To design and build an ideal workplace or country home, you have to tap into your dreams, and use your heart, not just your mind, says Brian Lee and Marilyn Lake, the creators of a special architectural process called The Ideal Environment™.
“Many Architects focus on style, function, and rational analysis,” Brian says, “They can often create a seemingly spectacular building or office space, and win design awards, but the environment sometimes ends up being inappropriate and unlivable, or makes the inhabitants feel unhappy, unfulfilled and unmotivated.”
“That’s why we take a different approach. We strive to create environments that make people happy, above all, and touch them deeply on an emotional, spiritual, and visceral level. Our goal is to build homes and offices that reflect our client’s values, and express the true purpose of their lives, and their work.”
To illustrate the power of The Ideal Environment™, Brian and Marilyn talk about their recent ‘Visualization Studio’ design project for Alias, a major software company in downtown Toronto.
“The Alias project combined all of our skills,” Brian says. “We started by getting the client to tell us what they really wanted. They described how they were going to work in the space—for both large and small meetings and sales presentations with clients from the Automotive, Movie and Computer Game industries, along with creative working sessions with various sizes of teams. The also wanted to incorporate all of the electronic tools created by their company so they could be showcased.”
“We got them to describe all of the different events they envisioned,” Marilyn adds. “Who would use it? What results would they like to achieve in the space? And how would they like to feel in the space? We also used The No-Building Plan™ to help everyone think as creatively as possible. The first solutions had six different meeting types each with its own floor plan.”
“Ultimately, we came up with something that had never been created before,” Brian says. “We created a meeting and presentation space with movable walls that could be configured in dozens of different ways. Some of the walls are “Smart Boards” that can be written and drawn on with Laser pens, the wall information is then transferred to local or long distance laptops if the meeting are electronically conferenced. Because the walls can be moved to change the size and configuration of the room, the “Visualization Studio” can be used for groups of 12 or for a presentation to 120 people. The furniture also appeals to both 19-year-old software designers, and 50-year-old corporate executives.” The carpet and floor system allows for easy changing of underfloor wiring and cable systems to support the computer networks. The Visualization Studio room director can control the images on the walls, the computer network, the sound, and the lighting in the room.
“The Alias project truly illustrates the effectiveness of The Ideal Environment™ process,” Marilyn adds. “By taking the time to think through all of the options, and by focusing on the feel of the room, and the working relationships, we were able to arrive at a space that that is very human and tactile even though there is a lot of technology. To energize the air, we designed a slate ‘waterwall’, that also incorporates a projection surface. The materials in the room are high touch, even though the room is high tech, giving the space a comfortable and inviting feel. The raw space had a lot of columns in the wrong places, that challenged us to create seating arrangements with maximum view angle. Ultimately, the Visualization Studio meets their needs, and makes everyone feel relaxed and creative in the middle of all that technology. And most importantly, because of its flexible, multi-purpose design, it will contribute significantly to the success of the meetings and sales sessions held in the space.”
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