ARCHITECT BY PROFESSION.
by Elisabetta Boldrini - Project Manager
«Unity is strength»
I know, I may be a bit banal, but I believe in it, and so I say it, unity is strength.
I think that by working together, bringing each one their own knowledge, experiences, ways of doing, will be easier to achieve a certain aim.
It’s like in a relay, everyone contributes to the final result and everyone, of course, has to do his part well to reach the goal (we don’t want to get second).
Is it for this reason that an architect like you contacts us? To archive the final result together?
Let’s go step by step, don’t run too fast, we’ll need our legs later.
Let’s start with the starting line, your idea, which also represents arrival, because the goal, I think you’ll agree with me, is to realize it.
So you start running, you develop the idea or the concept and you “sell” it to the client.
And now? You can pass the “witness” and decide to contact us, so the race is up to us, to our network, and to all figures who compete to achieve the goal(and you can catch some breath).
Yes, architects like you come to us for three main reasons.
- They have developed and sold a concept or idea to their customer and are looking for someone to make it happen.
- They ask us to assess the costs and feasibility of the project.
- They are looking for a company to report to their customer to carry out part of the business or to perform the functions of a general construction company.
From the moment you contact us, as I say, you will not run alone, not because you can not do it, but because, I repeat, together it will be easier to realize your project.
I guess you’re wondering, “What does Gitaly do in her stretch of race?”.
«Pillars»
You’re an experienced architect, so you’ll know what the pillars of a building are, but let’s say it again.
These are steel or reinforced concrete frames made of vertical pillars, which have the task of supporting the forces acting on it.
Well, we are not made of steel or concrete, but we perform the same function as the pillars for a building, we support you.
We’re not even standing still, and we do not prevail over you.
I don’t want to make a telesale, listing you all the services that we offer you (and no pillows aren’t free, hands off).
I just want to say that we are trying, right from the start, to interpret and understand your idea, through an in-depth study of the project.
We then evaluate feasibility and budget, we provide detail drawings for each item, we search for the most suitable materials and furniture, we prototype and so we represent a solution idea that’s a detail of a piece of furniture or a sample room, we supervise the production, we take care of the purchases making use of our network, logistics, fit-out and installation.
We run a lot, to return to the famous relay race before, without skipping any passage and always guaranteeing quality.
This is to respect timing and budget, on the other hand for a good runner, time is everything.
But…
«We make the point»
….all very nice, but let’s get to the point, were we really able to give life to the ideas of architects with whom we collaborated and then to do our part in the race?
And how did we manage this collaboration?
This time I will not follow the order, let us start from this last question.
How did we manage this collaboration… Well, I can tell you that the main aspects are a continuous communication and a constant exchange of information in order to learn the requests, needs, address issues, discuss any doubts, align, update and then continue according to a common logic.
And that’s what we’ve always done, organizing construction site meetings, calls, or even feeling daily on the phone like good old friends.
Secondly, I can say, from experience, that it is vitally important to facilitate the work of the other, putting your own experience into practice and preparing a clear and precise work.
Lastly, teamwork, and then having to set “your ego” and accept suggestions, advice, alternative proposals never stop in front of an element rejected by the architect, but rather take this thing as a challenge to do better.
Then you’ll understand better when I answer the first question.
To do this, imagine a little, I’ll give you some examples, yes my beloved examples.
«From Fossombrone to Taiwan»
For those who do not know, I imagine you will be in many, Fossombrone is a city located in the Marche (Italy), where our company is located.
What about Taiwan? Well you know it, but maybe you don’t know that in Taiwan there is the studio of the architect and designer Celia Chu with whom we collaborated for the Crowne Plaza Geneva project.
In this case, the concept of the architect was clear, the design had to be focused on natural elements and then recall the idea of nature and gardens.
The collaboration was not easy, the 8 hours of time zone did not help (it must be impossible to call), so we had to meet on many aspects.
Celia Chu has prepared precise project management to facilitate the relationships, creating plants, concepts and detailed technical sheets for each material and furniture that we wanted and to which we had to adhere as much as possible.
We, on the other hand, have checked and researched every material, proposing similar alternatives in line with the original ones, as requested by the architect, to ensure that the choices better respected the budget and the functional aspects required.
In fact, many materials and products chosen by Celia Chu were not available in the European market, but only in the geographical area where the studio is located.
For this reason we have resorted to the network of our artisans and suppliers to find alternative solutions that could satisfy and be in line with the requests and wishes of the architect but at the same time respecting the budget and needs of the customer.
We always made mokeup and specifications for each support/ accessory, sent samples of materials, to be submitted to the approval of the architect.
There were also meetings in our headquarters to better understand the architect’s design, compare and align.
Let us now answer the question: Have we succeeded in giving life to the idea of the architect?
Value yourself.
