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© 2011 Liquid Design

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission of copyright owner.

Published by Liquid Design1430 South Mint St # 105Charlotte, NCTelephone: (704) 338-9980Fax: (704) 338 - 9982Emai:Info@LiquidDesign.netwww.LiquidDesign.net

PRINTING:Blurb ®www.blurb.com

TYPEFACE:Apex New : Light, Book, Medium, BoldApex Serif : Light,Book, Medium, Bold

TABLE OFCONTENTS

ABOUT LIQUID DESIGNDESIGN SECTORSSELECTED WORK

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Liquid Design is a green award winning “total package” design firm in Charlotte North Carolina specializing in building design, space planning, interior design, and, project management. Liquid Design develops business relationships that engage the design process and create a more stimulating interaction with the client and the end user. Our high quality designs have broad appeal in recreational, corporate, retail, mixed use, educational, as well as multi-family and single family residential spaces.

From the very beginning owners Mike Standley, AIA and, Michael Williams, AIA, LEED AP have been focused on developing business relationships with their clients, which allows Liquid Design to provide a large range of architectural solutions on a variety on project types.

Our design experience within the public and private sectors focuses on client satisfaction through quality design and exceeding the client’s expectations. We have been commissioned to design solutions for unique projects with extremely challenging design criteria from the US National Whitewater Center, the world’s largest multi-channel man-made whitewater facility with a large range of active outdoor lifestyle venues, to the mixed-use high-rise Encore Tower and the highly anticipated, WhiteHaus; Charlotte’s first ultra earth-green modern residence.

Liquid Design takes pride in working on special projects that are challenging and distinctive in design. This in return has drawn top talent to our organization which equates to successful projects. With this talent we are currently pushing on all fronts to be sustainable and earth-green with our modern design solutions.

Not only has Liquid Design become an industry leader in the design and implementation of facilities that have complex mixed-use environments that require a focused but creative modern solution, we have become leaders in the use of unique materials with contemporary detailing. We encourage you to visit our website at www.liquiddesign.net and see how a uniquely creative approach could benefit your project.

WELCOME TO LIQUID DESIGN

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The key to surviving today’s fast paced technology laden design industry is to be fast, technically skilled, quality concious and flexible to meet the client’s needs (high speed, low drag). This is the niche that Liquid Design resides in. To reflect the fluid nature of the architectural profession -- as techniques, materials and ideas are prone to change often, especially with the resurging of green technologies and sustainable design practices -- we aptly named our firm Liquid Design!

WHY THE NAMELIQUID DESIGN ?

LIQUID DESIGN IS AN INNOVATIVE ARCHITECTURAL FIRM NOTED FOR ITS DISTINCTIVE APPROACH , OFTEN RESULTING IN “ FIRSTS.” WE ARE THE CREATORS OF THE U.S. NATIONAL WHITEWATER CENTER, THE WORLD’S LARGEST MULTI-CHANNEL MAN-MADE WHITEWATER FACILITY.

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By listening to our clients, we gain an understanding of the goals and requirements unique to each project. Our firm’s portfolio is full of projects that adhere to a strict design budget, are built and operated efficiently, and are user-friendly, as well as, flexible to changing future trends. Liquid design is more than a company; it is a concept.

Liquid Design develops business relationships that engage the design process, and creates a more stimulating interaction with the client and the end-user. The services that we offer are:

• ARCHITECTURE • PLANNING• INTERIOR DESIGN• PROJECT MANAGEMENT

SERVICES BEYOND“ARCHITECTURE ”

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RELATIONSHIP - BASEDTHINKING

Liquid Design prides itself on its diverse and extensivte portfolio. And for good reason; every project is approached with the same focus on creating beautifully functional architectural solutions. With an emphasis on relationships, Liquid Design fosters an engaging design process, which stimulates client interaction and ultimately benefits the end user. From the very beginning in the year 2000, Liquid Design’s underlying objective was to create and build relationships with our clients as well as designing quality architecture. This relationship-based approach has been extremely rewarding over the years and it continues to be a priority for us today. We have found that the best way to build lasting relationships with our clients is by getting to know them through their unique projects and designing for that uniqueness.

Given the fact that we are truly a diverse project type design firm, our developed relationships, experience and knowledge base has elevated Liquid Design beyond anything that we could have imaged. Proven experts in the general study of architecture, Liquid Design adds immeasurable value to every design opportunity.

