MINNEAPOLIS – Award-winning architecture, design, and strategy firm NELSON Worldwide is proud to announce the appointment of 26 leaders in its newly created Path to Principal program.

This new program is designed to create stronger alignment between the long-term compensation of NELSON’s leaders and the firm’s long-term financial success. It will also better reward leaders who uphold the NELSON purpose and vision of being Purpose Led, Design Driven, and Performance Focused while boldly transforming all dimensions of the human experience. 

“We are excited to recognize those leaders within our organization who are affecting change throughout the firm, promoting NELSON and our people in the marketplace,” says John “Ozzie” Nelson Jr. “Their efforts are invaluable to the success of the firm, and now we have a powerful mechanism to reward those who create tangible value for our clients and the firm.”

As part of its succession planning, NELSON has outlined three levels – Associate Principal, Principal, and Senior Principal – and the corresponding roles and responsibilities for each.

Our newly appointed Senior Principals are: Bevan Bloemendaal, Chief Brand and Creative Officer; Steven Melter, Chief Financial Officer; Leigh Boyer, Legal Counsel; and Susan Martens, Chief People Officer.

Our newly appointed Principals are: Jennifer Acevedo, Marketing & Brand Strategy; Leslie Campbell, National Business Leader, Asset Strategy; Vicki Eickelberger, National Practice Leader, Asset Strategy & Market Leader; Anne Gibson, National Practice Leader, Workplace; Samer Hamde, National Practice Leader, Healthcare & CCJ&E; Scott Hierlinger, Market Leader; Jessica Kuecher, National Business Leader, Workplace; John Lewis, National Practice Leader, Multifamily; Sean McCorry, National Business Leader, Retail & Hospitality; Nicole McDevitt, Project Services Leader, Retail & Hospitality; Haril Pandya, National Practice Leader, Asset Strategy & Market Leader; Kyle Peterson, National Business Leader, Healthcare, Industrial, CCJ&E, & Mixed Use; Barbara Riekse, Client Development & Market Leader; Joseph Schirripa, Regional Practice Leader, Asset Strategy; Cheryl Smith, Regional Practice Leader, Mixed Use; and Sara Steinbauer, Business Infrastructure.

Our newly appointed Associate Principals are: MaryVictoria Barr, Market Leader; David Filak, Regional Practice Leader, Asset Strategy; Mary Kathryn German, Market Leader; Tiffany Hutter, Financial Operations; David McGoldrick, Regional Practice Leader, Industrial; and Scott Rink, Studio Leader, Retail.

About NELSON Worldwide

NELSON Worldwide is an award-winning firm, transforming all dimensions of the human experience through architecture, interior design, graphic design, and brand strategy services. With more than 800 teammates spread across 20 offices, the firm’s collective network provides strategic and creative solutions that positively impact where people work, serve, play, and thrive. The team combines industry knowledge, service expertise, and geographic reach to deliver projects across the country and around the world. Visit www.nelsonworldwide.com to learn more.

Humans need humans to feel human – the importance of connection at that fundamental level simply cannot be overstated. Brands, in their never-ending quest for relevance, must dive deep into human experiences, connecting with consumers at an emotional level.

Before these connections can be manifested in the built environment, however, the foundation begins with a strong brand culture and purpose. Each employee or consumer must feel that they are part of something bigger than themselves. Tools like storytelling and narrative, tone of voice, and key visuals help brands create transformational rather than transactional experiences that connect us, regardless of demographics or generational differences.

PURPOSE-DRIVEN DESIGN

​​The physical space must be defined by the kind of relationship that consumers want to have with it – giving them what they want and need, delivered in a way that creates an authentic relationship and a personalized experience that is frictionless yet sticky.

The design of these spaces must offer us a sense of community, engage our five senses, and deliver a level of engagement that is only possible through in-person interactions. What can you show, tell, and teach the consumer? Invite them to be part of the story, not as customers, but as human beings. Focusing on engaging, authentic, relevant experiences, stories, and environments centered around purpose enables us as humans to align with those brands that share our values and principles, making an indelible impression on our memories and uniting us in a common mission.

When considering generational differences, we find that consumers are more similar than different at their core. In this “me”-centric world, they are now fully in charge. So what does this mean for brands? Until now, consumers have had agency but lacked power. Now because of technology, social media, and the blurring of the physical and digital worlds, they have both.

Given that, dynamic design details that engage the human senses must speak directly to consumers’ hearts and heads. These details should fuel curiosity, and make them feel alive, heard, and special through unexpected relevant moments and experiences – all of which should inspire, educate, and connect them emotionally, ultimately creating brand loyalists. Consider the opportunity to create a sense of community or recognize and embrace local cultural or behavioral nuances. Or for brands with solid sustainability values, for instance, approaching their design with details that reinforce their position will strengthen their relationship with consumers aligned with this belief. Incorporating elements such as recycled materials or energy efficient lighting, for example, are effective strategies that speak to a brand’s commitment to sustainability.

