Week 5

This is one of the busiest and hottest weeks. I assisted two interior designers on a job. I viewed how the designers handle situations that they were thrown.

On Monday, Rachel, my supervisor, had to assist on a job. In the morning I called vendors about pricing and availability. After lunch I assisted Amy Monsees in packing for the job on Tuesday. We packed art pieces, accessories, lamps, and furniture. Each piece was wrapped in towels and secured in a basket. 

On Tuesday, I meant Amy Monsees at the client house at 8:30. I assisted her in whole process at the client home. I organized 5 rooms in the home. The first step is to place the furniture where the designer and clients agreed to. The client had chosen with the designer help a L-shaped couch and wallpaper for the dining room. I placed the accessories and lamps out so the designer can see her options. After the furniture is placed, the next step is the placement of the lamps. The next step is the accessories around the rooms. After everything is placed, the designer writes down the prices of all the accessories they placed around the house. After 2 weeks the designer will bill the client for accessories and lamps. The client can choose not to keep any accessories that they don’t want. After a long day the house is organized and the client was pleased with the outcome.

This pictures are the before (on the left) and after (on the right) of the playroom in the clients home.

   

This is pictures of the before (on the left) and after (on the right) of the entry way.

             

On Wednesday, I was in the office. I called vendors about pricing and availability for the designers. I wrote vendors information on the rolladox so the designers can call to get information from the vendors.

On Thursday, I went on another job with Natalie, another designer. In the morning I assisted the designer in packing the accessories and lamps. Although the houses and clients were different style, the process was the same. The furniture placement followed by lamps and accessories.

On Friday, I was back in the office. I called vendors about pricing and availability. I also had to find pillows for another designer’s job.

The company has an accountant that comes in after hours. Marla, the manager, is the one who over sea all the orders that come through the company. The client and the designer decide on the budget for the project. Marsha decides on what vendors and what collections the firm carries.

This is Amy Christe. She is not NCIDQ certified. She is a mentor at her alumni. Her life is busy with being interior designer and a mother.

Week 6

Monday morning started off with some filing and just general cleaning of the materials library. After lunch, I pulled some finishes for a designer. This sounds like an easy, simple task, but in reality it was a little difficult because the project was completed several years ago and many of the finishes have been discontinued. I had to hunt down the finishes and call all of the different manufacturers only to be told that the product was no longer available. After that I organized some fabrics for a designer that had been ordered.

First thing Tuesday morning I started to type up part of a spec sheet that would be reformatted to go on a set of CD’s. Even though the work itself was not overly exciting, it was interesting to see a spec sheet and the amount of information that is included. After lunch I pulled some more finishes for the same project I was working on Monday. I also started with another designer to begin working on pulling together two alternate finish schemes for a designer. Once finished, the designer will have three schemes that can be used to show the client and from those three options can pick which scheme they feel best works with their clinic. At the end of the day I worked on completing a finish board.

Wednesday was a busy day. I started the morning off by starting a healthcare project. I had to order or pull the finishes from the library so that I can put together a concept board early next week. There were two rep presentations; one from Stonepeak and another that had different types of wood and cork flooring. The cork rep also had this fun floor called Liquid Motion. There are two different colors and when you walk on it the “liquid” moves around giving almost a lava lamp effect. After lunch I continued to work on the two finish schemes for the clinic and worked on an electronic finish board.

Thursday was sample day. I did a lot of ordering samples for different designers for each of their projects. It is starting to get a little easier contacting reps and manufacturers, but sometimes you still get the run-around. Some way or another, the designer gets the sample.

Friday was a half day. So in the morning I did some library filing. I also worked on an elevation and plan for a check-in counter at a clinic. I had to show how the glass windows would line up on the curved counter. I was throwing a friend a wedding shower and decided to take a half day to have more time to get ready for the shower.

This is a finish board I worked on for Vanderbilt University.

 FF&E

IDS has a fairly large materials library which allows the designers to find most of what they need without ordering a sample. If the library does not have the product in stock then typically the interns are sent on a hunt to find the manufacturer and order a sample. There are also many rep presentations throughout the year. Since I’ve been here we typically have at least one presentation a week. This really helps the designers stay on top of the new products.

To keep all of this information organized is quite a task. Melody is in charge of the library and keeps track of what manufacturers have products in the library. When different reps come into the library to give presentations they always update their current information. Other reps come in on a daily basis just to update their products even if their not giving a presentation. Melody is also careful as to what binders, fabrics, laminate, etc. is allowed to stay in the library. It definitely takes someone very organized to keep the library functional.

Most of the resources can be found in binders/books provided by the manufacturer including information on furniture, fabric, wallcovering, and carpet. The loose fabrics are organized by manufacturer in drawers and then broken down by color. There are also large filing drawers that house all of the information and finishes for Steelcase.

