Top Five: Plumbing Fixtures

posted by Matthew Bushey, AIA

Loyal readers of the TruexCullins blog are about to be rewarded, as this week I am dispensing more free design advice with this list of our top five bathroom plumbing fixtures.

We have been witnessing a trend in bathroom design in recent years, as people give increasing amounts of attention to that room that we spend more time in than we may want to admit.  These rooms meet their obvious functional requirements, but they are also fitted with luxury amenities and fine finishes providing an oasis within the house.  In hospitality design, the bathroom often defines the guest experience just as much as the sleeping quarters.  And in private homes, bathrooms provide a quiet retreat with a spa-like atmosphere that cleanses the soul as much as the body. 

The top five fixtures described below are all elegant fixtures, but they are not overly extravagant or unique novelties.  These are real suggestions for well-designed products.  So at the risk of giving away all of our trade secrets, here now are my picks for top bathroom plumbing fixtures:

1.  WATERCOVE WADING POOL LAVATORY by Kohler

One of our favorite vanity sinks is the Watercove Wading Pool Lavatory for its modern design and unique form. It has shown up in a few TruexCullins projects, including the new luxury suites at the Portland Harbor Hotel, and the executive guestrooms of Dartmouth’s Buchanan Hall.

The first thing everyone asks when reviewing this fixture is: will it splash?  It’s an understandable question, since the side walls are so short, but the honest answer is a reassuring no.  With the right faucet, this sink keeps the water in the vessel where you want it, while looking beautiful at the same time.   We even go so far as to mount this sink on a wood counter – in a hotel setting.  Add some porcelain tile and a wall-mounted faucet and you’ve got a stylish luxury bathroom, with this Kohler sink as the centerpiece.

2.  HAPPY D. WASHBASINS  by Duravit

I love this line of wall-mounted sinks by Duravit, named Happy D. for the shape of the letter when viewed from above.  This form is most visible in the horizontal surface surrounding the sink and continues into the bowl with a vertical back and gently curing sides.  The vessel seems to smile at you when you stand before it.  This is a happy sink, and if it could talk, it would be saying simply, “good morning.”

It is available in a range of sizes, starting with the petit handrinse basin at less than 10” deep, perfect for a powder room.  The Happy D. line also includes toilets, bidets, and tubs, but I think the sinks are the purest manifestation of the design.

3.  AXOR UNO² FAUCET by Hansgrohe

Either of the two aforementioned sinks would be well served with the Axor Uno² faucet from Hansgrohe. 

One of the first things you should ask yourself when selecting a faucet set is whether you want a two-handled operation or a single lever with an integral mixing valve.  I sometimes think that having a separate handle for hot and cold is a throwback to ancient plumbing technology.  If you want warm water, you mix it yourself.  I prefer a single lever that controls flow and temperature.  As water conservation is becoming a more important issue, it’s also a good idea to use a fixture that makes it easier to save water.  When you’re brushing your teeth, for example, it’s convenient to be able to control the water and temperature with one hand.

This Axor faucet comes in a standard and tall version.  The handle is comfortable to take ahold of, with a loop that extends forward and turns back, providing just enough curve to soften the form, while maintaining its overall masculine, strong stature.  It is a simple, sleek contemporary design that feels at once rugged and graceful.

4.  NUANCE LAVATORY SET by Sigma

There is a trend towards simpler design in plumbing fixtures these days, and the 1600 Series Nuance Faucet by Sigma reflects that.  The square cross-section of the spout blends seamlessly with the perfectly rounded arch to make a very modern statement.  These lines are picked up again in the nuance handles.

There’s an interesting story behind this company.  They are a woman-owned and operated business (rare in the plumbing world) and their products are made in the USA.  They have an environmental initiative that has won them many awards, including for their Southern California manufacturing facility.  The Sigma fixtures are currently being certified under the Watersense program of the EPA, which will count towards LEED points on green buildings.