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AIA Charlotte Sustainable Design AwardAIA Charlotte Honor Design AwardCharlotte Business Journal’s Green Mixed Use Project of the Year AwardCharlotte Business Journal’s Green Land Development Project of the Year AwardArchitect Magazine feature write up, “Water Power”Esquire Magazine, “Hubris Floats”AIA Charlotte Honor Design AwardDiscovery Channel DocumentaryNational Geographic Adventure Magazine, “Pipe Dream”Popular Science Magazine Best of What’s New 2006 AwardUptown Magazine feature write up, “Conversation with Michael Williams” Charlotte Observer “The Next Big Thing” Element at Craig Avenue, Cotswold” Associated Press article “Whitewater tourism thrills going to new Lengths.”Greater Charlotte Biz Magazine feature article “Going with the Flow.”Greater Charlotte Biz Magazine feature article “Thinking Outside the Box.”

AWARDS +SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

AIA Charlotte Sustainable Design AwardAIA Charlotte Honor Design AwardCharlotte Business Journal’s Green Mixed Use Project of the Year AwardCharlotte Business Journal’s Green Land Development Project of the Year AwardArchitect Magazine feature write up, “Water Power”Esquire Magazine, “Hubris Floats”AIA Charlotte Honor Design AwardDiscovery Channel DocumentaryNational Geographic Adventure Magazine, “Pipe Dream”Popular Science Magazine Best of What’s New 2006 AwardUptown Magazine feature write up, “Conversation with Michael Williams” Charlotte Observer “The Next Big Thing” Element at Craig Avenue, Cotswold” Associated Press article “Whitewater tourism thrills going to new Lengths.”Greater Charlotte Biz Magazine feature article “Going with the Flow.”Greater Charlotte Biz Magazine feature article “Thinking Outside the Box.”

Celadon 2009 Celadon 2009 Celadon 2009

The Element 2009 September 2007

March 2007US National Whitewater Center 2007

Liquid Design’s US National Whitewater Center 2007 August 2006

US National Whitewater Center 2006August 2008

April 2008July 2006

February 2004February 2002

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DIVERSITY + EXPERIENCE. THAT’S WHAT SETS LIQUID DESIGN APART FROM ITS CONTEMPORARIES. OURPROJECTS DEFY CATEGORIZATION AND RANGE FROM A COMPLEX MULTI-NATIONAL MIXED-USED PROJECT FOR THE EMIRATE OF ABU DHABI TO THE ULTRA MODERN ICONIC DOMINO’S PIZZA STORE, FROM AN OFFICAL U.S. OLYMPIC TRAINING FACILITY TO MICHAEL JORDAN’S CHARLOTTE RESIDENCE, FROM THE CHARLOTTE LINEN SUPPLY OFFICE BUILDING, MECKLENBURG COUNTY’S FIRST OFFICAL REHABILITATION CODE PROJECT, TO THE EARTH-GREEN ULTRA MODERN “WHITEHAUS”.

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THE TRUST SEVEN CUSTOM MODERN RESIDENTIAL CONDOS

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Fact: Over 40% of our energy consumption is by buildings; more than any other sector.

Fact: Buildings pollute twice as much as our cars.

Fact: Over 120 Million homes in America do not meet the current energy code.

Fact: Over 93% of all commercial buildings do not meet the current energy code. It is time to take energy efficiency seriously and it has to start with Architecture. American’s are going to change their priorities from cheap and fast to durable, safe, strong and efficient.

Liquid Design’s “Earth-Green design solutions” is our formal process to tackling wastefulness in the construction industry. Not only do we fashion healthy environment for the end user but we focus on designing buildings that use less energy and waste less water; translating in real monthly savings for our clients. The act of energy efficiency in buildings may not be sexy but no one would deny that extra cash goes a long way in feeling sexy……..

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EARLY IN 2008, WE RECOGNIZED THAT WE WERE OFFERING SO MANY DIFFERENT GREEN DESIGN METHODS TO OUR CLIENTS THAT THEY SEEMED OVERWHELMED BY THE PROCESS. SO WE IMPLEMENTED A PROGRAM THAT WOULD HELP SIMPLIFY OUR GREEN DESIGN METHODS. WE PLACED THEM ALL INTO ONE OF SEVEN PARTICULAR CATEGORIES, GAVE THEM A RECONIZABLE ICON, AND BUNDLED OUR WHOLE GREEN PROCESS INTO WHAT WE NOW CALL LIQUID DESIGN’S “EARTH-GREEN DESIGN SOLUTIONS”.

