A Company's PHYSICAL Presence

Back on June 7, I attended an event for small business development, offered by SCORE and American Express. 

(Ok, here is a great side note for anyone working on a new business, or needing a little help with an existing one.  Look up SCORE! SCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated to educating entrepreneurs and helping small businesses start, grow, and succeed nationwide.  And, the FREE mentoring is by volunteer and retired entrepreneurs and company leaders.)

I feel compelled to write about the event from an architect’s perspective, because the mantra of the day was clearly all about social media. (And here you see me…finally…blogging….)  Sitting in various rooms with all these energetic and optimistic business owners, we were educated on the supreme importance of web presence, consistent brand, and how valuable it is to hire a professional to design your website and marketing material.  During a small group marketing session, graphic designers and web designers were even invited to stand up to be recognized.  According to our presenter, these were the people we needed to “get to know.” 

Wow.  Nicely done graphic design and PR companies! Again, I find myself wondering where are the architects?  Where are we to communicate to business owners the importance of architecture, or even to communicate the essentials of what you need to know when you lease a new space or build out your own space for the first time?  According to everyone I met, in a crowd of 250+, I was the only architect in the room (please let me know if there was another!).

I would actually agree with most of the information in these sessions. Communicating whom your company is and what you do through your graphics and web presence is very important in today’s world. But most businesses need to take that message a step further.  Do you invite clients to your office? Do you run a retail or restaurant business? Do you have an office with employees?  What does your physical presence as a business say about your company?  Is there consistency between the web presence and the conference room your clients are invited into? Does your lobby speak the same language as your marketing materials?  There are also many issues a business owner should be concerned about beyond the aesthetic. Are your employees sitting in a comfortable, well-lit, and healthy environment? Are you wasting energy with inefficient lighting, equipment, or insulation?  And here is a biggie, your space better be building code and ADA compliant! These are some of the many issues an architect can guide your company through.

Your company is you, your employees, your product, the social media and physical space you occupy.  Successful new businesses can quickly move from laptop and transient space to needing office space and hiring employees.  Be aware of your physical presence and the work environment you inhabit.  Now, that is a complete company presence.

-Marcy

For a write up on the event, see the Minneapolis St Paul Business Journal



Forget low VOC paints...how about NO VOC?

Move over low VOC (volatile organic compound) paints.  Did you know there are paints available with no VOCs?

Developed for the health care industry over a decade ago, this particular line from Sherwin Williams is now available in retail stores.  A local SW store in Minneapolis sold a gallon for between $44-48, virtually the same price as the neighboring low VOC options.  So, next time you are shopping for paints, consider the quality of the base paint and ask for no VOC options!  They are available for your basic interior wall applications from bathrooms and bedroom to retail and office environments (note that for other more abusive applications, such as for floor or exterior paint applications, low VOC is still your best option...today that is!) 

Harmony Interior Acrylic Latex

And one more tip...DO NOT tint a primer the color of the paint.  Use the appropriate shade of gray or white for true color results and less coats. The manufacturer of the paint will have a recommended primer color to go with it, so ask the store! If your architect or designer is specifying paint, this will be done for you, and/or your contractor should purchase the appropriate products.

Happy Painting!

 

Conrad + Nutt Studio Published in Licensed Architect magazine

View the Spring 2011 issue of Licensed Architect, pages 16-18, to see C+N as one of the selected "Featured Architects!"

Link to Licensed Architect, Spring 2011 Issue

Welcome!

Welcome to the blog site for Conrad + Nutt Studio!

In our experience, so many people have an interest in "architecture," but they aren't too sure what architects really do! Part of our mission is to shine some light on the multi-discipline profession of architecture. We hope to show that architects are accessible, trained professionals who strive to provide excellent service, design skill, technical knowledge, even advocacy and negotiating prowess, to guide our clients through the turbulence of construction. Yep, it's true. Architecture is a whole lot more than making something look pretty.

We will also be posting sketches from travel, process images and commentary on projects that are "on the boards," links to some incredible fellow architects, designers and contractors, and information on the impending demand to move toward sustainable buildings. And we are excited to hear from you all through the process! Feel free to ask questions, provide feedback, and to suggest topics or products we should cover.

Architecture  .   Sustainable Design  .  Creative Solutions

With more to come,

Marcy Conrad Nutt and James Nutt