THE IMPACT OF GOOD DESIGN

Featured in Real Points, by Jo Staffelbach Heinz

A recent article by Lance Hosey, the Chief Sustainability Officer at RTKL appeared in the New York Times, it’s headline, “Why We Love Beautiful Things” is what really caught my eye. (February 17, 2013)

It makes perfect sense that poorly designed objects can have a negative impact on our health and wellbeing. That poorly designed office chair can definitely harm your back and that poorly designed mattress can ruin your sleep, but do we really understand the enormous impact GOOD DESIGN can have on our psyche?

The Golden Rectangle

This article cites last year’s research in Germany that “just glancing at shades of green can boost creativity and motivation based on the fact that we associate verdant colors with food bearing vegetation—hues that promise nourishment.” The article also references the Duke University research that found that our eyes can “scan an image fastest when its share is a golden rectangle, the ideal layout for text and the one most conducive to reading and attention.” This theory of “magical proportions” have been with us for centuries and now continue to influence us. Many things take the shape of this “golden ratio,”– The Parthenon, Mona Lisa, Notre Dame and even the shape of the original iPod.

Buying patterns have proven that design is something we seek out and something that makes us feel better. We want it and we’ll even pay more to get it. Look at the covers of today’s periodicals and the dominance of design. Design attracts attention. Color, shape, form and the balance of all these elements both drives us and calms us. And Coke, Target and an increasing number of everyday brands realize the value of quality design. Of course, Apple has proven it with its products, and DESIGN is at the heart of Apple’s soul.

A UK study demonstrated a direct link between design and business performance. In this study design focused businesses outperformed key stock market indices by 200%. Good design makes good economic sense and clearly good design has become a differentiator.

Well-designed hospitals aid in speedier recovery, well-designed schools support learning better, and well-designed offices have the potential to increase productivity and worker satisfaction. And the real beauty of it all, is that more people of every walk of life are becoming keenly aware of the value of GOOD DESIGN.

Jo Staffelbach Heinz is President and CEO of Dallas-based STAFFELBACH. Contact her at jheinz@staffelbach.com.

INDUSTRIAL SPACE PLANNING? OF COURSE!

by Staci Lockhart

Dallas is the fourth most active market for industrial transactions, with $1.5 billion spent within the sector over the last 12 months at the time of this writing, according to Real Capital Analytics. Hillwood Properties has plans to construct a 1.2-million-square-foot spec industrial building, the company’s largest yet, in Alliance Center North. With so much activity and competition for buyers and tenants, it’s critical to find a way to stand out. This is where Staffelbach can help.

Space Renovation and Marketing

One of the ways in which we can help with industrial space planning is to work with owners to create a white-box space or a spec suite. Spec suites are created to provide more structure, such as with the construction of a few personnel offices, break room, bathrooms, or other common areas. Within the warehouse area of the spec suite, upgrading to high bay T5 light fixtures and diamond shine on the floor add a detailed touch. Our experience tells us that prospective tenants and owners appreciate having some of the essential work already completed, such is the case in industrial space that has been white-boxed or renovated on spec.

Staffelbach helps owners become more competitive in the marketplace by creating marketing collateral that’s cost effective, pragmatic, and attention grabbing. Our industrial design services can benefit any project by helping to attract the attention of prospects through brochures and fact sheets. We produce well-designed marketing materials that showcase the available industrial space and property specifics like square footage, geographical location, deck height, proximity to airports/railroads, etc. All of these materials provide an easy-to-read visual representation for potential buyers and tenants, and having collateral in hand helps prospects remember the property. After the tenant has signed on the dotted line, we will help guide them through the process of pricing and construction documents. To streamline the process, we can introduce well-recommended professionals, such as racking vendors and manufacturing equipment consultants.

Through efficient, pragmatic industrial space planning and marketing, the professionals at Staffelbach have the privilege of helping property owners realize prosperous rental rates and longer-term tenants. How can we help with your industrial space planning?

Contact Dawn Burkett to learn more about Staffelbach’s Industrial Planning services.

Dawn Burkett

dburkett@staffelbach.com

direct 214-452-1232

cell 214-986-3296

LEED Certification: What Does It Mean To You?

Two questions clients ask when contemplating LEED certification of a project are, “how much is it going to cost?” and, “is it worth it?”

What does LEED certification require?

A building earns points for meeting green building standards in six categories:

• Sustainable site
• Water conservation
• Energy and atmosphere
• Materials and resources
• Indoor environmental quality
• Green design innovations

The challenge of choosing whether or not to build sustainably comes down to balancing the cost and the payoff. Initial costs of sustainable materials are higher than other options. But those less efficient options can be energy guzzlers, consuming more electricity, water and other valuable resources.

If a property owner plans to hold onto a building for more than a few years, upfront costs of efficient materials will bring a return on investment. Green buildings have many features that attract buyers and tenants. For buyers, studies show LEED buildings lease faster at a higher rate per square foot than other buildings, energy consumption is reduced and the property maintains its value longer. For tenants, the reduced energy costs, healthier work environments and contribution to reducing waste are added benefits to a space.

Staffelbach has several LEED Certified architects with multiple LEED Certified projects to our credit.

Balfour Beatty recently tapped Staffelbach to renovate their existing Dallas home office as part of a commitment to becoming and maintaining a sustainable business. Of the 17 tons of construction waste removed during demolition and reconstruction, 95% of the waste was diverted from landfills.

Carpet tile, wiring, miscellaneous metals, tin, drywall and light fixtures were all able to be recycled. High efficiency plumbing reduces water usage by 20% and reduced lighting power fell 22% under their original goal, thanks to lighting controls and occupancy sensors as well as the use of daylight in the space plan. Design focused on using natural daylight reduced the need for artificial lighting, balanced temperatures and improved the view.

Balfour Beatty’s LEED certification is pending inspection of their green building investments. Moving forward, Balfour Beatty has purchased Green-e accredited renewable energy certificates to support the increased supply and use of renewable energy resources such as wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, low-impact hydroelectric power, and other clean energy sources.