Q: Who are you as a designer? Tell us more.

As a designer, I am practical and balanced. I appreciate the visuals and aesthetics that can be accomplished by the use and manipulation of products and materials, but I am always conscious of cost, function, and longevity. This is not only important to me but the client which is why I always ask What is this going to look like day two? Is this easy to maintain? Is the design too specific to current trends that it will tire quickly?

Q: 6 words that describe what it’s like to be a designer in NYC. Go!

Challenging
Interactive
Exciting
Forward-thinking
Engaging
Passionate

Q: What are some architecture and interior design trends in NYC you’re seeing at the moment?

At the moment, I am seeing the use of materials, lighting, and furniture that are multi-functional and allow plenty of flexibility within a space. We are designing interiors with the ability to be re-purposed so that users can easily adapt to changes with less movement and lower construction costs.

Q: How has the design landscape in NYC changed over time?

Over the years, design has become more open and accepting of the original structures and layouts of spaces. The brick and steel you find behind drywall is now the accent wall of a space. The rough beat up ceiling slab we use to conceal is now “perfect”. We are finding that the imperfect nature of these materials is now the finished look clients enjoy.

Q: What is the biggest challenge for design/designers in NYC?

A challenge for New York City designers and architects are is working with structural constraints within a project space. This City has a vast but unique range of architecture passed down from each era. Working around older methods and materials is always a challenge. For example, some buildings have wide column footprints used to fireproof them at the time. Our solution? We strip them down to the exposed steel and paint them. While finding these solutions may be challenging, they are also the things that make being a designer in NYC so special and exciting.

Q: What’s it like to work at NELSON NYC?

At NELSON every day is different! Being in the Tenant Landlord studio, the heart of our work is in NYC so we see it all and move very quickly. On an average day we could be in the office designing, working with brokers around the city, or standing on top of a 50-story building for review. All very exciting things that challenge my team and I to be creative and think on our feet.

The mental health crisis is starkly evident in the U.S. jail and prison system, with approximately 20% of inmates in jails and 15% of inmates in state prisons estimated to have a serious mental illness. As a result, jails and prisons have become the largest providers of inpatient mental health treatment in the country. Compounding this issue is the fact that the last wave of new jail construction occurred around 30 years ago, leaving many facilities aged and struggling to handle the growing inmate population and increasing need for mental health services.

In response to these pressing challenges, the concept of the Three-Door Jail, inspired by NELSON Worldwide’s Business Development Leader, Ken Ricci, represents a paradigm shift in our approach to incarceration. This innovative model addresses the overcrowded and outdated state of current jails and aims to transform the fabric of our criminal justice system. Integrating diversion, deflection, and detention strategies (“The Three Doors”) offers a holistic solution that promotes rehabilitation, ultimately reducing incarceration rates.

The Problem: Overcrowded and Obsolete Jails

Jails have become the catch-all solution for societal failures, particularly in mental healthcare. This has led to facilities bursting at the seams with individuals who might be better served elsewhere. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. jails were operating at an average of 103% capacity as of 2019, highlighting the severe overcrowding issue. As a result, many existing facilities are not just overcrowded but also aged into obsolescence, struggling to meet modern standards and needs.

The Solution: The Three-Door Jail

Enter the Three-Door Jail, a contemporary response designed to transform how we handle individuals who encounter the law. This model aims to reduce time in custody and address the individual needs of detainees through the aforementioned three metaphorical doors: Diversion, Deflection, and Detention.

Diversion: Redirecting to Support Services

Diversion involves creating pathways that steer individuals away from unnecessary overnight stays in jail. Magistrate offices and hearing rooms within the facility allow people to attend hearings on-site. This setup facilitates immediate redirection to necessary programs or community services, aiming to address issues before they escalate to incarceration.

Deflection: Addressing Mental Health Needs

Deflection focuses on the crucial intersection of mental health and criminal behavior. Individuals in need of a mental health evaluation can meet with caseworkers who then direct them to appropriate mental healthcare facilities. This approach ensures that those struggling with mental health issues receive the treatment they need rather than being funneled into the penal system.