5.  PURIST HATBOX TOILET by Kohler

The toilet isn’t usually the fixture you want to show off in your bathroom, but with the Purist Hatbox Toilet, that may change.  This is not your ordinary toilet.  It has a minimalist design, with clean, straight lines and a simple profile.  The thing sits plainly on the floor like, well, a hatbox.  This is a sexy toilet, if there ever was one. 

The Purist Hatbox features a power-assisted pump that eliminates the need for a tank of standing water.  Kohler calls this “Power Lite technology”, but be warned: because it requires an electrical connection, if the power goes out, you won’t be able to flush.

Top Five: Systems Furniture

posted by Matthew Bushey, AIA

We’re halfway through the summer series of “Top Five” articles on the blog.  My goal is to post 10 of these reviews of our favorite products and places.  For this, the fifth installment, you’ll have to bear with me while I describe my top five picks for office System Furniture.   If I sound overly apologetic, it’s because I realize that not too many people get excited about systems furniture.  I’m in the strange minority of those who do.

We have so many bad associations with open office workspaces.  We deplore the Dilbert-style cube farm.  But the dismal nature of these spaces is usually not the fault of the furniture used, but in the way it was implemented.

A good systems furniture line consists of a well-defined kit of parts, typically including a range of panels, structural members, and worksurfaces.  These components can be assembled in a multitude of ways to create both concentrative and collaborative environments – what I like to call micro-architecture.  This kit-of-parts approach is not unlike architecture itself – we build houses with sticks and panels, after all.  But at the scale of an open office interior, the furniture system becomes one focused solely around the human needs: enabling individual tasks, supporting the anthropometrics of sitting in a relatively small space, and encouraging interaction and connections between neighbors.

Here’s my list of top five office furniture systems, and they’re all very different:

1.  VIVO INTERIORS  by Herman Miller

One of the best new furniture systems I’ve seen is Vivo Interiors by Herman Miller.  Vivo is a traditional frame-and-tile system, but with a classic modern aesthetic.  Many of the other systems in this list are desking systems that step away from panels altogether, but sometimes you need to have that space division.  And the flexibility of Vivo lets you raise or lower your perimeter as needed.

Vivo was designed by industrial designer Douglas Ball and was introduced in 2006.  The system has a modern look, but it’s not too austere or abstract.  It has more of a classic modern feel, right in line with the Eames-era furniture Herman Miller is known for.  The edges are clean and straight, and not overly “swoopy”.  At the same time, the system has some notable details that take the edge off.

I like the panels that don’t go to the ground but are instead supported on raised feet, making it seem less systems-like.  Look closely and you’ll notice a thin bead between the panels that is subtly reflective, making the whole wall seem lighter and less monolithic.  The system also supports what is termed “About Face”: sitting to the side, instead of facing into a corner or with your back to the hall or to your neighbor.  When assembled in this fashion, the worksurfaces take advantage of overlapping and corner spaces, and with some uniquely shaped edges, everything is within easy reach.

I must say, there are some furniture systems by Herman Miller that are finicky, overly complicated, or look like they’ve just come off of an alien spacecraft.  But with Vivo, Herman Miller got it right.

2.  PATTERNS  by Haworth

The same year that Herman Miller introduced Vivo, Haworth came out with a new system of its own, but one taking a decidedly different direction.  The Patterns line is very much a desking system that eschews conventional panel dividers.  The system blurs the line between furniture and architecture, introducing new forms and volumes that have a substantial presence in the office landscape.

The Patterns system is made up of a collection of workstation pieces - benches, tables, desks, work walls, and "wrapppers" - that are meant to work with any interior architecture and smooth the transition between private offices and open plan.  The system has a respectable heft to it.  There are no thin panels here.  Thick planes wrap around storage units and turn corners to become desk surfaces.  There is a strong, rectilinear aesthetic that is very architectural and unlike what you’ve ever thought of as an open office workspace.