We know that Boomers prefer shopping in-store and seek experiences that emphasize convenience and value. They also prefer to browse the aisles as a way of discovering new products or categories. For this cohort, focusing on sales associate interaction and brand services, the consumer journey, and amenities that encourage dwell time are key. Like Gen-Z, the human-centered approach is still the core strategy. How it’s expressed is what differs.

GEN-Z’S PUSH FOR EQUITY IS FOR ALL

Gen-Z’s influence on retail shopping trends is extremely strong. They are a generation that prioritizes inclusivity, among other values, and seeks spaces that are accessible to all. When designing sensory experiences, brands must allow for neurodiversity among their customers. Design acoustics heavily affect those with hearing sensitivities or neurodivergent individuals. Knowing this, we can design spaces that utilize a balance of soft and hard materials, allowing sound to flow fluidly throughout the environment. The same applies to harsh or flashing lights or strong scents.

THE REINVENTION

With the rise of technology, social media, and digital channels, brands and designers today must be cultivators of change in transforming all dimensions of the human experience within the built and digital environment. Real-world experiences cannot and will not ever be able to be translated into a digital space.

How humans are influenced by color, scent, sound, and lighting differs by person, but we are all influenced by these elements in one way or another. These elements, along with materiality, are translated into trust, comfort, emotion, and relevance. Together, they shape the retail experience.

Experience is the battleground for differentiation today so let’s focus on what’s important and of value to the consumer – no matter their age, or generation. Being human is what truly connects us all, and what an amazing time to be part of this reinvention!

Bevan Bloemendaal, Chief Brand and Creative Officer

The International Facility Management Association’s (IFMA) Facility Fusion conference is an annual gathering of industry innovators in the facility management world, exchanging ideas on the fast-paced, ever-changing nature of the workplace. As a specialist in change management, and one of the founding members of the Workplace Evolutionary leadership team for IFMA, I chose to present a topic I feel is a pertinent reminder of why we do what we do as workplace strategists, in a time of rampant technological advancement and aggressive shifts in the real estate market. In the end, it’s all about co-creating a better work experience, leading by example, and engaging people in the planning and design process in meaningful and timely ways with empathy. Forgetting about the end user in the process takes the eye off the target, misses key opportunities for engagement and can have a detrimental effect on the result.

In addressing “remembering the people” from a design perspective, I posed five simple questions:

• What are we designing?
• Why is “change” the verb?
• How do we engage people?
• When do we engage people?
• Who leads the change?

What are we designing?

The workplace is not a thing, it’s an experience! There’s been a fundamental shift in expectations about what we as designers are actually designing. This workplace evolution is best summarized as a shift from the workplace-as-a-product or thing (e.g., office building) to the workplace-as-a-service (ala WeWork) and currently toward the workplace-as-an-experience. So, we are now in the business of designing experiences which raises the bar on expected outcomes well beyond a product or a service, and redefines the involvement of end users as consumers in a co-creation process.

Why is “change” the verb?

When we hear the phrase “change management” most people understand it to mean managing change. Next time you hear the phrase “change management” simply reverse the verb and restate it as changing management! That’s what I mean by “change is the verb!” New work environments that support new work styles require new management styles. New management styles require leadership. Putting a hip or cool “work café” into a workplace solution will not be successful unless employees see managers leading the way by using it themselves. Management needs to model desired work behaviors. All eyes are upon what they do more so than what they may say. That’s why we emphasize new work behaviors with changing management style and behavior as the key element.

How do we engage people?

When trying to learn a new language, skill, or behavior, learning is accelerated when people can relate it to a topic about which they are passionate. Whether learning language, writing, reading, or math skills, this is referred to as interest-based learning. If we want people to adopt innovation or adapt their work behavior to a new environment, we need to understand their interests and concerns as individuals. Everyone is not affected by change in the same way, nor do they adapt at the same pace. So we need to identify stakeholders as audiences with unique interests and concerns. For example, managers moving out of dedicated private offices into an open plan environment are affected very differently than people already accustomed to working “in the open.” We need to engage people and their interests and concerns in ways customized to what’s uniquely at stake for them.

When do we engage people?

We strongly advocate the principle that the change management process must run from beginning to end in parallel and integrated with the design process. Change is not something we “sell” to end users once a design solution is already fully developed without their input. Genuine engagement must go well beyond persuasion and influence used to get people to accept innovative ideas involving new choices about how, when and where to work. The change process begins during the pre-design “programming” stage engaging end users in a dialogue about imagining alternative workplace solutions that better support the way they work. When people see their ideas reflected in proposed design concepts, they don’t need to be “sold” on new ideas.

Who leads the change?

