Conjunction Junction, What’s Your Function?

Feb. 27, 2003
BI Design Awards 2003
Somewhere between the lamp shades and plastic storage bins at my local shopping center, I came across the complete collection of Schoolhouse Rock on DVD, those delightful song-filled educational animations that ran between Saturday morning cartoons during the ’70s and ’80s. I instantly bought it and rushed home.Flooded with happy childhood memories, I realized the reason I connected with the cartoons so strongly was because the overall design was well-crafted and truly inspired. This month’s issue is dedicated to our annual award winners. Looking over the winners, I am struck by how each project, though unique, shares the aspect of inspirational design:The Victorian-era Arcade in Cleveland, which had fallen into disrepair over the years, has been transcended to its former splendor with a blend of contemporary interiors and Old World charm.Offering a healing calm, the soothing Cary, NC-based Women’s Pavilion & Birthplace features garden therapy and a quiet palette.The Loretto-Hilton Center, St. Louis, was carefully redesigned to suit the myriad of needs of its theatrical performers.Off-the-shelf materials meet innovative design at the MulvannyG2 Architecture Headquarters in Bellevue, WA, which features a graceful staircase and is a model of collaboration.And Indianapolis’ Ernst & Young Shared Services supports the employees’ hectic schedules with a whimsical mixture of work and play.Each winner’s interior design embodies the message of BI: commercial interiors that support the company’s mission and the needs of its end-users.
Speaking of work and play, after all these years I can still hum the Preamble and believe that three is a magic number – proving that good design can teach lasting lessons. Hopefully, these facilities will strike a powerful chord with you readers and inspire more examples of responsive design.
– Regina Raiford Babcock, Senior Editor ([email protected])

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