Author Archives: Amanda Hansen

IMI: Tile, Marble, & Terrazzo Event

Portland-area design community: Are you interested in learning more about designing with tile, marble, and terrazzo? Would you like 3.0 HSW LUs and valuable networking with your fellow professionals at a convenient Pearl District location?

If so, join your colleagues in the northwest design community and other industry organizations and material suppliers on November 14, 2023 for this valuable educational session. Registration, breakfast, and lunch are free for qualified design and construction professionals.

After successful events in NY, Chicago, and San Francisco, IMI’s Tile Marble Terrazzo Day is coming to Portland.  With three expert industry speakers, space is limited, so register soon and we look forward to seeing you on November 14th.  Click here for more info and to get your name on the list!

2023 Design Excellence Awards | Meet the Jurors

Julio Braga, FIIDA, LEED AP
New York, New York

Julio Braga is a Principal at FCA in New York where he leads the Interiors Practice. He holds a Diploma in Architecture from the University of Buenos Aires and has been living and practicing in NYC for over 25 years. Previously, he was Managing Director of the NY office of IA Interior Architects and founder of Braga Oris Associates.  Julio has worked on a wide range of domestic and international projects for clients that include tech companies and financial and professional service firms. He is a Fellow of IIDA, where he served as a Board Member for seven years and as President for one year.

Ronnie Belizaire, FIIDA
Atlanta, Georgia

Ronnie Belizaire is an experienced project manager/ designer with over 5 million square feet and 500+ acres of architectural, interior and industrial projects delivered during her 17-year career. Professionally, Ronnie has completed projects for numerous clients including some Fortune 500 companies – helping them transform their organizations through the built environment.  Ronnie uses her unique skill set that blends business acumen, strategic real estate knowledge and design expertise to advise and guide clients’ development projects to meet their organizational goals. In addition to volunteering with various local, national and global non/ not-for-profits, Ronnie is a dedicated IIDA volunteer whose previous IIDA service includes Georgia Chapter President from 2013-2014 and IIDA Foundation Chair from 2017-2019. She is now serving as IIDA’s International Board President.

Sarah McGarry, IIDA, LEED AP
Denver, Colorado

Sarah McGarry is co-founder and principal of Clic Design Studio, a commercial interior architecture and design studio based in Denver, Colorado.  As an NCIDQ certified and award-winning designer with nearly 20 years of experience, Sarah provides expertise in all aspects of design, strategy, and project management. Passionate about giving back to the design community, Sarah served on the IIDA RMC Board for 9 years including a term as president. Hoping to shape the next generation of designers, Sarah is also Director of the Interior Design program at the University of Colorado Denver. Prior to founding Clic Design Studio, Sarah was the Workplace Sector Lead and Principal with Stantec leading design for a wide range of commercial projects.

Membership Spotlight: MaKayla Page

Name: Makayla Page
Company/Position: Carlson Veit Junge Architects PC, Interior Designer
IIDA member since: 2018

Why are you a member of IIDA?
I’m a member of IIDA because it offers an amazing opportunity to meet other professionals who are just as excited and passionate about interiors as I am. The ability to learn and grow through others in this field is so important and IIDA offers an outlet to do so. It’s a community that is built around the idea of helping each other succeed and that feeling of support is comforting. It gives members the leg room to focus on learning and to reach further in their work and accomplishments.

Favorite IIDA event:
As I am a new professional in the field, many of the events I have attended were student events. I still love the opportunity that the student design charrette offers to up and coming designers, I will always hold onto the memories I made in the ones I participated in. I am most excited to attend the next Design Crawl. I love walking through spaces and seeing the inner workings of talented designers’ minds.

Why do you support interior design licensing?
There are so many facets when designing our built environments. Ask any designer and they will give you a long list full of different categories and subcategories, about code, renderings, design principles, sustainability, everything down to relationships with GC’s and engineers. The list goes on and on. The more you know the better space you will create. Licensing is important because it informs all these aspects of being a designer. It is continued education and it helps prevent the professional from becoming stagnant. I view it as making our designers better, and therefore our world better.