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“I have had some incredible opportunities to apply my design passion in our profession. My developed set of design and management skills are contributed to working side by side as a masterplanner, architect, & project manager with developers whose developments contained complex operational models, sometimes first of their kind, such as the U. S. National Whitewater Center and The Encore Tower.”

Michael has worked with teams of talented individuals throughout his professional career; designing successful, cost effective, and creative solutions. “I love the dynamic evolution of a concept where the end product provides every team member with a sense of ownership.”

2007- Michael was named one of the year’s “40 under 40” by Building Design and Construction magazine.

MICHAEL WILLIAMS, AIA, LEED APPRESIDENT AT LIQUID DESIGN

EDUCATION

PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATIONSAIA: North Carolina Chapter, Charlotte SectionLEED: Accredited Professional

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONSAdjunct Design Professor

1994 UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE, KNOXVILLE, TN1993 UNIVERSITY OF POLITECHNIKA, KRAKOW, POLAND

2009 & 2010 UNC CHARLOTTE, SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTUTRE; (3RD YEAR DESIGN STUDIO)

NORTH CAROLINA (8403), TENNESSEE (00102246),ILLINIOS (011-019449), ARIZONA (44244), TEXAS (20194)NCARB CERTIFICATION (52492)

BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURESTUDY ABROAD

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Mike began his career as an architect working in Chicago, the birthplace of a true international style and has honed that influence into a shared practice that specializes in contemporary solutions. A sculptor at heart, the expression of unique space and volumes comes naturally and is easily distinguishable. Sustainability and modern design complement each other in his work and have helped elevate Liquid Design as a leader in today’s contemporary practice.

Mike has extensive experience in Mixed-Use and Adaptive Reuse project that includes Masterplanning, Multi-Family, Recreational, Institutional, Commercial, Retail and his favorite Residential.

“I was told at an early stage in my career that architects provided a service, not a product and I needed to accept that. I disagree! Architecture is the pursuit of the perfect blend of art and science, a manipulation of environment and materials in an aesthetically pleasing way. Service may be the conduit but a great product is the only way to achieve true client satisfaction.”

MIKE LEE STANDLEY, AIA, PRINCIPALVICE PRESIDENT AT LIQUID DESIGN

EDUCATION

PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATIONSAIA: North Carolina Chapter, Charlotte Section

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONSMerit Award

1989 VIRGINIA TECH, BLACKSBURG, VA1989 EUROPE

1998 CONCEPTUAL DESIGN FOR COLLOCATED CLUB,AVIANO, ITALY

NORTH CAROLINA (7312), SOUTH CAROLINA (5747),VIRGINIA (009149), GEORGIA (010436), FLORIDA (AR 93700)ALABAMA (6806) NCARB CERTIFICATION (55418)

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Ryan Tyler Martinez is currently a graduate student at Southern California Institute of Architecture. (Also known as SCI-Arc) He currently holds two undergraduate degrees in art studio and architecture. This interview between Michael Williams, Mike Stanley, and Ryan Tyler Martinez took place on June 26th, 2011.

INTERVIEW 1

Ryan Tyler MaritnezMichael Williams:

Tell me about the start of Liquid Design. Where did we start? I guess we were at a point in our career where we realized that there has to be more to architecture than what we had experienced so far. I think all architects find themselves at this fork in the road at some point in their profession, which is a “why am I doing this” question and then every individual has a choice to make. That is; do I just accept things as they are? Do you continue to work for someone else or do I start my own thing? We came to the conclusion that it was time to do something different, which was the genesis that created Liquid Design. We looked at how the business of architecture could be improved and re-invented how we approached our clients, worked with our clients, what type of clients we were going to work with. We completely rethought who and what we were as architects and how we wanted to create a company that supported those concepts; hence Liquid Design. So I can assume that since the recession happened, these ideas behind Liquid Design have changed? The core foundation has not changed. We are still hyper-focused on servicing our clients. What has changed is an awakening. I say an awakening because before the recession, we were producing our product at a ridiculous rate, and we lost ourselves a little bit. But I think every firm in architecture, or engineering, or anyone in our industry would probably say that they have lost themselves a little bit, because let’s face it, it was kind of the golden age for architecture and construction. Now that we have refocused who we are, mainly out of necessity, it’s gone well for us. We have been very fortunate to have worked on some really cool projects over the last couple of years during this “recession”, Michael Jordan’s place, the Whitehaus. Many of our contemporaries have had to accept any work that’s out there while we have been able to hone our craft on cutting edge design projects. Architecturally speaking, the contrast is like day and night. Everyone is hurting from the recession; it’s not just architects or the architectural industry. It’s the average person living an everyday life. It’s affected where they spend their money and the value assigned to the things they purchase. Our challenge as architects is to be able to talk to clients who are a little skeptical about design; about

