January 3, 2017

Kolar Design proudly accepted three prestigious SEGD awards at the 20th annual Cincinnati Design Awards (CDAs) event held locally at the Woodward Theater on November 11.

Kolar’s team swept the SEGD Built Work category, receiving design awards for Cincinnati Children’s Liberty Expansion (Mention – Design firm), Cincinnati Children’s Proton Therapy Center (Merit Award – Design firm), and Procter & Gamble, Geneva Business Center (Honor – Design firm).

“Universe”, the theme for the 4th floor inpatient expansion project at Cincinnati Children’s Liberty campus, was selected for its appeal to pediatric patients as well as its ability to provide tangible positive motivation for patients to get well and then apply learnings/seek new discoveries in the outside world once discharged. Within the patient rooms, sky-like graphic ceiling tiles contain hidden objects providing a ‘seek-n-find’ game-like distraction for patients. Professional artwork throughout the unit also integrates in theme and color to support the overall concept of the space.

Cincinnati Children’s Proton Therapy Center, providing the most progressive treatments for children and young adults with cancers and leukemias, is one of only two pediatric proton facilities in the country, and the only one with a research program. Treatment visits are scheduled daily for multiple weeks at a time, resulting in unique bonding between and support needs for families. Within the facility, a series of “gardens” were created to support these needs and to transform this medical facility into a warm, welcoming environment. In the Celebration Garden, a grove of trees along a winding river path adorn the route as families leave the treatment area. Each tree cradles a set of chimes that are rung to commemorate a milestone in the patient’s treatment.

Building a brand, globally was the project narrative for the Procter & Gamble, Geneva Business Center. As the world’s largest consumer products company, it was important for its global workplaces and tiered signature sites to communicate P&G’s new corporate brand to employees, customers, and shareholders. Brand strategy included moving to an open, agile office concept to create new spaces based on work styles and the various changing needs of an employee throughout the day. Whether it’s quiet time in the “Biblioteque-Library” or gathering in one of the 6 workplace cafes for a cappuccino with co-workers, the space evolves to meet the need. A team of architects, interior designers and brand experience designers collaborated to successfully create a physical extension of the brand for the new prototype of the future workplace.

“Kolar is honored to have won three SEGD awards at the CDA now in its 20th year. We appreciate the acknowledgement of our work with our clients and partners in the creative community locally and internationally.”

Kelly Kolar – President

In addition to receiving the awards, Kolar re-designed the new brand for the CDA to include a new dimensional logo, fresh color palette and transparent layering. Brent Beck was the lead designer on the project and said, “The new brand represents our region’s seamless inter-disciplinary creative community. They are shaping the future of our city for generations to come.”

The Cincinnati Design Awards (CDA) program recognizes the best built-environment design produced by Cincinnati area creative firms and promotes the social and economic value of good design in our community. Each year, a distinguished nationwide jury of design thought leaders and eminent practitioners presents the awards to submitted projects created by local architecture, interiors, landscape, and experiential graphic designers.

Across all categories, CDA award winners represent cutting-edge creative work that is sensitive to global contemporary design trends, social good, positive ecology and energy stewardship, resourceful client-centered solutions, and dynamic aesthetics.

www.cincinnatidesignawards.com/about/

Just prior to the CDA Awards banquet, Kolar Design hosted SEGD’s first “Conversations with Clive” event with the Cincinnati Chapter (https://segd.org/chapters/Cincinnati). On November 10, a collective of thirty designers, fabricators, educators, and digital media representatives engaged in conversation with SEGD CEO Clive Roux, and each other, about where the organization’s focus has led the community thus far, in addition to what is happening in the design schools and the professional community. Clive presented the organization’s “what’s next?” goals and gave insights into the model for our future website. The SEGD Strategic Plan 2015-2018, outlined by Clive and the Board, states that SEGD should “Become a vital tool for the profession.” In order to educate and inspire, 50% of the focus should be on network/face-to-face events and 50% focus on informing, through the website. A lot of time and research has gone into understanding our membership base, how we currently use the website and tools, and the “specialties” that our member firms are marketing themselves as an offering. A good portion of the conversation was geared toward Experiential Design and cross-disciplinary education as well.