Detention: Humanizing Temporary Custody

For those who must be held, the detention door offers a more humane approach. Designed with normative principles, these spaces resemble dormitories more than traditional jails. Secure glazing replaces bars, daylight streams into holding cells, and quality furniture is provided. These changes aim to preserve human dignity and promote a rehabilitative rather than punitive environment.

Comprehensive Impact

The Three-Door Jail is more than a redesign; it’s a reimagining of our justice system’s foundational elements. By addressing the root causes of criminal behavior and providing appropriate interventions, this model aims to reduce the overall incarceration rate. It tackles the issues of overcrowded jails, outdated facilities, and the mental health crisis head-on, offering a multifaceted solution that benefits individuals and society alike.

This concept represents a forward-thinking approach to one of our most pressing societal challenges. By integrating strategies of diversion, deflection, and detention, the Three-Door Jail offers a compassionate, effective, and sustainable solution for modernizing our justice system. As we look to the future, the Three-Door Jail stands as a beacon of hope, demonstrating that with innovative thinking and a commitment to rehabilitation, we can build a more just and humane society.

The world of work is experiencing an extraordinary transformation.

As workplaces across the country, including law firms, adapt to the hybrid world, changes are inevitable. This begs the question: How do you still make long-term real estate decisions, knowing the future is unpredictable?

While there will always be an element of uncertainty about what tomorrow holds, if you take the time to look at the existing data within your organization, overlay that with your firm culture and real estate goals, and incorporate elements that provide your spaces with greater agility, you will be as prepared as you can be to weather any storm.

Here are five key strategies that have helped firms reach their goals while preparing for the unknown.

Flexible Schedules Mean Flexible Spaces

As law firms increasingly embrace flexible work schedules, the tradition of assigning one dedicated seat to each employee becomes harder to justify. In turn, we are witnessing a surge in innovative solutions for individual office space, aimed at supporting equitable workplace cultures while simultaneously reducing the overall real estate footprint.

In this new era of hybrid work, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. There will be different considerations for layout depending on the company’s size and culture, among other characteristics.

Many firms are exploring and experimenting with various layout options to shift their office setups to accommodate hybrid schedules. For example, some offices may incorporate a large percentage of unassigned spaces and employ online reservation systems for employees to log on and select their space for the day.

Other offices may be designed to cater to the employee needs of today, while anticipating changes for organizational growth.

Some firms are implementing private offices and individual workstations that satisfy current employee needs, but in the event more people are hired, they will opt to pivot rather than expand, increasing flexible spaces to accommodate more employees in the office. Examples of these varied workspaces include repurposing areas of the office as flexible working spaces for transient employees, or even assigning two associates to one office.

Many law firms are embracing the hub-and-spoke model to support hybrid work and adapt to the reduction of amenities available in major cities. Within this model, firms maintain a smaller office in a large city center, while also establishing additional office spaces in proximity to their attorney populations, often in more suburban areas.

These strategies showcase the many approaches firms can take to optimize their environments and meet the needs of their workforce.

Celebrating Individuality and Company Culture

In a shift away from comparing themselves to the competition, firms are now prioritizing the support and celebration of their unique culture, clients and employees.

Years ago, many law firms displayed an interest in emulating the perks and amenities offered by their competitors, striving to match or exceed them. Today, these firms are shifting their focus toward their individual employees, carefully assessing their specific needs and tailoring their workplace design accordingly.

Design solutions are being customized to accommodate individual preferences, empowering employee control over factors such as acoustics, temperature, lighting and posture, while still upholding overarching firm standards. This approach ensures that each workspace reflects the distinct identity and needs of the firm while maintaining a harmonious environment.

Incorporating elements such as branded environmental graphics, carefully selected accessories, lighting, rugs and sound settings aims to create a welcoming and comfortable environment reminiscent of home, all while honoring a cohesive aesthetic. In today’s hybrid landscape, it is crucial to empower employees with autonomy and freedom to select spaces that align with their preferences. By offering spaces that allow individualization, law firms can effectively attract and retain in-office employees.

Prioritizing Agility With Employee Attendance

Open and collaborative spaces are rising to accommodate fluctuating in-person employee attendance.

A seat in the workplace is no longer defined as a private office or a workstation. Seats can take shape in huddle rooms, phone rooms, quiet zones, cafes and more as long as it provides a comfortable place to be plugged in. This flexibility allows organizations to accommodate those working days when there’s an influx of people in the office, while still reducing the overall footprint.