architecture. People want to know what is so important about our profession? What is so important about the process and the outcome of architecture? Another way of asking these questions is to ask “are architects still relevant”? The answer is truer now than ever before. Not only did we (as architects) have an awakening out of necessity, but I think the general populous has had an awakening about design as well. Let’s take residential design for example; homeowners chasing the American dream are stuck in homes that they absolutely hate. And why? Because they bought homes thinking that in three years they could turn around and flip it and make a ton of money to put into their “real” home. That’s not a current reality anymore. Now people are saying,” I need to take a personal inventory of who I am, where I’m at and what do I want to achieve”. The first things they look at are their surroundings and realize they need help. The majority of homes today are poorly designed and poorly crafted. It doesn’t meet their lifestyle needs, doesn’t say who they are or what’s important to them as an individual. That’s why design and architecture are so critical, because we can come in and reassess these non-conforming spaces and create something that’s more personable for them as the user. When you talk about architectural design, I would say that the majority of people, especially in today’s context think that professional design costs a lot of money. Is it a smart choice to invest in an architect? What is the importance of design? What is the importance of hiring an architect instead of having someone like a contractor or an engineer as a designer? That’s a fabulous question. You really have to start with educating the public. If you are aware of the benefits of good design and the value of what an architect brings to the table, then there is no question that an architect is a required element to every building. Most of the population will think they are saving money by not using an architect, but at the end of the day I can guarantee they are really spending more money by NOT having an architect. Often they have poorly designed spaces resulting in questionable resell value; it does not meet their business needs, is spatially inefficient, or does not function properly. Energy efficiency can be compromised by not using an architect, or the building is falling apart because it’s not detailed properly. Design is so critical. We see examples every single day of an uneducated homeowner or building owner being taken advantage of by individuals in the design and construction “industry”. Without the involvement of an architect, these individuals push for easy solutions that will burden the client down the road with additional energy and repair bills. That is why architects are so critical in that chain of command so to speak, because we understand the value and repercussions of those decisions. As the client, is it about asking questions? Is it their responsibility to know whom they are working with? Well the problem is, a client doesn’t always know the right questions to ask, and cannot challenge the answer if it sounds suspect. There is an example of this that just came up yesterday. A homeowner asked his builder about sealing his crawl space (of which we are proponents of) and the answer came back as “Oh you don’t want to do that, it will cost you over $10,000”. The issue was swept under the rug and they moved on. This builder knew that $10,000 was above the financial pain threshold so now he doesn’t have to take on the additional work which he clearly was not interested in doing. So it’s not necessarily about asking questions. I have a client who asks a lot of great questions, but he has been through this process before. Usually people, who have done this before, with or without an architect, quickly realize the value

