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August 2006
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"The mother art is architecture. Without an architecture of our own we have no soul of our own civilization"

-Frank Lloyd Wright

Fear Factor: Security in a New Age
A recent article in BusinessWeek describes how designing in a post 9/11 world has forced architects and planners of public spaces to revisit some basic tenets and beliefs.

Poor Big Brother. George Orwell's famous symbol of intrusive security has acquired some frighteningly absurd lines in our time. Gone are "War Is Peace," "Freedom Is Slavery," and "Ignorance Is Strength." Instead we have warnings like "Do not iron clothes on body," "Caution, hot beverages are hot," "Remove occupants from stroller before folding," and "Do not attempt to stop chainsaw blade with hands."

In a world of many wars and innumerable threats, twenty-first-century security has surrounded us with warnings and checkpoints, routinely herding us into single-file lines with concrete Jersey barriers, steel barricades, and yellow tape — all under the watchful eyes of those who search us for bombs and weapons.

Concern for security in a suddenly uncertain age has certainly reshaped psychology, politics, and design in America, but it has undoubtedly had the most direct impact on architecture. For any public space, security has become a complex, layered concept that covers detailed blast specifications of window glass as well as issues of controlled access, electronic passkey systems, street-level vehicle barriers, and exterior surveillance.

"We need public spaces for a new era, and they cannot be fortresses," says federal judge Michael Hogan, whose new home, the Wayne Lyman Morse United States Courthouse in Eugene, Oregon, is not a fortress. It is an open, glassy, brilliantly lit reimagination of the public square for a new century, designed by Pritzker laureate Thom Mayne of Morphosis.

In architecturally challenging Manhattan, you can see some of the best-designed security solutions — and also some of the worst. What's the right balance? See the complete article.

Veridian. Heightened presence in key environments.
Veridian is Tayco's premium line of veneer executive suites and conference room tables. The collection features wood veneers in cherry and maple, both with solid wood trims. All products are expertly crafted with contemporary design and clean lines that allow the beauty of the natural wood grains to stand out.

The line features desks, credenzas, pedestals and other storage solutions, as well as a wide array of accessories. Veridian products are available with a 10-day lead-time.

Features and Benefits
  • Executive, meeting and conference room furniture in luxurious veneer finishes.
  • Choice of six handle styles.
  • Cabinet doors are available in veneer or frosted tempered glass.
  • Flat-screen monitor arm, visual boards for presentations, solid wood pencil drawers, accessory bar organizers.


HBF Designers
Barbara Barry and Orlando Diaz-Azcuy are just a few of the prestigious designers that have collaborated with HBF Textiles over the years. You will find their impressive backgrounds and achievements, as well as other prominent designers, profiled on hbftextiles.com

On a sad note, John Hutton, who has been referred to as a national treasure by The New York Times, died this month at age 59 of prostate cancer. Mr. Hutton, one of America's preeminent furniture designers, worked with HBF. He produced more than 200 award winning designs, many of which are collected by such institutions as The Brooklyn Museum and The Houston Museum of Fine Arts. His work is characterized by quality, glamour and a classic simplicity.

Preserving the resilience of the Nation’s infrastructure
The Infrastructure Security Partnership (TISP), a national public-private partnership, is the recognized leader promoting collaboration to improve the resilience of the nation's critical infrastructure against the adverse impacts of natural and man-made disasters. Visit them for news, related links, downloads, discussion groups, educational opportunities and a wealth of other resources.

All the best,

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Bill Meyer
Contract Specialities, Inc. (CSI)

phone: 954-389-1295

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