Name: Melody England

Melody is in charge of keeping the materials library organized and running. She deals with all the reps and presentations. I work down in the materials library so I have gotten to know Melody well. She graduated from Lipscomb University with a degree in textiles. She also helps keep the designer's time sheets and projects organized.

week 5: HOT HOT HOT in Nashville!

There is only one word to describe Nashville this week: HOT! And the office has slowed down a bit, quite a contrast to the past month at ESa. Monday and Tuesday we helped to organize incoming samples and make sets of contractor boards for about 5 different projects. Wednesday morning I got to go back to Brentwood Academy with Leslie to sit in on a meeting and then walk around with the client, contractor, and architect to discuss the project's progress. I love getting to go to the job site and actually see the projects in real life! It's so interesting to see all the little things that happen throughout the course of a project. Wednesday we had a Steelcase rep come in and do a CEU on "Environments for Cancer Care." It was a really great presentation focusing on the dignity of the people affected by cancer and how to accommodate their needs. It was summed up something like this: "Being diagnosed with cancer is bad enough, let's not have the interior environment of the hospital make it any worse." It was the best CEU that I've been to yet.

Thursday I worked on an "idea board" for Leslie Ann's senior living client. Friday was extra slow, so we took the opportunity to do lots of cleaning in the intern station and materials library (we're usually too busy helping the designers with their projects to work in the library). Then I helped Erin with some quick hand renderings of a NICU in a hospital in Texas  for a presentation to the client. This project is just beginning and they have come up with different themes for the different sections of the NICU: bugs, rain, sunshine, and flowers! So I helped render some elevation sketches to show how these themes can be portrayed in corridors and patient rooms.

Jennifer putting together color schemes with her samples

The interns helping Jennifer with all her samples

All week we have been ordering samples for Jennifer's (see photo below) ED ROY hospital in Utah. Most of her samples have come in and Friday we got to help her sort them into 3 different color schemes. Next week we will make them into finish boards so that she can present them to the client. The schemes are BEAUTIFUL! Very rich gold, bronze, and terracotta colors with neat textures. I'm really excited to see what the client chooses! Jennifer is the proud owner of an adorable puppy (I'm not a super dog person, so obviously I don't remember what kind) and she brought him to work this week!

ESa does not purchase goods in house, they only specify and then send the specs out for bidding and purchasing by outside firms.

ESa has been practicing for over 50 years, so they can easily budget and estimate the costs of projects. Most of their business comes from repeat clients as well, so this also makes estimating easier. Fees and costs are determined based on the size of a project, the time that it will take to complete each phase, and the hourly costs for different employees. Extra cost is added in for unexpected things and of course, to make a profit.

Project budgets are managed mostly by the project managers.  These employees watch hours logged on timesheets for each phase of a project based on what amount of time was budgeted. They also watch money spent on the project. If anything seems too far off from the budget, they alert the designers and make adjustments as needed. As far as the client's budget goes, when it gets to the finishes and what not, if costs need to be cut in order to stay within the client's cost range, things can be value engineered to make things more affordable.

Week 4

Once again another week has flown by, and I feel like we are all just trying to survive in this ridiculous heat.  On Monday, Nashville Civic Design Center’s new book Moving Tennessee Forward was featured on the front page of the Tennessean.  I put the link of the article below so you can get a better feel of the type of work NCDC does, and the book really is very interesting and has stirred up a lot of discussion in the community. 

NCDC: Moving Tennessee Forward

The Tennessean

Last week I talked about a project we are helping with called the Sacred Spaces for the Magdalene House, and this was the main focus this week.  The Magdalene House is applying for a grant to get this park built and there is a whole team of us working on it.  I did not realize what a hassle it is to apply for a grant, and it really is very time consuming.  The team consists of the people at the Magdalene House, the landscape architect, Metro Parks Department, and NCDC who is helping put the whole grant together and help with parts of the design.  On Tuesday I got to sit in on the meeting for this grant because I did a couple renderings of the space. The landscape architect designed this space with lavender bushes marking a pathway that leads you to the “sacred space” at the end.  There are a lot of other spiritual and meaningful concepts in this design that have to do with the Magdalene House and the victims of the flood.  The grant was due today at 3pm, so hopefully they will get it!  This is a before and after I did in 3dmax/photoshop.

Existing space

Concept rendering The other big project I have been working on is the outdoor exhibit for the Designing Action competition.  On Wednesday I had a presentation at lunchtime to show the office the different concepts I have come up with, and it went really well.  They liked two of my designs, one is more specific to the project and the other is more sculptural/abstract.  It will just depend on the time and money we have and how to actually get it built.  So now I will be working on fine tuning these designs and talking to local fabricators. 

