OST with architects

Lisa Heft lisaheft at openingspace.net
Thu Jul 6 10:37:12 PDT 2006


Hello, again -

 

Jennifer wrote:

< Hello everyone.  I may be holding space for a group looking at school
design issues.  The group will include architects, parents, and teachers,
and will be exploring the issues in general (not designing a particular
school).  I know many people have posted resources and links here before.
Could someone point me in the direction of resources about: 1. OST with
children 2. OST around architectural design issues 3. OST related to
schools>

 

As I mentioned in my earlier email, I have been collecting OS stories for a
database I am building that you all will one day be able to access for these
questions.  I have divided my response to Jennifer into 2 separate emails
with adjusted titles in case anyone tries to find these topics in the future
in our archives.  The first was for using OS with schools. This 2nd part of
my message shares with you how some of our colleagues have used OS with
architects and the organizations or communities they have been working with.

 

Joelle wrote:

 

I have been working with an organization which is preparing to move to a new
building.  In this case, the building design was already finished (with much
staff participation in the design process).

 

About the time ground was broken for the construction, the entire staff was
invited to an all-day Open Space convened to discuss the challenges
presented by this move.  Groups quickly self-organized to plan the
allocation of storage space, work out how to be comfortable with the change
to open offices with cubicles, talk about the changes in work relationships
that would come with bringing together staff from two offices, security
concerns about the isolated rural site, and the generalized grief that
always comes with change.

 

Today, the building is taking shape (and it is beautiful!), task groups that
came together at the OS are continuing to plan the various changes that will
be required, managers are covering people's jobs so that newly-constituted
work groups can design their own new jobs and working relationships.  It has
been wonderful to watch this organization move from griefs and concerns to
ownership and excitement!

 

Joelle Everett   JLEShelton at aol.com 

 

Harrison wrote:

Some time ago, Virginia Burt, a Landscape Architect from Canada began the
practice of using Open Space as the introductory element for her
consultations with clients. Initially, she did this with Birgit Williams,
and I am not sure whether she continues the practice - but her stories were
marvelous. I remember in particular one in which Virginia had the assignment
to do the park/garden for a/the Canadian Military College, This was a large
project covering multiple acres, and apparently it had been under intense
discussion for years, and not very productively. As I recall, she said that
is was normal to spend several years on a project with multiple changes and
no small amount of hard feelings all around. With Open Space, the design
time shrank to 6 months with few if any changes. And changes in design, once
the project has started are what drive everybody crazy, if only because they
inevitably drive up costs and time required to produce a finished product.

 

Harrison Owen  hhowen at verizon.net  

 

Birgitt wrote:

 

The actual turnaround time for the landscape architect design back to the
client after the OST meeting was only 40 days (incredible when compared to
the two years it usually took). When the client was presented with the plan,
95% of it was immediately approved (again almost unheard of in that
industry). To read about the OST process that was designed for Virginia to
do her magic as a landscape architect, go to
http://www.openspacetechnology.com/articles/landscape.html   The article has
a lot of tips on how to design an OST meeting when a specialty such as a
landscape master plan is to be the end product. In this situation, the
Military were the client, AND Virginia was my client. If the OST meeting had
not generated enough data for Virginia to do her work, she would have been
in difficulty with her client, the Military because she would have been
unable to deliver on our promise of a quick turn around time.

 

Two years after this OST meeting and the final approved landscape master
plan, I was leading a workshop in another part of the country. Michael (a
participant) said he had a story to tell. He told us that when he was
getting ready to attend the workshop, he explained where he was going to his
elderly father, assuming his father would not be able to grasp OST
(especially since his father was a very traditional military man who liked
order). As Michael was explaining to his father, the father said "I know
what this OST is. I was in one of those meetings at the military college.
And it sure produced results." Michael then told us that a few weeks before,
his father had been the one to lead the military parade in the opening
ceremony of a new archway on the property---the master plan for the
landscape had been followed and Michael's father was very proud of it all,
including his participation at the meeting where they came up with all the
ideas. And he was full of praise for the efficiency of the process of OST to
get them where they needed to go, and without conflict.

 

Birgitt Williams  birgitt at dalarinternational.com  

 

Zelle wrote:

 

My experience with Open Space and an architect/design project is actually
from a project I worked on with BP in Scotland. The 60 person business unit
I was working with was moving from one part of the building complex to
another (most would agree the space they were moving into was the worst
space in the building). I started with an Open Space Visioning meeting where
in addition to the usual markers and paper for Open Space I added magazines
(design, nature, home furnishings, etc.) a big roll of paper, scissors, and
glue. I invited the group to talk about what they envisioned the ideal work
space to be and to cut out pictures from the magazines, use words, and
pictures to create a collage of what the new space might feel like. 

 

We took this collage, along with the results from the Open Space and shared
this with the architects and designers (the designers/architects were
invited to be at the visioning Open Space) assigned to the project. Some
incredible ideas that I could never have thought of on my own, along with
the many concerns about moving to "the worst space in the building" were
folded into the design process which also took into account budget
constraints and site needs/requests.

 

The design team then came back with a design for the new work space (which
included skylights and a "yellow brick road" gleaned from the first Open
Space). We took these sketches/blue prints and went back into Open Space
with cut out furniture options and pencil and paper. Each team then looked
at the areas available and filled in the design details specific to their
needs. Conversation and negotiation took place between the different teams
and a consensus design was reached.

 

The final result was an exceptional work space that was loved by the
business unit and the "worst space" in the building is now considered the
best place to be.

 

Along the way, I worked with individuals and teams around learning how to
create places that work for them instead of trying to fit into someone
else's design. I gave them, tools and a language to find the best mix
between personal and team needs.

 

I have a digital story (mini movie) which describes the process and the
transformation in more detail. If you would like to see that I could send it
to you. You could also visit my website www.knowplacelikehome.com
<http://www.knowplacelikehome.com/>    to find out more.

 

Zelle Nelson  zelle at knowplacelikehome.com 

 

 

 

I shall collect the rest of the stories you share on these topics, my
colleagues, and add them to the growing resource I am growing.

 

Cheers, Lisa

___________________________

L i s a   H e f t

Consultant, Facilitator, Educator

O p e n i n g  S p a c e

lisaheft at openingspace.net 

www.openingspace.net <http://www.openingspace.net/>   

 

 

 


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