that we bring to the table and that’s critical. Our “first time clients” that we have dealt with in the past are usually the most challenging because they don’t know the process; they don’t necessarily trust everything that is happening, and they haven’t seen the pitfalls of what happens when you don’t have an architect/designer as their advocate. With out that advocacy things get dangerous. That’s where we try to focus on educating, informing, advocating to do the best we can to help our clients realize the value we bring to the table. I’m going to change topics real quick, we need to talk about the U.S. National Whitewater Rafting Center because it was a big deal for you guys. It was a fantastic project I’m sure to work on… It’s a great deal for the community…Yes it is. Could you talk a little about the process, the ideas behind it, I guess the before and the after it was built. Well that project is amazing in the sense that it had never been done before. It fit us very well because of our focus on relationships. To be relationship-based with your client you have to be able to really understand their objective, what they are trying to accomplish. It was evident that this client had worked with other architects before us and they just could not get their arms around what this client was trying to accomplish. Enter Liquid Design; using our approach we submerged ourselves into that outdoor culture. I mean we went camping with them, hiking with them, we went biking, we went rafting, and we went kayaking. We traveled all over the world, explored precedents before we really even started the design process. Liquid Design truly wanted to understand that culture. What is this facility really trying to accomplish here? You can’t go find it somewhere else and mimic it. It had not been done before. One approach would be to simply design a beautiful facility and let the operators figure out how to make it work, something we call paper architecture; anybody can do that. But the reality is that it has to work, you have to be able to make money. We had to create a project that was pro-forma driven on a typology that didn’t exist. How did we do that? The closest model that we could find was the cyclical model you see at ski resorts. You start at point “A” and you come back to point “A”. The traditional rafting model is you start at point “A” and you end up all the way at point “D”. Then you have to bus everyone back. So the ski model worked better for us because you also have a lot of different users on the same course, from snowboarders to skiers. The same holds true for whitewater where you have rafters as well as kayakers. Once you incorporate that model it starts to make sense financially. I’m going to have “X” number of people in the system at any given time and I can give them a two-hour experience. You have six people in a raft and are getting $50.00 a person, that’s $300 a raft, and say you can get 200 rafts at any given time. All of a sudden I can figure how much the facility can generate in any given hour. It was fascinating to get into that kind of mindset. That’s one thing that I really enjoyed in the process was making the concept work from both a design aspect and a financial basis, because the lending institutions are not going to give you any money unless it actually works. The second thing I enjoyed about this this project was analyzing how you make a space work for a thousand people at a time and then ten thousand people at a time during Olympic trial events. The third thing that was fascinating about the whitewater center was dealing with all the different users. I think we came up with twenty-four different users at any given time and you have to cater to every single one of them. On a campus this size, you don’t just have rafters. You have kayakers, family groups, church groups, individuals, mountain bikers; the list is a mile long of all these different people that have to use the same space. How do you

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create a synergy that brings them together? Once again, this all goes back to design. My last question deals more with the firm itself. What do you see Liquid Design doing in the next ten years? Are you guys trying to focus on one type of typology? Because I know what “Liquid Design” means, I know the concept behind it, but as a firm where do you see yourself in a decade or so? Well, that’s a loaded question because I’ll be honest with you. With the way things are within our country, I don’t think anyone can look you in the eye and say this is where I’ll be in the next ten years. Technology is changing so fast, and our profession is changing with it as well. If I took more of a “where I want to be approach”, versus “where I see us”, I think the answer would be a lot more credible. Where I see Liquid Design in ten years is at a size similar to the boom time in 2008 where we had twelve designers working on not only projects for Motus but really focusing on creating sustainable design solutions for our clients. We’re working on a lot of mixed use projects that should increase in number as the economy slowly recovers. Since we are really focusing on modern, I see Liquid Design being the mature modern architects in this community, focused on creating green, modern, sexy spaces for people to live, eat, shop in, play in, and work in. If we were in New York we could be so much sexier, but we are in Charlotte. Let’s be honest. Charlotte is not an architecturally sexy town. But we are giving it our best shot to change that.

INTERVIEW 2

Ryan Tyler MaritnezMike Standley

Talk with me about the start of Liquid Design? How have you as a company developed into who you are today? Liquid Design was born out of a frustration with the process of architecture and the way it was done in the public realm. We decided that we wanted to go into the private sector where everything was not dictated by low bid, where you could demand things like quality and it was not a matter of spending six months on detailed construction documents and having to fight through twelve months of construction to get some level of quality and design. So we had a couple of think tank brainstorming sessions, and tried to answer the question, ‘what would a new firm look like’? It was a great beginning because Liquid Design was born out of those brainstorming sessions and was not molded after an existing firm. It was all fresh and new in terms of the start of our company. Michael and I had a conversation about the recession. Have you guys adapted to the recession in the past five years? Are architects still needed? Is design worth it? If anything, I think the recession has put a stronger emphasis on the need for architects. Because architects are creative thinkers, we can do a lot more with a lot less. Just like families today are doing a lot more with a lot less. I think that spins off into design aspects as well. I understand that you and Michael are getting your General Contracting licenses. Could you talk a little about that? It’s a natural progression. At some point when you envision a space, design a space, and then watch the design get built; you realize there is a disconnect that happens in the construction process. It takes a tremendous amount of effort to fully communicate the vision to someone who may or may not be fully invested in achieving the best possible results. It just makes sense, again talking again about the recession, doing more with less, streamlining those lines of communication to go straight from your vision to a built product and being totally connected in that process and not having to hold someone’s

