© Bruce Damonte
"We Design for Human Connection": Studio BBA on Building Resilience and Culture During Crisis
由专筑网小R编译
2019年的新冠病毒影响了人们的生产与工作，设计师们也快速地对传统工作流程进行了重新思考，在旧金山，BBA工作室也在对他们的工作方式进行了调整，从而确保满足客户的需求，他们提倡建立人们彼此之间的联系，并且从设计灵感、场地、材质、视觉、形式各个方面进行空间设计。
The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed how we work. As designers are quickly rethinking traditional workflows to stay connected, in San Francisco, Studio BBA is adjusting the way they work to make sure client needs are delivered. Advocating for architecture that inspires human connection, they are creating spaces and places from the alchemy of inspiration, site, materials, vision and form.
© Mariko Reed
BBA工作室根植于设计哲学，去目标是思考环境对于人们生活的影响，其设计团队已经构思了一种应对危机的策略。ArchDaily近期与其负责人Bonnie Bridges进行了沟通，探讨BBA工作室近期的工作流程。
能谈谈BBA工作室的任务吗？
BBA工作室于1992年于旧金山成立，我们的任务是让人们更加贴近，建筑更加具有活力，我们是个动态的工作室。我认为我们的作品具有“人文现代主义”特征，其中具有包括视觉在内的各种感官体验，并且考虑了不同的环境措施。我们是精品，专攻具有前瞻性的酒店、商业、住宅建筑。
Rooted in a design philosophy that aims to consider all circumstances and how they can impact the lived experience, the Studio BBA team has developed a grounded approach to the crisis. ArchDaily recently caught up with founding Principal Bonnie Bridges to explore the studio's work and its approach to the recent pandemic.
Can you tell us about Studio BBA and its mission?
Studio BBA was founded in 1992 in San Francisco. Our mission is to design places in which people are more thoughtful and energized. We are a dynamic atelier of designers who advocate for architecture that inspires human connection. I call our work “Humanistic Modernism,” it engages all of the senses (not just the visual) and considers all of the circumstances. We are boutique, selective, and specialize in design-forward hospitality, commercial and residential projects all over the world.
© Bruce Damonte
你最享受哪一类型的项目呢？
所有。我们的客户都很棒，优秀的客户带来优秀的项目。人们来找我们是因为他们认同我们的价值理念与设计过程，我们不会照本宣科，我们一定是经过深刻的思考来表达客户的价值观。
BBA工作室如何建立合作精神呢？如何应用数字技术呢？
我们近期摒弃了传统的工作方式而转向Zoom和移动电话等数字策略，这是个很好的契机，我们在2月份解决了许多问题，所有的事务都得以顺利进行。我们热衷于合作，这也是我们的核心价值观，而合作设计也能给我们带来能量，我们通过Zoom完成了许多工作，当然也损失了线下工作的优势。近期我们改造了自己的工作室，增加了合作空间，新材质打破了会议空间，全新的柔软沙发也位于其中，因此这是个很好的工作方式。我们没有依赖于技术进行写作，因为暂时没必要，我们也在学着数字化办公，当然也会把这些东西带到新冠病毒之后的办公室中。
What kind of projects do you enjoy working on most?
All of them. We have great clients – and great clients make great projects. People come to BBA because they understand the value of design and our collaborative/creative design process. We don’t paint a brand on a space or materialize a Pinterest board – we instead do a deep dive into client values and express them through thoughtful, holistic design.
How is Studio BBA set up to work collaboratively and utilize technology for digital work?
We recently ditched our land lines and converted to Zoom and mobile phones; great timing as we worked out all the bugs in February and had everything working smoothly right before shelter-in-place went into effect. We love collaboration (it is one of our core values) and thrive in the chaos and energy of intense design charette sessions – we have been doing these via Zoom, but we miss the embodied energy of people in a room. We recently renovated our studio and increased our collaboration spaces: new material break out meeting space, new soft seating with large pin up space – so this will be nice to come back to. We haven’t relied on technology to collaborate internally until now, we simply haven’t needed to. We are learning a lot about how to collaborate digitally and will certainly implement some of the things we have learned during this time to our post-COVID 19 office.
© Eric Rorer Photography
由于受到新冠病毒的影响，你是如何调整工作方式并且满足客户的需求呢？
这是一场马拉松，我们要建立自己的生存模式，我们的员工都很灵活，他们能够给项目带来成功的契机，这也意味着很多内涵，我们要在思维和行动上都保持灵活性，我是一名领导真，因此我需要保持冷静与专注，才能在这段特殊时期让各个事务有条不紊地进行下去。
当然我们也会想念彼此，每周我们会进行三次会议，其中一次替代了原来周一上午的例会，另一次是在周二上午，还有一次则是周四下午的“欢乐时光”，我们利用这个时间彼此沟通与交流，也给彼此支持与鼓励。
Recent events with COVID-19 have been swift. How have you adjusted the way they work to make sure client needs are delivered?
We are taking the long game – and setting ourselves up to survive and thrive. We have a small and nimble staff that are completely committed to project success and since “project success” can mean many things in a time of crisis, we stay flexible in our thinking and doing. As leaders, we stay calm, focused and dedicated to providing the best work we can do during this time.
But, we miss each other! We do zoom check-ins three times a week, once in lieu of our regular Monday morning office meeting, another for “Teatime” on Tuesday morning, and another for “Happy Hour” on Thursday afternoon. We use this time to reconnect, reengage with each other and provide each other some love and support.
