Contract - January/February 2012 - (Page 16)

A new year, a new look, and a Designer of the Year I know you have questions. Contract magazine seems different, right? vice president of design, has had a significant influence on modern And who are those young guys on the cover? interior spaces and products for living. And he continues to be prolific, That’s Michael Murphy (left) and Alan Ricks, and I am extremely designing for companies such as Teknion and Arexit. proud to name the firm that they cofounded, MASS Design Group, as our 33rd Annual Interiors Awards, presented in this issue, Contract magazine’s 2012 Designer of the Year, my first such selection represent the best of global design today. A special thank you as editor in chief. The designer of the Butaro Hospital in rural Rwanda, to the jurors (page 64) for selecting outstanding work, including MASS Design Group is quickly developing a portfolio of work with a projects from across North America and three projects from China. social consciousness for humanity. In essence, MASS Design Group’s 21-member staff is applying its knowledge and skills in architecture and Turning Contract on its head design, combined with a savvy business acumen, to improve the human We’re ecstatic to launch an entirely new graphic identity with this issue. condition. The firm has existed for less than five years, yet it is having Months in development, this environment captures what Contract is a significant positive impact in places such as Rwanda and Haiti. today—an expression of sophisticated contemporary design. The intrepid designers formed a partnership with Dr. Paul Since I began as editor in chief last year, I have been listening Farmer’s Partners in Health to design and build Butaro Hospital. Today, intently to designers and my peers in the architecture profession, the work of MASS is much more than just a hospital. Ranging from and have been asking, “What does Contract mean to its readers and the Girubuntu School and a city masterplan in Rwanda to a hospital to this industry?” It’s about substance rather than fluff. It’s a tight, under construction in Haiti, and a policy initiative for the Liberian cohesive package that is well-curated in its content, and thoughtful government to a strategic healthcare delivery plan for Cincinnati in its approach to covering beautifully designed projects, as well Children’s Hospital, MASS is leveraging its expertise and partnerships as the business of design. It’s an intelligent resource to you as well to reframe the design process (see MASS’s current projects, page 47). as a source of inspiration. It’s a commitment to good design. Part of what sets MASS apart is that its designers immerse themselves To fulfill that commitment, we engaged Thirst / A Design in a given project location to solve myriad problems through design. Collaborative (3st.com) to develop the new look of Contract. Led by In other words, they aren’t simply drawing a building stateside and Thirst founder Rick Valicenti, the recipient of the 2011 Cooper-Hewitt shipping a set of drawings. They’re deeply engaged on the ground. National Design Award for Communication Design, the design for Intentionally taking on work where the stakes are high in an Contract is intended to show evidence of a complex graphic design that interconnected world, and demonstrating the power designers have is also simple and easily accessible. It’s bold, classic, and modern, as problem solvers, MASS Design Group inspires and impresses reflecting the work of the architects and designers showcased. Thank me personally, and I hope that Contract readers will find this firm to you to Rick and his designers Bud Rodecker and Robyn Paprocki for be an inspired choice as Designer of the Year. As a 501(c)(3) pending transforming Contract into what you see today. nonprofit, MASS welcomes support from the design community. Learn This issue is a major step in the evolution of Contract, and we’re more about MASS at massdesigngroup.org. all very excited about it. I invite you to join us as it continues to evolve. I’m also thrilled to select Carl Magnusson, the designer of numerous furnishings and products, as the recipient of the 2012 Sincerely, Legend Award (page 54). The acclaimed industrial designer, who had risen through the course of three decades at Knoll to be executive John Czarnecki, Editor in Chief contractdesign.com 16 january | february 2012 PHoToGRAPHY: MeG WALToN eDIToRIAL http://www.3st.com http://www.massdesigngroup.org http://www.contractdesign.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - January/February 2012

January/February 2012
Contents
Editorial
Industry News
Product Focus: Wall Treatments
Designer of the Year
A New Generation Raises the Bar for Public Interest Design
Legend Award
Annual Interiors Awards
Large Office
Small Office
Hotel
Restaurant
Healthcare
Education
Public Space
Showroom
Sports/Entertainment
Historic Renovation
Adaptive Reuse
Retail
Student/Conceptual
Designers Select: Seating
Sources
Ad Index
Perspectives

Contract - January/February 2012