Formalized meeting spaces should have the capabilities to evolve into multifunctional areas that can provide large-scale internal and external events. By incorporating movable walls, along with softer elements like rugs, drapery, decorative lighting and background music, these offices can transform into welcoming environments with an inviting atmosphere. Additionally, proximity to employee cafe spaces, coffee stations and outdoor areas should be strategically considered, adding to their convenience and appeal.

These multipurpose spaces should be considered essential for hybrid employees as offices implement change.

For example, when renovating a law firm, three large private offices can easily be converted into one large open space for employees to utilize, with the addition of private phone rooms, a TV with surrounding furniture for virtual meetings, and varied spaces for heads-down independent work.

In this example, a space that once could only accommodate three people can now satisfy 10 or more employees at a time. Spaces like these are incredibly useful for hybrid employees, summer associates, visiting attorneys and retired partners.

Hybrid Amenities Catering to Employee Needs

We’ve discovered that employees generally gravitate toward spaces that draw inspiration from hospitality settings, evoking the ambiance of a tranquil law library or their favorite local coffee shop. The reason for this preference is that they want to be a part of a community while maintaining anonymity.

When adding new spaces to the office, it’s important to keep this in mind while also providing ample access to natural light and scenic views to create a pleasant and stimulating work environment.

Due to the reduction of food options in major city centers over the last few years, firms are looking inward to provide more convenience to their employees.

Examples of this include small-scale pantries or designated areas for serving soups, sandwiches and small plates. Additionally, staffed coffee bars, enhanced self-service options and warmed food lockers are being introduced to accommodate employee needs and adapt to the increase in food delivery services.

Another emerging trend is the rise in concierge services, which encompass a range of convenient offerings such as dry cleaning assistance, room setup and scheduling support. Additionally, wellness rooms are a common request to accommodate activities like stretching, praying or even taking short naps.

By providing these amenities, firms aim to enhance the overall employee experience and prioritize their well-being, creating a holistic and supportive environment.

Technology-Driven Design in Law Firms

Beyond mere so-called Zoom rooms with improved acoustics, lighting and furniture arrangements, the need for in-office technology is critical. Today, it is essential to upgrade spaces to facilitate virtual court appearances, as well as to communicate with peers who are working from home.

These areas must be equipped with one-touch connectivity, ensuring seamless integration with virtual platforms. Careful attention should be given to sound quality, microphones, lighting and green screens to optimize the virtual courtroom experience. Additionally, height-adjustable surfaces and advanced technology can be incorporated to enhance functionality.

For example, mock trial rooms should incorporate cameras and wall-mounted screens, movable furniture and even holograms to provide a more immersive and realistic environment for trial simulations. Within this digital landscape, technology must drive the design of these spaces rather than being added as an afterthought.

In conclusion, as law firms across the country adapt to flexible work, there is an exciting pivot in how offices are designed. It is encouraging to see the shift from wanting to implement what competitors had, to seeking out unique solutions for each firm’s specific employees and culture.

By conducting employee research, surveys and feedback sessions, each organization can have custom-made solutions that work for their team. Whether that be fully unassigned offices, all private offices or a mixture of both, it is important for hybrid law firms to consider individuality, amenities and technology within the space.

NELSON Worldwide today launched a new brand positioning unifying all design, architecture and strategy disciplines under one shared vision that leverages insight and perspective across multiple business sectors to benefit clients with the power of collective expertise.

NELSON has been aggressively expanding with the acquisition of 15 industry-leading firms in the last five years. The new organizational structure will unify a robust network spanning over 25 offices and more than 1,100 employees with a refreshed brand and portfolio strategy, including a new visual and verbal identity to communicate the expansive service offering to the marketplace. This effort will establish centers for excellence with strategic practice verticals that collaboratively work to transform the collective human experience:

“Work”

Experiences centered on our work lives, from corporate office towers to co-working spaces – and even the warehouses that supply us, which count business verticals including Corporate, Tenant/Landlord, Speculative Office, and Industrial, will go to market as NELSON.