3.  TOUR  by Turnstone

Turnstone is a small, innovative group under the larger Steelcase umbrella, with a group of talented designers who tend to do their own thing.  The TOUR line was introduced at NeoCon a couple years ago, and around that same time, I had the opportunity to review the product at the Steelcase headquarters in Michigan.

Tour is specifically designed for small companies – it is extremely user-friendly and effortlessly reconfigurable by the user.  There is no need to call a facilities manager to reconfigure these workstations. The Tour literature never mentions who I imagine would be their obvious competitor – IKEA – but the comparison is apt.   The IKEA desking system is fine for a home office, but I wouldn’t specify it for a commercial space.  TOUR is a good IKEA-alternative: a simple, robust, and flexible furniture system for the creative entrepreneur.

When I say the system is simple, I mean it.  Whereas other furniture systems come with an 80-page Statement of Line catalog, documenting the hundreds of pieceparts, TOUR is comprised of a grand total of 18 components: 2 counters; 2 “Pile files”; 2 cabinets; 4 worksurfaces; 4 modesty panels; and 4 supports.  Boxes can be stacked and flipped on-the-fly, with clever pass-thrus and cabletrays to handle those pesky cords.  But its greatest asset is probably what most customers are looking for most of all in this economy:  its low price.

4.  C:SCAPE  by Steelcase

Steelcase has probably the largest breadth of product of all the major office furnishings manufacturers, and their braintrust is second to none, with major commitments in workplace research and new product development.  They don’t usually have to reinvent the wheel.  There’s already so much to work with in their family that their products tend to evolve or combine in different ways to create something new.  This is what I see in this new system by Steelcase. I can recognize individual pieces from earlier beginnings, but it’s the way these things come together that fulfills the primary goal of c:scape:  making a small space seem larger.

We’re all getting squeezed these days, and the walls around us are coming down.  C:scape is a desk and storage system that is light and airy, but one that provides targeted privacy.  It’s also very high-tech, both in how it addresses you visually and in how it handles power and data in our increasingly digital and device-centric world.

5.  CURRENTS  by Knoll

I have a special affinity towards Knoll.  It’s one of those companies that designers tend to love, even if our clients always don’t.  It’s not trendy or cutting-edge, and I mean that in a good way.  Their products are an American interpretation of the rationalist design theories of the international style.  Florence Knoll, who founded the company with her husband in the 1940s, designed many of the chairs, tables and casegoods that are still in the Knoll line today.

I think Currents is their most successful office furniture system, as it takes a unique approach to workspace planning.  The heart of the Currents system is in the powered spine wall off of which everything is based.  One intelligent, powered spine runs laterally through the space, with secondary worksurfaces, panels and components pulling up to it.  One advantage of the spine-wall approach is that desks and dividing panels can be attached to any point along the spine wall.  This off-module planning means that you’re not restricted to post locations or modular dimensions.  It can also be laid out as a more open benching application, and power outlets can be plugged in at any point as well.

With Currents, the basic building block of the open office is no longer a static cube.  Here, sizes and locations are infinitely flexible.  And as a sign of true adaptability, you can also attach panels from other companies using universal panel starters and brackets.

Florence Knoll is now retired and living in Vermont.  The company she founded is developing new products for the market, but some, like Currents, that have been around awhile are proving their timeless appeal and continual relevance.

Top Five: Local Architectural Attractions

posted by Matthew Bushey, AIA

We are all enjoying our beautiful (albeit brief) Vermont summer, so I thought I would share my top five local tourist attractions geared specifically for those interested in architecture and interior design.

In my last article, I looked at five top picks for design hotels. This time, we’re staying much closer to home, with a list suitable for those of us planning a staycation, or for visitors to the Green Mountain State. Vermont is well known for its natural landscape, but if you’re looking for a slightly more unconventional design-related attraction, the local area has a few things to offer.