hand while it happens. Getting your GC licenses gives you a sense of having control but it’s about having a vision, adapting to it, getting things done correctly. Do most architects get their GC license or is this rare to see? There are very few architects out there that actually venture into the dark side of construction. It brings with it a lot of baggage. There will be a lot of hurdles and challenges to overcome, but I feel like our training as an architect prepares you for new environments, for new challenges. At some basic level, the architect is simply a problem solver. Whether that’s design, construction, dealing with real estate, it’s all just a design problem. I notice that you have a high school student working at the office today. Does Liquid Design usually participate in mentor programs or the academic side of architecture? Absolutely. Michael came to me when the opportunity presented itself for him to be an adjunct professor with the School of architecture at UNC Charlotte and we talked at length how that might impact our business. We really feel like more architects have to step it up, take the education of the next generation seriously and if we don’t start, nobody will. We also really believe that we need to shorten that gap between academics and professional practice, present a sense of reality for students so that they understand that there are actual client demands and budget constraints that are factored into design solutions. We will never admit to having all of the answers, it’s just a matter of contributing what we can to the education of the future architects whether it’s in high school or college and invest in them because they are our future. That’s time well spent. From my understanding you are slowly redesigning your dwelling. Could you talk a little about that? Most people go through various phases in their life and architects probably more than most. Right after you get married it’s all about buying a house. Then it’s about furnishing a house. I’d like to say that I put as much energy into my own home as I do for my clients but that’s not the case. There is this private side to you that does not always correspond with your professional life, is more about efficiency than great design. But after a time period of fulfilling everyone else’s dreams, you start to ask, “What do I really want my environment to look like, how does it define who I am”? In addition, when you have people come over for parties and events, your house needs to represent your portfolio, and it needs to show what you can do. So our house is going through this slow transformation to what I would call a modern translation of the historic bungalow.So is this a collective set of appetizing elements that you are adding on? Rather than adding on its more about cleaning it up. It’s getting rid of the decoration and starting to deal with the elemental volumes in the house, some color and contrast, some different lighting. So it’s like the “dream house” in architecture. It is and it’s also interesting because budget is the number one constraint. I’m doing all of the work myself and saying, “if you can’t put granite countertops in then I’ll get a poplar board and skin it with Venetian plaster and that will do just fine”. So it’s also an experiment. It’s a way for us to investigate some creative techniques that we might want to use on other homes but play with them and fine tune the process so we make sure they come out the way we want them to. So we could say that outside of work, are there other elements in life that participate in being an architect, being a designer? I would say all aspects of life contribute to being a designer, an architect. This is not a profession where you clock out at 5:00pm and then go home to your family, leaving work at the office. It becomes a part of who you are. My wife accuses me of driving and not looking straight down the road because I’m looking at all the buildings. I think that’s something

that all architects do. They are just interested and aware of their environment and their surroundings. I think it permeates through every aspect your self-identity. Going back to Liquid Design, over the next ten years do you see Liquid Design focusing on one program or one type of style? I know that your firm’s abilities are diversified and broad, what do you see Liquid Design doing in the next decade? We have resisted defining a style or a work type for Liquid Design since we began. I think we will continue doing that because for the right client we will design anything. I think we proved that philosophy with the U.S. National Whitewater Center. If someone comes to us and says, “We want you to do an outhouse”, as long as they want that bathroom to be unique and the best design that it can be, we will do it, because we are designers, it doesn’t matter what the project type or category is. I believe Liquid Design will remain a force in the architectural services arena for the next 10 years; strengthened by our focus on relationships and our portfolio of modern design. Motus, our new design-build company on the other hand is going to be much more product based rather than service based. I have a vision of where this will take us but I’m hesitant to share until we get through the initial launch. Have you and Michael ever turned down a client for not respecting the design process? Yes we have, and it was somewhat mutual. We have quickly learned that if it does not feel right in the beginning, it certainly is going to feel bad in the end. At the beginning of a project everything is great, and there may be some bumps along the way that we can usually work through. But if it starts off rocky, it’s a recipe for disaster and you might as well cut your losses and move on. Michael talked before about how education is critical to the client/architect relationship and even though we try, some people will never value what we can bring to the table. When someone is looking for an unrealistic schedule or an unrealistic cost, we simply tell him or her “you might want to contact another architect to help with your project”. Do you think that some people believe you might be acting selfish or that your ego is getting in the way of the design? If you had to communicate with a new client as an example, what is the importance of design? As much as I would like to say it’s all about design, it’s also about running a business. Some relationships are destined to be incompatible and the sooner you realize that the sooner you can move on to other opportunities. As far as communicating the importance of design, the best way to do that is with stories. Liquid Design has been around since 2000 and let me tell you, we have some stories to tell. Our extensive experience is crucial in illustrating the need for great design, and also pointing out the pitfalls of ignoring it. Some people will get it. Most people get it I think, but there is probably about 20% of the population that will never realize it. They are just not sensitized to their environment and have no experience with the benefits an architect designed space can bring to their lives. Do you have any closing remarks? I think that as architects you have become leaders by default. You’re trained to be a leader, the “go-to guy” and at some point you have to blaze a path. Whether it’s the right path or not, you won’t know until you get to the end. But I think what’s most important is that you are blazing a path. We can look at what Liquid Design has done in the past ten years and ask ourselves “would we be happy doing the same thing again for the next ten years?” The answer is, absolutely not. We’ve already been down that road it was fun while it lasted, but we are really interested in seeing things progress and change and move. We are always turning that wheel trying to figure out what’s that next big thing, what’s the next step for Liquid Design. I’m not sure if that sets us apart or makes us fools, but it sure is a fun ride.

