With 20,000 architects converging on New Orleans for the annual AIA Convention last week, there was plenty of buzz from exhibitors about how the new partnership between the AIA and Hanley Wood would affect the activities.
And the news was mostly great. The New Orleans convention center is a long, thin venue that follows the bank of the Mississippi River. Hanley Wood opened it up a bit with a wide “avenue” that made getting from one end to the other a convenient stroll past a wide range of interesting exhibits. Plus, it grouped various exhibitors by product specialty – including a large and generally crowded technology section. This organized approach made it easy for architects to spend time in the areas where they had special interests without walking from end to end.
The biggest complaint from exhibitors was “Where are the architects?” This is a perennial complaint, as the show floor competes with education courses conducted nearby that lead architects into classrooms instead of the exhibitors’ booths. But the crowds felt much larger than at last year’s show in Miami, and the mood among architects seemed a bit more upbeat after several lean years.
Highlights of the show included:
The entire Saint-Gobain (parent company of CertainTeed) team was out in force, with what appeared to be the largest – and busiest – exhibit at the show. A huge range of products for residential and commercial buildings was on display. The exhibit featured QR codes for many products, which allowed architects to scan the codes with their smartphones and access relevant information instantly.
Well known in construction circles for applying chemistry to innovative construction applications, the BASF booth was jam-packed with examples: from products to increase the energy efficiency of buildings, to pervious concrete and asphalt that permit water to actually seep through the pavement and into the ground instead of flowing into storm sewers.
Nestled into the technology area of the show floor was a dynamic display of KraftMaid and Merillat cabinets from Masco Cabinetry – with a special twist for architects. The booth included stunning vignettes of products, plus a series of in-booth education sessions showing architects how they can use technology to create stunning kitchen solutions using Google SketchUp and other digital tools.
Most of the exhibitors were highlighting new and innovative solutions for a wide range of applications.
ClarkDietrich highlighted a robust BIM (Building Information Modeling) tool to help architects design steel framing for both exterior and interior applications – an industry first.
Formica moved off of the countertop and onto exterior walls with a new product, Vivix. The results look stunning, and the new product is designed to compete with a handful of European companies who were also exhibiting similar products.
And, a company formerly named Oldcastle Glass, showed off its new name – Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope – to signal its shift in focus to complete exterior systems for commercial buildings.
The bottom line: Having attended many years of AIA conferences, it sure felt like the event got its vibe back after several disappointing years. Things could (and should) get better as construction slowly recovers from the recession and record slump in residential and commercial construction.
Tags: AIA, clients, Commentary, current events, Events, Marketing, Public Relations
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Here’s a little story that actually happened some years ago: an architect friend of mine – after a couple glasses of wine – suggested that all advertising sucked, and that we ad-agency folks should be voted off the island, so to speak.
This got me thinking about architecture and bad buildings. I noted that there are plenty of bad buildings around, but the problem is, you can’t change the channel and get rid of them. Pity.
We need buildings, and we need to get along with them better than we do now. There’s really no excuse for a building that doesn’t serve our needs…after all, we’re the only reason they exist.
So, what should an office building do for us? Plenty, like…
Not make us sick. Indoor air quality in many commercial buildings is awful and makes us sick. Anybody in favor of windows that actually open? Poor lighting (usually too much of the fluorescent variety) gives us headaches, and computer screens cause eye strain. Not to mention, building materials like paint and carpet are off-gassing VOCs (volatile organic compounds).
Be comfortable. It’s a sure bet that everybody complains about the temperature. It’s either too hot or too cold, never just right. There must be a better way to manage the temperature.
Be gentle on the environment. Commercial buildings use a huge amount of energy, and until very recently, they were not designed and built to conserve natural resources. Of course, we occupants don’t help much, by not turning off lights or reducing the trash output from fast-food lunches, Styrofoam/plastic cups and so forth.
Appeal to a higher visual aesthetic. There must be another color besides beige, another light source besides wall-to-wall fluorescent lights, and office furniture that doesn’t make you feel like a mouse in a maze.