These are all family-friendly attractions, suitable for the roadside adventurer in you. So between your visit to the Ben and Jerry’s factory and that day hike on the Long Trail, be sure to check out these alternative tourist spots for architecture and design:

1. YESTERMORROW COMMUNITY PROJECTS, Warren and Waitsfield, VT

The Mad River Valley has long been the epicenter of the Design/Build movement in Vermont, dating back to the mid-1960s when a group of young architects settled in this area and began experimenting with new theories and methods. This Vermont-based movement was characterized by organic forms, hands-on processes, and natural materials.

The improvisational spirit of this area continues today with the ongoing work of the Yestermorrow Design/Build School. Yestermorrow has been teaching design and construction for over 30 years, and they often reach out into the surrounding towns to build creative small-scale structures. These include picnic pavilions, playhouses, bus shelters, treehouses, bandstands, and more. They are all carefully crafted and beautifully eclectic.

You can see a lot of them if you visit the neighboring towns of Warren and Waitsfield, along scenic Route 100. Click here for an album of many of Yestermorrow’s community projects.

2. 1950 HOUSE, Shelburne Museum

Located at the Shelburne Museum, home to the grounded steamship Ticonderoga and the historic Round Barn, is another lesser-known but just as entertaining architectural attraction: the 1950 House. Here you can actually pay money to go to a museum to experience a fully-preserved 1950s-era residence. The 1,000-square-foot ranch house is just as it would have been 60 years ago, with late-1940s and early-1950s design and decoration. You are free to open the cupboards, look in the refrigerator, or sit down with a copy of LIFE magazine. It’s just like a trip to Grandmas’s house, only here the Shelburne Museum has taken the effort to preserve this piece of Americana for our benefit (and amusement).

If you pay a visit the 1950 House and find it to be strikingly similar to your own, then perhaps you should give TruexCullins a call. We can help you with that.

3. GREAT VERMONT CORN MAZE, Danville, VT

If architecture is the transformation of basic building materials into structures that offer a specific spatial experience, then I call this attraction the ‘Architecture of Corn’. The Great Vermont Corn Maze is the largest in the state, with 8.5 acres and about 2 miles of trails defined by that ubiquitous summertime crop. It opens on July 31st this year, and runs thru October.

But wait, you say, this is supposed to be a list of the top five examples of the built – not natural - environment. Even though the medium here is the common corn crop, I would say this is a wonderful example of purposeful design, with a very explicit mark of man-made ingenuity. This is Experiencing Architecture the Vermont way.

4. FARM BARN, Shelburne Farms

Shelburne Farms is a 1400-acre working farm dating to 1886 and is now a nonprofit environmental education center, and National Historic Landmark. There is much to see and do on the property, but the most dramatic moment for me is always when the tractor-pulled wagon makes its way from the visitor parking lot, rolling up the gravel path of the Frederick Law Olmstead-designed landscape, and turning the bend to come into view of the majestic Farm Barn, looming large over you.

The Farm Barn was constructed in 1890, and in the 1990s it received a major upgrade, allowing it to continue to serve as the main headquarters for Shelburne Farms. The building houses a variety of functions and wraps an almost-2 acre courtyard. The historic Farm Barn stands as a beautiful backdrop to the many events that occur across the grounds, at a scale appropriate to the vast site.

5. WORLD’S TALLEST FILE CABINET, Burlington, VT

Perhaps the oddest attraction you will find in the city of Burlington is the World’s Tallest File Cabinet. As a designer of workplace interiors, I can’t help but marvel at this uncommon monument honoring that most common of workplace chores: filing paperwork.

The structure was built in 2002 by local artist Bren Alvarez. It seems to grow out of a vacant, weedy lot on Flynn Ave, on the south side of town. The file cabinet is a tribute to the ‘Southern Connector’ – the local beltway that was never built: there are 38 drawers stacked upon themselves, representing the number of years of paperwork that the project accumulated.

Time –and rust- are taking its toll on the metal monument. If nature doesn’t claim it, other forces may finish it off instead. The sculpture sits in the path of the proposed road, and the city has promised that the project is finally moving ahead, after decades of stalemate. I hope the city has made accommodations for this work of art. If not, be sure to stop by to see this attraction before it is relegated to the archives.