Commercial/Office/Retail
Various Locations, U.S.A
Renovations and Interior Planning

Renovating existing structures and converting, repairing, and restoring them into something new continuously proves to be a challenge full of opportunities to show the client the unimaginable.

Spazio Showroom
Austin, Texas
Spazio, an Art and Furniture Showroom in Down Town Austin, Texas used to be a mechanic shop for automobiles.

The long and open space had spindly concrete columns lined up off center, grease spotted concrete floors, and very little natural light.

More substantial faux columns were designed and constructed to wrap around the existing ones to give a more permanent appearance, add character, and enable the design of separate galleries within the main one. Painting walls, ceilings and floors in pale grays gave the Showroom the opportunity to act as a blank canvas in which colorful pieces of art and furniture stood out and allured the customers.

Solar white screens in pulleys were installed to separate each gallery and allow flexibility for the rotating displays of artists and designers.

A lighting expert was consulted and lights on tracks were placed strategically to create the best possible atmosphere and re-create natural light.

TVA
Tennessee Valley, USA
As the electric-utility industry moved toward restructuring, TVA began preparing for competition. It cut operating costs by nearly $800 million a year, reduced its workforce by more than half, increased the generating capacity of its plants, stopped building nuclear plants, and developed a plan to meet the energy needs of the Tennessee Valley through the year 2020.

TVA was ready for a “face lift” and a new Corporate Image.

A new set of “design standards” were created for the new Corporation. The key words to create these by were: harmonious, clean, new, efficient, accessible, reliable, and progressive.

The main Office Towers in Knoxville, Tennessee, were renovated floor by floor while employees continued with their work. Office stations, Conference Rooms, Lounges, Bathrooms, Mail Rooms were all “standardized” to give the 1930’s Corporation a more congruent look throughout the Valley.

New offices for the travelling CEO were designed for Nashville, Tn., Memphis, Tn., Huntsville, Al., and Paducah, Kt. New structures were built in remote areas to provide easier access to all customers.

University of Tennessee Conference Center
Knoxville, Tennessee
An abandoned Department Store became the new home for a Conference Center.

Most of it was gutted out leaving only the skin and bones.

Major effort was put into designing the reflected ceilings. Acoustical ceiling tiles, lights, speakers, hvac grilles, sprinklers, projectors, were all very strategically placed to accommodate flexible conference rooms.

Consultants were hired to design the most innovative acoustics for new video theaters.

Skylights were designed to bring natural light into meeting places, lobbies, restaurants, and rest rooms.