What does being a designer mean to your life?
I believe being a designer of any kind is incredibly important as we shape the world and society. I am incredibly proud to be an interior designer. I am a first-generation college student who grew up in a working-class family. In lower socioeconomic communities the quality of our built worlds and the way it looks are viewed as less important. It’s a roof over our heads and that’s what matters. As a designer we know it is not that simple. Our built world is so important and one of the quickest ways to improve quality of life. I get to help build spaces with inclusivity, and wellness in mind, to make EVERYONE feel special and comfortable.

On a typical Saturday where can we find you?
A typical Saturday always includes me at home on a couch or in a theater watching at least one episode of a show, or a movie that I am or a loved one is excited about. I love being sucked into another world and seeing how it was created. An adolescent dream of mine was creating sets and doing set design. I will make mental notes and comments about the color theory used in creating the sets or even the characters. Make guesses at the materials being used. Who they are trying to emulate in the furniture. How color and environment set the tone for a scene and how it makes the characters feel. Listening characters describe their dream home or vacation and how the buildings and interiors are perfect for them. It offers a great amount of inspiration to me and expands my worldview as I get to see and meet people I haven’t met before. Understand them, their cultures, and of course their spaces.

Sponsor Spotlight: Haworth

Company Name: Haworth
Your Name: Jessica Simpson (Becker)
IIDA member since: 2016
Involved on the IIDA Oregon Chapter Board? I am new to the IIDA Oregon chapter but was part of the Southern California Board as VP of Communications. I am excited to learn how I can become more involved in the Oregon Chapter!

Haworth is a privately held, family-owned furniture manufacturer headquartered in Holland, Michigan. We design and manufacture seating, tables, movable walls, panels, storage, and wood casegoods. Haworth has been a global company for over 35 years with offices in more than 150 countries and customers all over the world. We have 8,000+ members and 400 dealers worldwide. We work with over 55% of the Fortune 500 companies and have 700+ registered patents. This year we celebrate our 75th anniversary in the business! 

What is your favorite IIDA event and why?
 Since I recently moved to the PNW, I am still learning about all the events that are put on by this chapter. I look forward to attending the Design Excellence Awards in October! 

What is your favorite product/service offered by your company and why?
Call me a nerd, but I get excited about our workplace research. I love uncovering the science behind well designed spaces and creating solutions that support well-being and enhance the workplace experience. 

What aspect of your company are you most proud of and why?
Haworth has been zero waste to landfill in globally since 2012. When you see that in person—a huge manufacturing facility with ZERO WASTE…it’s extraordinary. We are on the path to achieve net zero by 2050 and have a mid-term goal to reduce actual emissions 42% by 2030, including scope 3 supply chain emissions. 

What value do you see in being an IIDA Oregon Chapter Annual Sponsor?
As a new member to this chapter, I feel that annual sponsorship is essential to becoming involved in the community, meeting new people, and promoting Haworth’s brand. 

What impact do you see the IIDA Oregon Chapter having on the A&D community in Oregon?
IIDA brings our design community together. The chapter unites individuals with common interests to collaborate and create long lasting relationships.

What gets you excited about design?
 I love that good design has the power to connect people with space. As designers we can transform mundane spaces into environments that foster productivity, collaboration, and well-being—that’s magical!  

Interesting fact?
I recently got married in July and am perfecting my best autograph signature as “the other” Jessica Simpson.

Sponsor Spotlight: Absolute Resource

Company Name: Absolute Resource
Your Name: Jayson Gates
Local Rep’s Position/Years?: Owner / Principle 14 years
IIDA member since: 2005

At Absolute Resource, our mission is to build enduring relationships with design professionals and the most creative, innovative brands in the world. Based in the Pacific Northwest and celebrating over 10-years in operation, we are an internationally recognized firm collaborating and servicing clients in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska. Our team is dedicated to your success. As an independent agent/representative Absolute Resource offers a full range of support, including detailed product presentations, brand expertise & advocacy, product sustainability, and sampling on behalf of our trusted partners.
Additionally, we provide resources on durability and budget, along with specialized design scope and material sourcing for sophisticated specifications. We are here to support and assist as you build your professional legacy through partnerships with prestige, innovative brands including: RBW lighting, Naughtone, Turf, Spacestor, Leland, Montisa, Miran Spaces and TextileMania. Our passion lies in working with creative, fun and interesting people who are changing the world through the transformative power of interior design. Thank you IIDA Oregon.

