Even in our high tech age, hearths continue to enhance our experience of the rooms where they appear. The psychological power of a glowing, cracking fire safely tucked into a generous niche endures even though we no longer depend on its heat and light.
Sometimes the places that work are places that shouldn’t work at all. The Sherry-Brener musical instrument store on South Michigan Avenue in Chicago is one of these.
The shop is stuffed with merchandise; it’s small and gets almost no daylight. It is, however, a wonderful place to be, at least for shoppers. And the staff is always pleasant; this tells me that the Sherry-Brener is either a good place to be for hours at a time or the employees are good actors. I suspect the former.
The relaxing colors, the visible wood grain surfaces, and the dim light all contribute to bringing the stress level down and the friendly factor up. The tiny space feels homey. Its feeling of domesticity is enhanced by the furnishings, the occasional sounds of instruments being played, and the curved decorative elements. The store feels like home if your home is a fairy tale musical retreat.
Wilson Hospice House, designed by Perkins + Will, won the 2011 Caritas Project’s Generative Space Award. It is definitely a space that works. The recognition the hospice has received is appropriate because its design has a special psychological effect on the people who spend time there. We need to see more examples of healthcare spaces that work. And so I call your attention to the June 15 deadline for submissions for the 2012 Generative Space Award.
Generative space, as the website explains, satisfies the following criteria: “It improves the health and well-being of all. It improves the performance and effectiveness of the provider organization. It produces systemic and sustainable improvements over time. Improvements are measurable and demonstrate documented evidence substantiating these improvements. It fosters a breadth of improvements ranging from the unique experience of individuals to the establishment of communities that foster health, vitality, and well being.”
The National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) is a place that works because it attempts to reflect the cultures of those who first inhabited the Western Hemisphere. Located on the National Mall in Washington DC and operated by the Smithsonian Institution, the NMAI opened in 2004. There were many Native American architects affiliated with the project, initially lead by GBQC and Douglas Cardinal, Ltd. and included consultants representing various nations—Douglas Cardinal (Blackfoot), Johnpaul Jones (Cherokee/Choctaw), Donna House (Diné/Oneida), and Ramona Sakiestewa (Hopi).
The East Building at the National Gallery in Washington, DC opened in 1978. It’s a place that’s been working for the past three decades because the building’s structure literally supports the art it houses and aids its viewing.
The architect, I.M. Pei, developed a structure that can share large artworks with the public. Unfortunately, this is not the case at other museums where it can be difficult for the public to experience the art on display.
The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC is almost entirely under ground, yet this is a place that works. It was designed by Jean-Paul Carlhian of Shepley, Bulfinch, Richardson and Abbott and opened in 1987. A quarter of a century later everyone in the design world knows about the psychological boost we get from being inside day-lit buildings.
The building that houses the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is an exquisite disc that enhances the National Mall in Washington, DC. Affiliated with the Smithsonian Institute, the Hirshhorn is shaped like a perfectly round donut that rests on four giant piers, 14 feet above ground level (museum visitors also have access to a lower level). The hollow, cylindrical shape of the building, designed by Gordon Bunshaft and opened in 1974, is why this is a place that works.
The airport in Jackson Hole, Wyoming is a place that works for a very simple reason: it connects with nature. Here, while waiting for your flight you get a magnificent view of snow capped mountains, vegetation, and the big sky of the American west.
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Recently while visiting The Shops at the North Bridge mall in Chicago, I came across a kind gesture: an amenity for people’s canine companions. This pet comfort station provides water and treats and clean-up bags for the responsible parties traveling with their pets. If you visit The Shops’ website before planning a trip there, you’ll find mention of the pet comfort station. In fact, it looks like people at the mall know this stop well and bring their dogs with them regularly.
These days people seem so attached to their pets that they’re taking them on many different leisure jaunts. This makes good sense, according to researchers. You want a happy pet. After all studies have shown that there are positive psychological repercussions of pet ownership and being near small, cuddly animals. Happy pets have happy owners whose purse strings may be just a bit looser. Make no mistake about it, the mall managers know such amenities work in their favor and, of course, yours and your pet’s.
Thomas Edison’s and Henry Ford’s winter estates are places that work because they recognize and respect the natural environments in which they are located. Most of the rooms in the original buildings are entered directly from outside and there are few interior corridors. Daylight comes in through these doors which also invite errant breezes that circulate the air inside; the generously proportioned windows work the same way.
From inside, the windows reveal views of lush gardens and a river that forms one border of the property. The daylight and views combine to make this a place where the legendary inventor-tycoons could restock their mental and physical energies and boost their spirits after months of hard work in northern climates.
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Designing from Nature
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