Be more collaborative, less hierarchical. All high-functioning buildings are designed for a purpose, with thought and care for enhancing the work that takes place within. When you enter such a space, you know right away that you are in a special place. If it doesn’t feel right, chances are it wasn’t designed right.
Help make us more productive. We go to work to work. Buildings that don’t help us be more productive actually make us less productive.
It’s perfectly OK, in my opinion, to ask a lot from our office buildings. They are expensive to build and maintain. We spend a good portion of our lives in them. They fulfill a necessary human need for collaboration and a sense of community.
Increasingly, these structures are at the center of a productive knowledge-based economy, and they need to evolve to adapt to our changing business needs and requirements.
Next time you walk into your office, start thinking about the ways it should – and could – be made better.
After all, we deserve a nice office.
Tags: Commentary
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Approximately 100 sales and marketing executives from 32 national building-products manufacturers recently gathered at the NCAA Hall of Champions in Indianapolis for Miller Brooks’ 2010 Marketing to the Architect and Design Community Symposium. In its second year, the event once again provided an excellent opportunity for these sales and marketing executives to “engage, interact and connect with architects and designers.”
Through speaker presentations and a panel discussion, attendees learned about new trends and technology currently impacting the architecture and design industry, as well as best practices for cultivating stronger, more mutually beneficial relationships between manufacturers and design professionals.
Three speakers, who know this industry firsthand, shared their insight:
Claire Conroy, editorial director of residential architect, Custom Home and Custom Home Outdoors magazines:
Keynote speaker Rex Miller, founding member of the Mindshift Consortium — a building and design industry think tank — and author of The Commercial Real Estate Revolution presented “Mindshift: A New Way To Look at a New Problem”:
And Alex Oliver, CEO and founding partner of Los Angeles digital media firm Igloo Studios:
An interactive panel discussion
Moderated by Conroy and featuring Miller and Oliver, the panel included a diverse group of architects and interior designers:
Panel members fielded questions from audience members, delivered both by text message and microphone, about issues affecting the relationships between architects and the marketing and sales departments of manufacturing companies. What issues generated the most discussion?
So, was the symposium useful? What did attendees have to say when it was done?
Amy Lee, marketing manager for CertainTeed Gypsum‘s group: “The symposium provided useful information, not only about how to market to and communicate most effectively with architects, but also about current trends in the architectural field. We learned from the speakers and the panel what’s most important to architects, what kind of information they need from us, how they want to get it and when they want to get it.”
Mark Johnson, director of sales and marketing education for KraftMaid® Cabinetry: “This event offered incredible learning in a very short period of time — I really appreciated how these top-notch people made such good use of our time. If the architects share what their needs are, as they did at this event, hopefully the marketers will listen.”
And one attendee even blogged about the experience afterward! Check out Eric Nilsson’s thoughts on the CertainTeed blog.
Many, many thanks to everyone who was a part of this event. Do you have additional thoughts, questions, or comments to share? Let us know below!
Tags: Communication, current events, Design, Events, Marketing, Miller Brooks
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Marketing to Architects 2009
Eighty sales and marketing executives from 18 Midwest-based building products manufacturers gained a stronger understanding of architects at the 2009 Marketing to Architects Symposium, sponsored by Miller Brooks at the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis.
Billed as “a better way to engage, interact and connect with architects,” the event’s aim was to initiate dialogue between manufacturers and architects and, ideally, spur the two groups to collaborate more in the future on product specifications and new product development.
We call it a grand success! Read the whole story for all the details.
Tags: Events
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Featuring guest speaker Ned Cramer, editor-in-chief of Architect Magazine and a panel discussion with leading residential and commercial architects.
Miller Brooks has arranged for a special symposium to help building products manufacturers understand and better communicate with residential and commercial architects, and you are cordially invited to attend this special event.
Ned Cramer, our featured speaker (who is also an architect, by the way) delivers an insightful, eye-opening presentation on how to understand and better serve the needs of this influential group.
Following Ned’s talk, he will host a roundtable discussion with a group of architects who will share their views on a variety of topics and give attendees the opportunity to ask questions and raise issues for candid discussion. This is designed to be an open dialogue with lots of interaction.
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May 17, 2012—The faces of MB