“Serve”

The places where communities serve each other in pursuit of education, governance, and healthcare, each with their own unique needs and opportunities will include Healthcare, Government, Education, Justice, and Religious and will go to market as NELSON.

“Play”

The environments where consumers experience brands, in the destinations where we dine, shop, explore, and engage with one another, including Retail, Restaurants, and Entertainment. Recognizing the unique retail strategy, design and architecture equity embodied in the FRCH name, this business will go to market as FRCH NELSON, a NELSON brand.

“Thrive”

The intersection and convergence of many human experiences in one destination, where consumers come together to stay, live, and spend time will include business verticals such as Mixed Use, Hospitality, Commercial Multi-Family, and Senior Living, will go to market was NELSON.

NELSON now touts universal capabilities across all verticals in architecture, interior design, graphic and environmental design, and brand strategy, primed for regional, national, and international applications. This change marks a key turning point in response to consumers’ brand preferences and the future of experiential design in the 21st century.

“This organizational strategy has been twenty years in the making, signaling an exciting era for our company to utilize cross-functional teams, spanning from innovation to implementation services to collaboratively influence the dynamic nature of brand
experiences,” said John “Ozzie” Nelson Jr., Chairman and co-CEO of NELSON.

Today’s consumers engage with brands in a fluid manner, moving in and out of different types of brand experiences. By taking a consumer-centric approach to the impact that NELSON has across the human experience, the company is creating more meaningful and informed solutions for both clients and consumers. With expertise now in all consumer-facing environments, NELSON provides a holistic approach that is unrivaled in the industry.

“Consumers are expecting something much different from brands today than in the past. Through this new organizational strategy, we are saying to current and future clients and the broader market in general, that a very nuanced blending of expertise is needed to build experiences that truly transcend environments, and both inspire and engage consumers,” said Jim Tippmann, Co-CEO of NELSON.

Under this brand repositioning, NELSON will brand its retail-focused practice areas including: specialty retail design, large format, department stores, restaurants, and entertainment, as FRCH NELSON, a cohesive retail center of excellence for Fortune 500 category leaders and boutique clients.

Client partnerships across the NELSON network include: Bank of America, Saks Fifth Avenue, Google, Hershey’s, Cisco, Kroger, Simon Property Group, Macy’s, Westfield, SAP Fieldglass, Hilton Worldwide, Target, T-Mobile, Dick’s Sporting Goods, American Girl, YUM! Brands, and many more.

Kentucky Fried Chicken has been one of our clients for more than 10 years. We have worked on projects and brand initiatives large and small, but no single project has the scale and literal visibility as the “The Big Chicken” – which boasts an iconic 56-foot-tall chicken sculpture as its main architectural expression. Situated in the heart of Marietta, Georgia, this roadside beacon has been a landmark since construction started in 1956 and a flagship KFC destination since 1966. Still used as a guide to help direct pilots, The Big Chicken has captivated locals and passersby on their way to and from family vacations – forever etched in the hearts and minds of any and all that stop in for a bucket of chicken.

When the opportunity was presented to develop a renovated KFC prototype around the existing marvel, the project quickly became a dream come true for our design team. The icon already did a portion of the heavy lifting, but we needed to dial up the rest of the guest (and employee) experience to be worthy of The Big Chicken. Starting with the foundation of what we helped establish with the American Showman prototype, the site offered us an ideal scenario to riff off the momentum of the brands current advertising campaign and dial up their irreverent, tongue-in-cheek feistiness for their built experience.

We conceptualized ideas on how Colonel Sanders himself would have approached this opportunity. We started by unifying the site with big, bold architectural and graphic expressions that utilize real wood and hand painted finishes. The team looked for ways to guide and direct guests on a purposeful journey with embedded moments of honest-to-goodness hospitality. We considered opportunities to honor the iconic Big Chicken throughout the dining experience in space planning, brand communication and even a small retail display. Photo-ops help set the stage for social media shares and extend the flagship KFC experience beyond the walls of the restaurant. And lastly, since this particular site is core to the identity of the local neighborhood, we embedded touchpoints that honor and celebrate Marietta, GA and provide locals with a home away from home.

The Colonel himself would have had it no other way!

Here are a handful of photos that capture the Grand Opening celebration and ribbon cutting as well as some of our first snaps of the restaurant.