Contract - March 2010 - (Page 48)

essay: from the past July 1963 space planning A lthough the image of the space planner has begun to come into focus, there are still a good many blurry physiognomic details. In order to help bring the portrait into sharper resolution, Contract recently asked a group of space planners a series of 23 questions, and this issue is devoted to their replies. The 11 individuals whose discussion of the practices and problems of space planning makes up the next 22 pages, are all ranking exponents of this new science with a vast amount of important work to their collective creditâ€¦.They are representative of a profession that, without status a decade ago, today controls a decisive segment of contract work. We addressed our questions to the participants listed below because we felt that their pooled experience would yield signi cant information, both for other professionals in the eld and for prospective clientsâ€¦. The symposium that they have developed constitutes, in our opinion, the rst publication of a basic primer of space planning and its role in creating contemporary workspacesâ€¦. (Excerpts from the 22-page section follow) R.L. Forster, Ebasco Services: In 1947, when I joined Ebasco, we began our consulting approach through the space administration and space utilization avenues, putting the primary emphasis on the creation of physical surroundings as a business tool to carry out the purposes of the business enterprise; the physical preparation of the space is but an implementation in the whole planning process. Lawrence Lerner, Saphier, Lerner, Schindler: Most rms attempt, in one way or another, to recoup their time investments. Some ask for it as a percentage of cost, some as a at price for the job, and others, in various methods of presentation ask for hourly rates. Marvin B. Affrime, The Space Design Group: While hourly fees based on manpower may be necessary for projects short of total planning and design, the normal method of fee based on percentage of cost still seems to be the most equitable for over-all planning and design assignments. There is growing evidence, however, that some adjustments may be necessary in percentage arrangements for a at 15 percent does not always provide adequate compensation for the designer. Frank Colangelo, Leonard-Colangelo-Peters: â€¦I am sometimes amused when I hear fellow-planners claim no knowledge of thievery in the business or that it plays a minor role in the business. I charge deliberate and consistent dishonestyâ€”speci cally: a. Briberyâ€” payments to real estate brokers for favorsâ€”tips, and recommendations; b. Extortionâ€”in the form of kickbacks demanded of suppliers and manufacturers. This extra â€œhidden costâ€ of course is really borne by the client; c. Theftâ€”in the form of â€œloadedâ€ bills to clients who are not informed of true discount prices and who, therefore, pay outrageous prices for items purchased by the designer. Gerald Luss, Designs for Business: I would say that the main problem in the space planning profession today is in the willingness on the part of some Sanwa Bank Ltd., New York, by Freidin Studley Associates 48 contract march 2010 www.contractdesign.com http://www.contractdesign.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - March 2010

Contract 3/10
Contents
Editor’s Note
Introduction
Resources
Perspectives
Essays from the Past:
The Contract Design Dilemma (May 1962)
Space Planning Symposium (July 1963)
Changes in Workplaces Reflect Changes in Task Structure (June 1970)
Women Need Feminine Desks (June 1970)
Name “Interior Designer” Is a Misnomer Because of Broader Duties (August 1970)
Research Reveals Proper Height, Width, Depth of Furniture, from Office Chairs to Library Tables (September 1970)
Astounding Technology Portends Drastic Office Changes in the ’80s (January 1980)
Is the Office Really Necessary? (January 1989)
If You Cut Your Fee, Do You Bleed? (June 1990)
Design: Retrospective
Essays on the Future:
More Happiness, Less Stuff: By Ray C. Anderson
The Social Aspect of Social Responsibility: By John Cary
Leading in the Global Market: By Ross Donaldson
Technology Trends: By Cathryn Barrett
Inadmissible Evidence: By Michael Berens
Practice
Designers Rate: Eight Designers Pick Their Favorite Three Commercial Interiors Products of the Last 50 Years
Ad Index

Contract - March 2010