What is your favorite IIDA event and why?
The annual celebration as it’s a great event celebrating the creativity and commitment of our design community and IIDA members. What is your favorite product/service offered by your company and why?: Brand advocacy that includes domestic and international travel. We love exploring our brands and introducing the unique culture of our partners to the community in the PNW. We love to travel!

What aspect of your company are you most proud of and why?
We are proud that the design community in the Pacific Northwest has allowed us to thrive and work as partners on such memorable and creative projects through the years. 

What value do you see in being an IIDA Oregon Chapter Annual Sponsor?
IIDA has been part of our journey in the design community since the start of our career. We are proud to support an organization that supports the professionalism of interior Design and our community. 

What impact do you see the IIDA Oregon Chapter having on the A&D community in Oregon?
We see IIDA Oregon continuing to provide community and support to emerging and seasoned designers and firms. To provide a place for designers to thrive, grow, and to be inspired to create projects that are Innovative, healthy, safe, and transformative. 

What is your personal mantra?
What you seek is what you find. 

What gets you excited about design?
The intersection of digital and real life in the creative process. More human, less commodity. 

Favorite design magazine/blog?
Alcova.xyz (check it out and thank me later) 

Interesting fact?
I recently traveled to Sumba Indonesia and visited a Marapu village. I was gifted and accepted an offering of betal nut to prevent a “war” between our families. Disaster averted; you can call me “Indiana Jayson” now!

Sponsor Spotlight: LRS Architects

Company Name: LRS Architects
Services: Architecture, Interior Design and Master Planning
Number of years in business: 47
Involved on the IIDA Oregon Chapter Board?
Britney Hale, Director of Membership 2023-2024
Amalia Mohr, President 2011-2012

LRS Architects is an award-winning practice driven by a passion for good design that goes beyond aesthetics to create vibrant communities and spaces that support he well-being of those who inhabit them. Our 139-person firm is the largest majority woman-owned architecture and interior design firm in the Pacific Northwest, with offices in Portland and Bend, Oregon. We work throughout the United States and internationally in China, Canada, and Nicaragua. LRS projects have been recognized with dozens of awards and featured in hundreds of publications, including Architect, Fast Company, ENR, and Office Snapshots, among others.

What is your favorite IIDA event and why?
Our favorite event is the IIDA Design Excellence Awards Ceremony, celebrating our accomplishments in the industry with our design peers. It always promises an invigorating evening full of interesting conversation, inspiration, and excitement for the future of design. 

What is your favorite product/service offered by your company and why?
Collaboration is the most important service we offer at LRS. We love to collaborate with our clients, working together to find the best design solutions for their needs. It is a privilege to earn clients’ trust and learn from them about what inspires their community so that the design we generate together can unite their community in a way that is unique to them. 

What aspect of your company are you most proud of and why?
Happy designers make happy projects! Our firm culture is one of a kind, deeply rooted in the belief that empathy and creativity go hand in hand. We are proud to have built a firm differentiated by remarkable people who care deeply about their colleagues’ aspirations and hopes for the future.

What value do you see in being an IIDA Oregon Chapter Annual Sponsor?
Even though it is a group of competitors both within architecture and interior design firms or products, you would never know it when you attend an event or come together as a team.

The resources and support that the IIDA Oregon Chapter provides to our local interior design community is immensely valuable and elevates everyone’s work. It is so refreshing to see a tight-knit, engaging group of designers and product vendors from competing firms come together to build community around a shared passion for great design.

What impact do you see the IIDA Oregon Chapter having on the A&D community in Oregon?
Our membership benefits our community of designers and industry partners by providing opportunities for professional development, networking, and positions in leadership. The IIDA Oregon Chapter also offers great support to designers studying for the NCIDQ exam, which has benefitted many interior designers at LRS who have taken their exams. Ultimately, the health, safety, and welfare of the greater community is impacted by Interior Design Legislation, and IIDA’s leadership and advocacy in these efforts is widely recognized.

What is your personal mantra?
The LRS Interior Design Team understands that each of our clients’ stories are unique and deserving of a space that reflects that story. While we stay aware of what’s new and trending in the design world, we know that there is more to creating a space than simply following the latest trends. Our team prides ourselves on being a creative and collaborative group. We work closely with our clients to gain an understanding of their story, their needs, and their vision. By approaching each project with a balance of creativity and collaboration, we’re able to create solutions that are not only aesthetically pleasing, but functional as well.

