based on the tenets that children learn best in groups, and that they are resourceful enough to come up with their own ideas for lessons. The use of art is an integral part of the curriculum and many Reggio Emilia schools have dedicated art rooms staffed by full-time art teachers. “When you open new worlds to young children, they grow and celebrate education,” Klaynberg says. “Working with the Reggio Emilia educational approach, physical space becomes a primary element, as important as a fully integrated parentteacher-student interaction. Putting together the right design team for the space was clearly essential to the success of this project and our three star designers came on board with great enthusiasm.” Top Honors Kennesaw, Ga.—Solutia’s Ultron® carpet fibers has announced the winners of the Doc Awards, an annual competition that honors outstanding achievement in the field of contract interior design and carpet product design, as well as Dr. Robert F. “Doc” Docherty, a pioneer in the contract interior design industry. This year’s Designer’s Choice Award went to “Bead” by Mannington Commercial. During a series of events held around the country—in Atlanta, Boston, Minneapolis, and Denver—a select group of designers judged the product entries by the same criteria and judging process used in the main judging event. Judges for the 2008 Doc Award competition included: Wayne Braun, IDSA, principal, Planning Design Research Corp., Houston; Janice Linster, ASID, CID, principal and founding partner, StudioHIVE, Minneapolis; Katie Michael, IIDA, NCIDQ, associate, Gensler, New York; Wendell Salvador, IIDA, CID, senior associate principal, Rothenberg Sawasy Architects, Los Angeles. For more industry news, visit www.contractmagazine.com. The Doc Awards honor contract projects that orchestrate color, space, form, function, and materials with finesse and creativity. An independent jury of professional architects and designers selected the winners in both categories. There were four winners in two categories each. In the design project category, winners included Lauren Rottet—Architecture & Design (while with Bead by Mannington Commercial DMJM Rottet), Houston; Gensler, San Diego; CBT Architects, Boston; and DMJM Design, Los Angeles. In the product category, winners included Constantine Commercial, J&J/Invision, Karastan Contract, and Mannington Commercial. 18 contract january 2009 www.contractmagazine.com http://www.contractmagazine.com http://www.contractmagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - January 2009

Contract - January 2009
Contents
Editoral
Industry
Resources
Urban Elegance
Beyond Fad
Designers of the Year
Legend Award
The 30th Annual Interiors Awards
Large Office
Small Office
Restaurant
Healthcare
Retail
Education
Public Space
Showroom/Exhibit
Spa/Fitness
Restoration
Environmental Design
Student/Conceptual
Designers Rate: Furniture Systems
Leader, Not a Follower
Deconstructing Costs
Ad Index

Contract - January 2009