Putting the glow in pro bono

February 25, 2010 at 2:53 pm
Filed under Pro bono

It’s eHarmony for the design world, with just as much heart.

DesignNYC is a new organization that matches New York City designers with community groups and non-profits that could use their skills. It was launched last week by designer Edwin Schlossberg of ESI Design (an SEGD member studio) with the help of an all-star design support team including Steven Heller, Pentagram partner James Biber, and MoMA curator Paola Antonelli.

With the economy in the dumps, many designers have a bit more time in their schedules, and non-profits have even smaller budgets to promote their causes. DesignNYC has so far facilitated 12 pilot projects, including a Green Guide for the New York Housing Authority, print materials supporting a project to restore the Bronx River, and interior design for a renovated fireboat house that will be the home of the Lower East Side Ecology Center. Sounds like a win-win-win (ad infinitum) situation. — P.M.K.

LAPD memorial to the fallen

September 25, 2009 at 3:54 pm
Filed under Memorial, Pro bono

On Tuesday, Sept. 22, the Gensler-designed memorial for LAPD’s fallen officers was delivered to the new downtown headquarters. Unfortunately, the memorial was installed facing the wrong way. According to the LA Times, after consulting the contractors it was determined that the structure could not simply be turned around, instead the 200 plaques already bearing the names of fallen officers would be unscrewed and moved to the front. Although the day of installation was anticlimactic, the memorial will be ready for the Oct. 14 dedication. The memorial featuring 2,100 brass plaques weighs 11,000 pounds and was built by Kansas City-based architectural metal firm A. Zahner Co. Gensler provided the design services for free. — S.N.