June 13-15: Facilities & Workplace tracks at NeoCon help FMs & planners design for learning, working, and wellness
NeoCon 2022 is expecting to host a large number of facilities managers, college and university planners, and other workplace professionals as they investigate resources for transforming their offices to meet worker expectations and learning environments that respond to teachers and students following the pandemic. From June 13-15, NeoCon will offer daily on-site keynotes and special programs as well as 47 virtual CEU-accredited programs from leading industry experts from a wide cross-section of fields. The sessions will span eight program tracks: Workplace, Healthcare, Education, Facilities, Wellness, Sustainability, Design Skills, and Industry Direction and delve into the topics that are making an impact on the design industry.
Bruce Mau, designer, author, educator and artist, is a creative optimist whose love of thorny problems led him to create a methodology for life-centered design. Across 30 years of design innovation, he’s collaborated with global brands and companies, leading organizations, heads of state, renowned artists and fellow optimists. His work and life story are the subject of the documentary, “MAU,” releasing in New York on May 13, followed by Chicago in June, during NeoCon, then Toronto and LA. In these times of complex, interrelated challenges, Mau believes life-centered design offers a clear path towards identifying the full context of our problems and developing innovative, sustainable, and holistic solutions. Mau, CEO & co-founder, Massive Change Network, will present Bruce Mau on Design on Tuesday, June 14, 2022, at 11:00 am CDT in the NeoCon Presentation Studio.
With her international work experience, Shashi Caan is a multicultural designer, educator and author. In her leadership roles with global clients, institutions, and firms, she has focused on meaningful improvement of life quality as shaped by design. Caan is founding partner, SC Collective, and will be joined by Peter Exley, co-founder, Architecture is Fun, when they are the keynote presenters for Design: Sustain-Ability on Wednesday, June 15, 2002, at 11:00 am CDT in the NeoCon Presentation Studio.
Often described as a futurist and visionary, Shashi has a keen interest in the foundational development for the design discipline to address current societal challenges. She is the recipient of numerous awards and has been conferred international, regional, and national professional fellowships from the IFI-the International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers, Latin America, Australia, the UK, and the U.S. Peter Exley, co-founder of Architecture is Fun and 2021 AIA National President, will join Shashi in conversation.
The Facilities track offers six CEU-accredited sessions on the latest in facility design and management. The McMorrow Reports’ editorial team plans on attending all these CEUs between when they are live online as well as anytime on demand (and for accreditation) through July 15, 2022. Track of 6 sessions: $120.
Design It Healthy, Build It Healthy, Keep It Healthy: Strategies to Support Resilient, Healthy Interiors. with Marilyn Black, LEED AP, Vice President and Senior Technical and Strategic Advisor, Chemical Insights Research Institute of Underwriters Laboratories Inc. June 13, 2022, 11:30 am CDT. A building’s resilience is often thought of as its ability to withstand the impact of external stressors. But, there are also many internal stressors that can contribute to a building’s resilience, and ultimate the health of the building and the people inside it. This session will build on the concept, “Design It Healthy, Build It Healthy, Keep It Healthy” with a focus on smart construction practices and systems and material selections. Participants will explore research-based strategies and case studies to gain knowledge of specifying resilient, healthy materials and employing resilient practices. Participants will also leave with resources to employ “Design It Healthy, Build It Heathy, Keep It Healthy” in their work.
Gate of the Future: Thoughtful Approaches to Designing a More Accessible Space. June 13, 2022, 2:30 pm CDT. This session, led by Kelsey Rodheim, LEED GA, project manager, IA Interior Architects, Mitchell Rufer, senior manager – Aviate at United Airlines, and Erin Dayrit, NCIDQ, LEED GA, senior designer, IA, will help designers, manufacturers, and facilities professionals understand how to develop a variety of solutions that consider the future of human experience. Through the lenses of diversity, inclusivity and sustainability, our panel will address the way people navigate space, specifically highly trafficked public spaces, and how that effects the overall experience that users have in these complex environments. Through the selection of materials and their thoughtful application, lighting cues, planning tactics, technology integration, and human connection, we will explore at how to make design more approachable to the entire community of travelers.