Nashville Civic Design Center does not really market themselves, instead like other non-profits they receive grants and funding that help keep their doors open.  They receive funding from UT that helps pay some salaries and they have a large fundraiser in October that helps cover operational costs.  NCDC also receives grants that are project-based.  For example, TDOT gave a grant for their new book Moving Tennessee Forward because it deals with transportation, the Health Department gave a grant for Shaping Healthy Cities, and Metro Planning sponsors the UT summer architecture studio.  They do all the research and design work on projects, so government agencies and other organizations will seek out the help of NCDC when needed.       

This is Ryanne Hilbert, another intern at NCDC.  She is going to be a senior at Vanderbilt this fall and works here in the office with Patricia, the social scientist.  This week Ryanne has been really busy because she is the one that has put the whole grant together.  There is a ton of paperwork involved and you have to be very organized and focused to write a grant.    

Week 5: Already Week 5?

This week I had midterm evaluations. I cannot believe that this was week 5! This summer is flying by and I am learning so much. Finally I see what our professors mean when they say “you learn as much as you can while you’re in school then you start your first job as an interior designer and you know nothing”.

Monday I did my midterm View of the 4th floor waiting area in the Cancer Instituteevaluations with Heather and Rebecca. After that we started our busy day. We did a walkthrough of the Cancer Institute. I love how fast things are moving, and Rebecca and I decided it would be a good idea to take a picture of the same spots week to week to show just how quickly things are moving. This project is actually different than most projects because there is a contractor superintendent on every floor, and a few over the entire project. They are doing this in order to finish the project quickly and accurately. After our walkthrough of the Cancer Institute I was happy to find a package at my desk. This box contained the vinyl quotes I worked on a few weeks ago! My first project had arrived and were ready for install. I did inventory of the quotes, making sure each was marked correctly, and that all of them were actually made as we had specified. After that I worked on proofing a 3form order, making sure we had exactly what we needed. Then I went with Rebecca to a meeting concerning all of the casework and millwork in the exam rooms. There we went though each cabinet, drawer, and rack, making sure each had a purpose, and that there was sufficient space with a convenient locations for each item placed in the rooms. I also selected Corian samples for our donation wall in the Cancer Institute.

Tuesda12 East Rennovation: Patient Roomsy Rebecca and I went Boxes of Donationsto the Labor and Delivery waiting area on the Mother-Baby floor of the hospital to specify placement of some artwork, while also bringing samples of flooring up to replace the carpet in the waiting room. After that we went to a walkthrough of UFP and saw that they are working on hanging the artwork. For the rest of the day the office had an official cleaning day. Rebecca and I cleaned out the materials library. We actually accumulated 5 boxes worth of samples ranging from Corian samples to Mannington flooring, to fabrics and cubicle curtains.

Wednesday we finished working on the materials library, and then I began calling places in Knoxville to see if they would like to come take the materials rather than having them end up in a dumpster. We actually found that Knox County schools was willing to come pick up all of the materials we were finished with. For the remainder of the day we had lunch with a Carpet Distributor, then I worked on finding a quote for a class photo of the Graduate School of Medecine.

Thursday I worked on creating a floor pattern for the Labor and Delivery waiting room. We did a walkthrough of the 12 East renovation as well as the main floor Lobby, which is having flooring replaced. Here is a picture of 12 East! Its almost finished! We had lunch with a DesignTex rep. then I worked on putting the floor patterns in Photoshop. I then made a work order and budget sheet for a custom artwork frame.

Friday was a little unView of Downtown STL from the Gateway Archusual. Instead of working with Mary Beth from hoTables at the Wedding Showerme I worked while traveling! I made my way to the airport bright and early before the sun came up and flew into St. Louis for a wedding shower for my cousin! I actually got to go to the top of the Gateway Arch! Here is a picture of my view from the top! The shower went really well (my mom, sister and I threw it for our soon-to-be member of the family). It was great getting to see my family again and I got to celebrate my birthday early with my family! Here is a picture of the table settings from the shower!

This week I interviewed Emmert, who is our purchaser here in the office. I asked him a few questions to get to know him a little better, because he is usually on a much different schedule than I am. He really enjoys working out. He believes that working out regularly helps him live and eat healthier. He also loves music. He actually has over 500 CDs and more than 4 stereo systems in his house.

EmmertIt was appropriate that I interviewed Emmert this week because he is our in-house purchaser. He does all of our purchasing, whether it is for a project or if it is supplies for the office.

Because this facilities planning is different than a firm, we don’t actually have fees. However, in some projects we have labor costs, which is usually included within the budget. The amount of labor cost is determined by the scope of the project. One thing that is important to know about this facility is that is a not-for-profit organization, so we do not profit from any project we do.

A project is cost is estimated by RS Means, and by sending out quotes. If we go over budget we usually weigh our options to see what can be cut, what prices can be negotiated, and what we can ask donors to help with. Usually if we are over budget we can get donors to donate artwork to the project, which helps save a lot of money on a project.