Leading requires changing hats. Trying on a hat makes us more aware of what fit and style make us feel more or less comfortable. We have more to learn about why a hat makes us feel uncomfortable. Trying on hats other people wear allow us to understand them and ourselves better. When we think of hats we wear similar to roles we play, sometimes simply changing hats (or roles) requires empathy and makes all the difference in bringing about and being open to change. Whether you’re a designer embracing workplace as an experience, a manager embracing a new management style and modeling new work behaviors, a facility manager responsible for maintenance and operations, or any other player in the workplace creation process, we will all succeed more together by trying on the hats of others. This empathetic process is what we refer to as human-centered design. Mahatma Ghandi said it best… “You must be the change you want to see in the world.”

We’re excited to announce that our project with Tributary Rise in Birmingham, Alabama has been awarded a 2023 CoStar Impact Award for Multifamily Development of the Year! Thank you and congratulations to our teammates and our partners!

Read more here.

The former Domino Sugar refinery site on the Mystic River in Charlestown has limited the public’s access to the waterfront for decades. Now a developer is proposing to transform the 21-acre site with about 1.7 million square feet of mixed-use and open space.

Braintree-based real estate company The Flatley Co. has kicked off the development review process for 425 Medford St. in Charlestown. The Flatley Co. also owns the nearby Schrafft Center, a former candy factory with prominent clocktower.

As part of the 425 Medford project, The Flatley Co. has also pitched a 22-foot high flood barrier, that will be built to standards that aim to prevent future coastal flooding. That barrier will be built along a newly proposed three-quarter-mile public space on the Mystic River, including an extension of Boston’s Harborwalk, recreational and park areas, a public dock, launch areas for boats and kayaks as well as public look-out spots. Read the full article here.

Both prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, many well-known retailers that occupied anchor spaces at the ends of malls and shopping centers made the difficult decision to close their doors permanently. Malls were hit especially hard as large department store chains (such as Sears) closed many of their locations, leaving behind empty blocks of contiguous space often totaling 100,000 square feet or more per location.

To successfully backfill these vacant or dark retail anchor spaces, owners, operators and developers of shopping centers and malls must carefully consider the demographics in the surrounding community served by the retail facility in question. To fill the vacancy, a developer must first identify the most viable economic use for the empty space.

Read the full article on LoopNet.

Top Five Best Practices for Designing Small Healthcare Spaces

As more healthcare providers seek out leases in retail properties, what design considerations come into play – and is size everything? For part three in our series, we’re taking a closer look at the challenges of meeting the design requirements for first-rate outpatient facilities within the unique surroundings of retail and storefront property.

With the shift away from medical office buildings toward retail, healthcare tenants are looking to minimize higher lease costs by cutting back on space. The oft-repeated corporate adage of doing more with less becomes especially important for these facilities. Healthcare providers also must find ways to assimilate to high-traffic, retail-oriented areas to appeal to and capture needed patient volumes. And when those patients enter the facility, providers need to deliver on the promise of a positive healthcare experience in a limited space.

In a consumer-driven marketplace, medical tenants can make savvy and strategic decisions about how they plan and fit out their ambulatory facilities to maximize quality and cost savings. Our top five recommended best practices are:

Maximize staff efficiency

This is just as important in small spaces as it is in large hospitals. Analyze how the staff works. Lay out the space to minimize workflow distances, remembering that personnel costs make up a significant proportion of operational costs. Understand points of movement – where do nurses go to get their supplies? Will patients travel far for diagnostic procedures? How do clerks handle registration and check-out? Being clear on workflow will make the best use of the space.

Utilize circulation space

Circulation space presents a good opportunity within smaller spaces to accommodate additional patient care and work areas. Creating alcoves in hallways to accomplish functions such as registration or queuing can maximize their efficiency and still provide pleasant areas for patients and staff.

Provide flexibility for expansion

Healthcare is always evolving – built-in flexibility and adaptability can address these changes. Allow exam rooms to serve multiple specialties. Strategically locate soft spaces such as offices, storage rooms, and lounges in areas where they can be repurposed for patient care areas. Plan for how the space could expand next door, but do not locate expensive plumbing-intense spaces such as toilets at ends of hallways that could serve as a connection point.

Take cues from other space types – your local small Starbucks is a start!

Waiting times can be long in medical facilities, and the patient and family must be given comfortable and practical areas to wait, especially with today’s technology. Small coffee shops and cafés have successfully created such spaces by introducing work tables, lounge seating, and designated areas for conversation which can reduce anxiety and can shorten the perceived waiting times.

Introduce soothing and lasting interiors

The ambiance of smaller facilities should help in the healing process, rather than aggravate it. Color palettes from nature have been shown to calm and comfort people. In a small facility, creative use of lighting can also be used to maximize this effect with indirect exposure and natural illumination. Finishes that are easily washable not only provide a cleaner environment but also allow for extra cost savings with a longer lifespan.