Expanding Commissioning Framework: Supporting Healthy, Enduring, Sustainable Interior Environments. June 14, 2022. 1:00pm CDT. Commissioning Agents (CxA) typically oversee the review of project’s Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR), Basis of Design (BOD) and design and construction documents. This normally entails activities associated with MEP and energy systems. We propose that the commissioning team’s scope also include oversight for requirements as they pertain to finishes, furniture selections, acoustics, Value Engineering, and maintenance training. The CxA will also participate in the documentation and verification to ensure the owner requirements are being met. An expanded commissioning process focused on Interiors supports Design Intent, Safety, Sustainability initiatives and ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) plans. It provides the strategy to preserve the investment the owner has committed to for the building interior.
Furniture Solves Space and Culture Challenges at Los Alamos National Laboratory. June 14, 2022, 2:30pm CDT. There is a space problem at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). LANL sends robots to Mars, but struggles to provide workspace for the people that do it. Worse yet, LANL needs to grow but is surrounded by mountains, valleys and pueblos on all sides. With the majority of LANL’s workforce at home in early 2020, LANL began an unprecedented experiment to determine whether it could solve this space problem with telework, redesigning both its workspaces and its very culture in the process. The LANL Telework Pilot Program was born. This presentation will cover what it took to implement the Telework Pilot Program from a space management and interior design perspective, as well as LANL lessons learned to make hybrid work a permanent reality. Amy E. Chavez, NCIDQ Planner and Jennifer K. McMath, Furniture and Space Lead, Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Communicating Without Language: Intuitive Wayfinding for Inclusive Space. June 16, 2022, 1:00 pm CDT. As we all strive to create spaces that are inclusive and welcoming to all, one element is often overlooked or misunderstood: the signage and wayfinding systems critical to a functional space. How do we address the concept of wayfinding if we speak different languages, or have neuro diversity, or any number of different approaches to navigating the world? In this session, we’ll delve into the new models of signage and wayfinding that move beyond barriers to make spaces intuitive and welcoming to all. Presented by Elizabeth Von Lehe is a Design Director leading specialty interiors at HDR, and Jeff Zoll, Wayfinding Principal, HDR.
The Complexities of Firestopping and the Value and Benefits of a Professional Install. June 17, 2022, 11:30 am CDT. Presented by Corey S Zussman, AIA, NCARB, ALA, RBEC, RRC, REWC, RWC, RRO, CDT, CQM, CxA+BE, BECxP, CABS, LEED® AP BD+C, & Level 1 Thermographer is the Director of Quality at Pepper Construction Company. Buildings are getting more complex, with different construction types and construction practices. Firestopping is an important aspect of life-safety that frequently gets overlooked by design professionals. Typically, we see MEP+FP trades trying to install the firestopping systems without proper training, experience, and due diligence. Often we see those trades not obtaining the correct systems or engineering judgments for the exact construction condition the firestopping is being applied to, creating unnecessary rework, delays in the construction schedule, and potentially placing the end-user in a dangerous unknown situation. We will discuss the importance of having the correct system for the condition and having the firestopping professional on board earlier in the process, rather than towards the end of the project.
Back to work with the Workplace Track
Office, workplace, and other commercial facilities managers should also consider the Workplace Track. The McMorrow Reports editorial team plans on attending all these CEUs between when they are live online as well as anytime on demand (and for accreditation) through July 15, 2022. The track of 8 sessions is $160.00
Omnichannel Office: Applying Retail Innovations to Create a Post-Pandemic Work Platform June 14, 2022, 10:00 am CDT
Designing to Encourage Engagement and Beat Burnout June 14, 2022, 10:00 am CDT.
How Minds and Designs Work Together: Then, Now, and Tomorrow June 14, 2022, 11:30 am CDT.
Listen, Test, and Learn: Strategies for Engaging Employees in a Hybrid World June 14, 2022, 1:00 pm CDT
Next-Wave Wellness Amenities: Antidotes to Anxiety, Purveyors of Purpose June 15, 2022, 1:00 pm CDT.
Workplace Vital Signs June 15 2022, 1:00 pm CDT
The Future Work Environment: From Home Hub to Corporate Office June 16, 2022, 2:30 pm CDT