«Boho chic collaboration»
No, the title was not chosen at random, because the collaboration with the architect Patrick Ribes for the Hotel N’Vy project, was just in a boho chic style, like the Hotel on the other hand, for the multitude of finishes, materials, unique pieces, innovative solutions required.
One among many? The architect wanted a suspended bed for the Hotel’s rooms.
Not being able to realize it because of constructive constraints, but wanting to satisfy the architect (I am an architect too and I know how frustrating it is not to see their ideas realized), we thought and we found a solution.
So we created a bed, surrounded by mirrors that reflect all the surfaces making it look suspended. This idea was designed and built, then improved in detail and the final cherry was the addition of light.
The requests, as already said, were many.
In the dining area we made to measure, following the details of the architect’s drawings, a gray consisting of round elements painted one by one, which served as a separé.
Or again, in the public areas we built, also under the architect’s design, plasterboard columns in which a light was placed and these elements were painted in gold color.
Even the textures are special, in the lobby, for example, we installed a truly striking mosaic of Bosazza, not to mention the zebra wallpaper.
The requests, as already said, were many.
In the dining area we made to measure, following the details of the architect’s drawings, a gray consisting of round elements painted one by one, which served as a separé.
Or again, in the public areas we built, also under the architect’s design, plasterboard columns in which a light was placed and these elements were painted in gold color.
Even the textures are special, in the lobby, for example, we installed a truly striking mosaic of Bosazza, not to mention the zebra wallpaper.
A treat for you? The architect predicted that in some rooms there was a window in the shower (really original idea for 2012).
In others suites there is a bathtub glazed in three sides that in addition to repairing from sketches allows the light to leak from the window throughout the room, avoiding dark spaces.
What do I want to tell you? That we are able to manage and give life to the architect’s project even when, rightly, we are asked special requests for furniture, finishes, custom furniture and highly personalized, that can best respect his style and that of the customer.
Do you absolutely want a seat in your project but you want a material or a color not present in the sample? We’ll take care of it. We are still working on the realization of the famous donkeys that fly.
«Don’t you want to go to Zurich?»
Have a little more patience, I promise you this is the last example, but I wanted to tell you it so that you can have a complete picture.
What am I going to talk about? The Crowne Plaza, this time in Zurich.
And also here, another project, another architect: Guglielmo Ori.
Ah, I have to tell you something, sometimes it happens, that we call architects with whom we have pleasantly worked in the past, to support us in some projects (double convenience to work with us :P) and in this project it was so.
As always, at the design level we started from the drawings drawn by the architect and we refined the choices in terms of finishes, furnishings, lighting and decorations.
To amaze the customer we have created custom elements, designed by Guglielmo, such as the bar counter and the breakfast counter, really unique pieces.
For the restaurant of the Hotel, the design was longer because it should be attractive and have a certain visibility from the outside.
In addition, the client decided to entrust the restaurant to a well-known franchise Theo Randall, so we had to adapt some choices to the franchise’s concept.
The concept for this area, idealized by the architect, was immediately clear, all the materials, the stylistic choices had to recall Italianness.
For the breakfast room instead, the architect, to meet the trend of experiential marketing, decided that the predominant element for all furniture was white marble to evoke the feeling of relaxation and tranquility in the guests, that relaxation and tranquility sought in the early morning.
For this reason, together with Guglielmo, we followed the laying and installation of the marble, paying attention to the various veins of this material, with the aim that the desired effect would result.
Last thing, then I come to conclusions, I promise.
To enhance, draw attention or enclose certain elements, have been created rectangles called “carpets” that break the continuous gray wood flooring, common to all three areas.
Each carpet reflects the features of the area in which it’s located, and, as I say, underlines and encloses some elements.
For example, in the breakfast room it was realized under the main counter to emphasize this particular element, while in the lobby, it was designed to enclose the seating area, and not give the idea of dispersion.
To meet this request, we had to look for suitable materials that best fit with the style of the reference area and reflected the idea of the architect.
An example? In the restaurant area were inserted as a carpet of tiles in the shape of an octagon black with white squares that recall the motifs of the columns and the elements of the bar counter.
«Winning team doesn’t change»
Here we are, we’ve come to the conclusion, I promised you, and we always keep our promises, how we always respect your project.
You will have understood that we always try to do our best, so that your ideas, the solutions you designed, even more innovative and disparate, can be realized.
Of course, it’s not always easy, but I don’t want to talk about it here. I wrote another article about it (I’d be happy if I read it).
This time I just wanted to tell you about some aspects of collaborations with architects with whom we have worked.
Now, if it’s alright with you, before saying goodbye I would answer the question I asked you at the beginning (I’ll bring it back below, you don’t need to go up with the mouse).
“Are we able to give life and respect your project?” The answer is yes.
And I tell you more, we really want to continue to collaborate with architects like you, as we have done so far because all this is welcomed as a challenge by us, and then as they say “team that wins doesn’t change” and in these years, together, we won a lot.
Author: Elisabetta Boldrini
Position: Commercial Director
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