Interesting fact?
We believe in breaking the status quo by celebrating diversity. Our passion for creating spaces that serve our users best through empathy and understanding of different perspectives stems from our majority women ownership. As a result, we bring fresh, innovative design solutions to every project we undertake. 

We pride ourselves on delivering exceptional service, and that is reflected in our repeat clients. In fact, 80 percent of our business comes from satisfied clients who return to us for their next project. We understand that each client is unique and has their own vision, and we are committed to bringing that vision to life through creative design solutions.

Featured Blog Post: President Spotlight

Hello! My name is Emily Wright and I am happy to introduce myself as your new IIDA Oregon Chapter President for the 2023-2024 board year! Thank you again to everyone who was able to join us at the Color Block Party Annual Celebration. It was such a fun and inspiring night for us to celebrate the chapter’s achievements and look forward to our progress for the next year. I could not have asked for a better way to kick off my presidency!

I am stepping into this role after seven and a half years serving on the IIDA OR Board of Directors, previously having served on the Sponsorship team as the Director of Annual Sponsorship and the Advocacy team as both a Director and Vice President of Advocacy. I am passionate about the profession of commercial interior design and am thankful everyday for the opportunity to work alongside so many other passionate members of our profession. 

Community
As your 2023-2024 IIDA Oregon Chapter President, my theme for this year is community. In an industry known for its ups and downs, it can be hard to look to the future with any certainty, but that does not mean the future is out of our control. I firmly believe that by continuing to focus our energy into cultivating meaningful connections, we can foster a strong and welcoming community. This also includes commitment to our ongoing work with social justice and diversity, equity, and inclusion and as well as continuing to build on our efforts for outreach to students in K-12. 

Community and connection also does not end just with our members. There are many opportunities for us to be collaborating within Portland and Oregon with other organizations and I look forward to finding ways for us to connect to share resources, build our networks, and work towards a more resilient community that everyone feels they are a part of.

Advocacy
In the spring of this year, IIDA, ASID, and CIDQ came together to form the Consortium for Interior Design. I am so encouraged by the momentum that we are already seeing behind this effort. We have already started meeting monthly with representatives from each group at both the national and local level and the power that that collaboration is going to be able to bring to this effort is already apparent. That, coupled with the work that our advocacy team has been doing in education and advocate building, along with the changing of attitudes within AIA, it really feels like we are on the precipice of something big.

Pushing forward on this initiative means continuing to work to advance our strategic plan, which outlines the steps that will need to be taken in order to pursue legislation. The effort may feel daunting at times, but we have an incredibly passionate and hard working advocacy team and I look forward to continuing to be involved in their efforts as we keep pushing forward.

Upcoming Events
We have a full calendar of programming and we can’t wait to see you there! Looking ahead into August, we will be hosting our first SOCIAL for the board year. In addition to your chance to meet and mingle with members of the A&D community, there will also be a photographer on site to take new professional headshots!

Also in August, we will begin our call for submissions for the 2023  Design Excellence Awards, as well as nominations for the 2023 Industry Award. This year’s awards will be held at the Melody Event Center on October 19, so we are excited to be bringing this event to a new venue to celebrate the amazing and inspiring interior design from Oregon. Our call for submissions will be opening at the end of August, so keep your eyes peeled for that and we hope you will join us.

You can find our full calendar of events on our website and I  look forward to seeing you all at our upcoming events this year!

Lastly, I’d like to thank my firm, SRG Partnership, for their support of my involvement in IIDA over many years and now especially as I step into this new role. SRG continues to be an advocate for Commercial Interior Design and IIDA, not only supporting my involvement and presidency, but also the current President of the IIDA Northern Pacific Chapter, Sarah Larson. Thank you again to SRG and my colleagues for your support, I could not be here without you!

In addition to SRG, many firms and companies commit time and resources to the Chapter by supporting Board members. Our 34 member board is a diverse group of individuals who come from different design backgrounds, but who are all passionate about community engagement and Commercial Interior Design.

Board members and IIDA Oregon Chapter members, I look forward to collaborating with you this year, and I am honored to serve as your 2023-2024 IIDA Oregon Chapter President.