Change Design: Conversations about Architecture as the Ultimate Business Tool
by NBBJ and Bruce Mau. Greenway. 2009. 250 pages. $59.95.
A well-designed building encourages creativity and cooperation within, according to architectural firm NBBJ and design company Bruce Mau. Their jointly authored and richly illustrated book Change Design showcases new buildings that offer new ways of working. Change Design presents real-life stories of 14 organizations that enhanced productivity, employee satisfaction, energy efficiency, or all three by changing the layout of their office buildings.
Case studies include the Banner Health hospital complex, designed to accommodate systematic growth over the next 20 years; Boeing, which brought manufacturers and designers—two groups that had always worked separately—together into one facility, thereby resolving problems more quickly and cutting production time in half; and developer City Developments Limited, which custom-builds high-rises with ventilation, shading, and rainwater-sequestration features to maximize sustainability and comfort.
Accompanying these stories are essays on the nature of design, the future of workplaces, the relationship between building design and personal values, and hope for resolving tensions between executives and designers. The volume also includes descriptions of change-design activities that you can organize in your own workplace.
Change Design is a delightful show-and-tell of architectural improvements and their tangible benefits. Artists, business leaders, and professionals of all kinds may find it informative and inspirational.
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