© Eric Rorer Photography
线上工作是否会影响员工之间的合作呢？
这有点结构化，它有着特定的时间段。我们是一个以材料为核心的建筑事务所，审查材料是我们的重要工作步骤。设计师们会把材料面板放在公寓里，通过Facetime进行线上讨论，我们相互通过电子邮件来书面沟通，或者打电话、发简讯来沟通设计与项目内容。
How does remote work influence day to day collaboration amongst staff?
It’s a bit more structured – since it happens during scheduled times and via Facetime or Zoom. And, we are a materials-centric architecture firm; reviewing our materials in person and in natural light is a critical step. Our designers have material boards spread across their apartments and use Facetime to discuss them with each other. We shoot each other lots of short emails, we hop on quick calls and text each other about project updates, design direction and questions.
© Bruce Damonte
线上工作的最大挑战是什么呢？
网速吧。我的两个女儿从学校回家，通过Zoom每天进行长时间的讨论，我们设计师住在公寓里，如果要进行线上沟通与会议，那么最重要的就是网速了。除此之外，我们能够彼此鼓励与交流，我们暂且通过这种方式来过度，同时会关注公共卫生，因为我们希望一切能够复原。
许多公司都开始线上办公，你是否有一些建议呢？
鼓励员工吧，这时候每个人都处在未知和焦虑之中，那我们就需要提供一些情绪价值，这个时候就不要想着更加高效的工作成果了，但是可以让沟通更加明朗，我们接受了许多反馈，除此之外，我们这种小规模工作室需要对员工有足够的坦诚和信任，与其自己扛下重担，不如大家一起成长，这个时候需要和团队在一起。
What are the biggest challenges of remote work?
It seems silly, but internet bandwidth. I have two daughters home from college, using zoom for multi-hour seminars every day. Our designers live in apartments with other professionals that have similar teleconference needs. We can be really prepared for a remote presentation or virtual site meeting, but it all comes down to whether our routers can support us. Aside from that, we are all energized by people, and motivated to fuel human connection in space. We are committed to pausing this to focus on public heath, but we are eager to get back to normal and connect with others in more natural ways.
With many firms transitioning to remote work, what tips would you provide to firm leaders?
Support your staff – every person is coping with the anxieties of this unknown and we can offer a lot of value via compassion and understanding. We can’t expect that people will be more productive during this time, but can expect open and clear communication and feedback. We thrive on feedback at BBA already. Also, for those of us running small businesses, be open and honest with your staff. It’s better to collaborate on a solution than to be a cheerleader and hold all of the responsibility alone. Now is the time to reach out and ask for support from your teams.
© Mariko Reed
那就未来而言，你觉得哪些趋势会成为建筑师和设计师应当关注的核心呢？
我不喜欢流行趋势，这是一种比较不恰当的分离，我已经度过了3次经济危机，所以我很喜欢跟着时代发展，看看它们会对设计行业产生怎么样的影响。一些企业会更加关注电信系统或空间，并且应用吸引视线的高效工作场所，还有一些脆弱的食品服务行业受到了很大的打击，只有一些真正受欢迎的行业、真正人性化且价值正向的行业才能够在危机中生存下来。我觉得可以设计一些能够让人们居家办公的住宅，我坚信，人们会愈发深刻地理解到公共空间中人们彼此之间的联系，这是一个大趋势。
As you look to the future, are there any trends you think should be front and center in the minds of architects and designers?
We hate trends! It mis-categorizes things that are popular to things that are relevant. I’ve been operating this business through three recessions, so I’m used to riding these waves and seeing how they shift what is relevant within the design world. I see businesses focusing more on their telecommunication systems (and spaces), in tandem with compelling effective workplaces. I see our vulnerable foodservice industry taking a huge hit, and only the most beloved ones (i.e. the ones with a real human face and values that drive the business) will remain successful through this wave. And we see the need to design houses with nooks or rooms for working/learning from home – for multiple people (without creating overly large homes). We are confident that people will understand, in a much deeper way, the value of social spaces in the public realm that support and encourage human connections. That is a “trend” we can start and get behind!
© Bruce Damonte
在我们的项目中，尤其是酒店和餐饮项目，我们常常会为了场所感而付出巨大的努力，制作食物是服务于整座城市，促进我们的文化和生活品质。新冠病毒当前，我们仍然能够看到餐饮行业的巨大生命力，这不仅仅是为了生存，更是为了城市的发展。我们的大多数客户都坚守着自己的信念，其中有Mister Jius、Mamahuhu、Lord Stanley、Equator咖啡、Tartine 烘焙、Jesse酒店 & Estella餐厅、Stonemill Matcha、Sightglass咖啡、Messenger咖啡、Nico餐厅、Little Gem，以及Mill。近期我们为它们设计了BBA专属线上会议空间背景，这样在沟通期间就可以应用了。
With all of our projects, but especially in hospitality and food service, we witness the incredible personal efforts that go in to making a “place” – making and serving food is an offering to our cities that benefits our livelihood and shared culture. With the daily development of COVID-19, we see incredible resilience in the foodservice community – not to make a buck, but instead to hold their ground as leaders and space-makers for our city. From what we can tell online, most of our clients are holding their ground, for as long as is safe, including: Mister Jius, Mamahuhu, Lord Stanley, Equator Coffees, Tartine Bakery, The Jesse Hotel & Estella Restaurant, Stonemill Matcha, Sightglass Coffee, Messenger Café, Nico Restaurant, Little Gem, The Mill. We recently created a batch of BBA zoom backgrounds for all of these well-loved places – so you can “be” in them during your meetings.
© Mariko Reed
© Bruce Damonte
© Bruce Damonte
© Eric Rorer Photography
© Nick Sorrentino
© Asa Gilmore
© Bruce Damonte
© Bruce Damonte
© Bruce Damonte
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