After living with the threat of COVID-19 for several months, it is increasingly clear that we will need to manage this situation for some time to come. Habits and lifestyle changes adopted as pandemic strategies may prove enduring, and these changes will be reflected in our designs in both the short-term and long-term. Multifamily developments pose unique challenges and opportunities. Designers must consider how people use private residential spaces as well as public shared spaces. In both settings, design and operational strategies can support healthier, more comfortable lifestyles as needs evolve.

We want to create spaces where children want to be. In the spaces we experience, few design elements are as high-impact and low-cost as color. A well-chosen color scheme can improve safety, support mental focus, protect vision, elevate mood, assist with wayfinding, promote kindness, encourage active learning, reinforce branding, and create a welcoming learning environment for all. Which colors work, and which colors don’t? There is no one-size-fits-all solution to color selection in the school environment.

Although the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will not be understood for some time, the workplace as we know it will certainly change. We must strategize new ways to learn and grow from what we are experiencing in order to make the workplace as safe and healthy as possible for all.

Lighting is more than just illumination; it also sets the tone, influences our moods, and enhances our emotions. Simply stated: lighting inspires.

We have come to expect beautiful lighting in restaurant, theaters, and other welcoming and creative environments. We also expect that the design of fixtures and their layout within a space provides adequate illumination for each task at hand. Building codes typically regulate metrics such as foot-candle levels and energy usage, but seldom address other aspects of lighting design.