Page 9 - NY Cooperator May 2019

COOPERATOR.COM THE COOPERATOR — MAY 2019 9 ROSENWACH TANK THE FIRST NAME IN QUALITY CEDAR WOOD TANKS WE ARE CERTIFIED and IT MATTERS! 718.729.4900 43-02 Ditmars Boulevard, 2nd Fl., Astoria, NY 11105 www.rosenwachgroup.com Rosenwach is proud to announce that Rosenwach’s tanks are certified to NSF/ANSI 61 by NSF International, a leading global independent public health and safety organization. NSF/ANSI 61 addresses crucial aspects of drinking water system components such as whether contaminants that leach or migrate from the product/material into the drinking water are below acceptable levels in finished waters. To receive certification, Rosenwach Tank submitted product samples to NSF that underwent rigorous testing to recognized standards, and agreed to manufacturing facility audits and periodic retesting to verify continued conformance to the standards. The NSF mark is our customers’ assurance that our prod- uct has been tested by one of the most respected indepen- dent certification organizations. Only products bearing the NSF mark are certified. some are sensitive to the broader context of things, while others are not. I think that you have to treat \[design committees\] with re- spect if you want to get respect. Listen to their concerns, and try to have a dialog – which isn’t always easy in the short time that you have to present. It also isn’t helpful that clients aren’t always sensitive, and will often put their own interests in front of the greater good. I know that I try to impress upon my clients that there isn’t just one way to get them what they want, and sometimes they listen.” “Design by committee can water every- thing down, and you may end up with the most boring option,” warns Summer Thorn- ton, Principal and and interior designer with Summer Thornton Design in Chicago. “The best thing to do is empower a couple of peo- ple on a board to make the decisions. The end result of 10 people with varying viewpoints voicing their opinions is that your building could look generic and boring, instead of highlighting how beautiful it could be; and that doesn’t bode well for resale, or the own- ers’ enjoyment of the space. “If the whole board wants to be involved, let them be involved in the approval of which design firms to interview,” she continues. “Af- ter that, try to cull down the participants to a smaller group to select the firm, and then empower one or two people to approve the vision/concept from the design firm selected. The entire board should not be involved in the details of the design, or specific fabrics, or paint colors. To help the board trust their peers, the best thing to do is align on an over- all vision first, wherein the board comes to consensus on a broader concept or mood. Then, when specific choices are made, they can be run by a smaller audience so that there’s more focus and fewer opinions that only muddy the waters.” “I’d advise committees to have crystal- clear parameters for the project from the board, and provide these to the designer, including things like budget, priorities, ele- ments that need to be retained, etc.,” suggests Jana Manning, Principal of Manning Design mittee preferences. Also, the designer should obligations, but to get non-board residents Group in Asbury Park, New Jersey. “The com- mittee should be sure to have a clear process erty manager – and there should not be any community association. While the old adage for reaching consensus. This is critical to en- suring that the designer receives timely and members.” reliable input. Inspiration images proposed by the various committee members must be is one of the best things boards can do – not your residents feel heard when it comes to the edited by the committee before being passed only to reduce the sheer amount of work they look and feel of their common spaces. to the designer as reliable insight from com- have one primary contact – usually the prop- other unofficial communication with other about not being able to please everyone goes Sensible delegation of tasks and projects use of a design committee can help make sure have to do alongside their regular jobs and involved and engaged with their building or double for anything aesthetic-related, smart n Mike Odenthal is a staff writer/reporter with The Cooperator. “Admittedly architects at large are not a homogeneous group; some are sensitive to the broader context of things, while others are not.” — Wayne Turett