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S : M

ULT

I - F

AM

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LIVEMULTI-FAMILY PROJECTS

Our multifamily residential design work is complex and often times layered. And that’s the way we like it. Our talented design team understands today’s requirements when it comes to functional yet desirable living environments in regards to multifamily living. The connection to the urban fabric is step one and then finding opportunities to incorporate earth-friendly design strategies makes for an effective design solution where everybody involved comes out on top. And let’s not forget the Liquid Design splash of contemporary design.

2928

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F) PLA

Y W

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MU

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) LIFE

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S : R

ECR

EAT

ION

AL

PLAYRECREATIONAL PROJECTS

Our recreational design is about knowing the specific recreational experience. How do people play?What is the culture of the sport we are designing for? And where will technology take the sport in the coming future?

We at Liquid Design first submerge ourselves into the sport’s culture to help support the design of required sport’s venue. How else would we be able to successfully design the award winning US National Whitewater Center, the largest man-made whitewater facility in the world and an official U.S. Olympic Training Facility?

With the completion of the US National Whitewater Center and the other outdoor / adventure sports oriented projects that we currently have on the boards, Liquid Design has quickly become an industry leader in the design and implementation for outdoor lifestyle adventure sports facilities.

3130

LIVE

(MF

) PLAY W

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) LIFE

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S : W

OR

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WORKOFFICE / COMMERCIAL PROJECTS

Our office / commercial design is about understanding the client’s objectives for their business and becoming one with their company culture.

We at Liquid Design believe that one’s office space should reflect that company’s brand from the type of services it offers, the type of employees it wants and the message it wants to send to all visiting clients and future clients.

Oddly enough, a lot of our office / commercial design portfolio mix is adaptive re-use projects. We have worked on over a dozen adaptive re-use projects and we truly enjoy giving life to an under serving and sometimes forgotten building.

With the completion of various adaptive re-use projects, Liquid Design has become an industry leader in the design and implementation of giving new life to old buildings.

3332

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COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONAL PROJECTS

Our institutional design is about serving the community in which the project is designed to serve. The projects are not only functional and cost effective but delightful and inspiring. This results from our belief that good design is rooted around using inexpensive material in unique ways. They are never monuments unto themselves but buildings that support where an organization or community is heading and help give them an identity of permanence.

We at Liquid Design are excited that institutional design is pushing towards a new day of “earth-friendly” design and we continue to guide our clients with sustainable design as the benchmark of the design process. 35

34LIV

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SHOPRETAIL PROJECTS

Our retail / commercial design is focused on creating stimulating and engaging spaces. In today’s consumer driven world the competition for business is fierce. That is why we focus on a design process that helps create and expands one’s brand.

We at Liquid Design understand that dollars are tight and image is everything. With that mind set we know that great design comes from inexpensive materials that are used in unique ways.

3736

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S : S

ING

LE -

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LIVESINGLE FAMILY PROJECTS

Our single family residential design work is ranging and exciting. We focus on how the client lives and what is important to them in the 3-dimensional world they live in. One thing is for sure no two clients are the same which translates into no two custom living environments are the same. Nor should they be.

We at Liquid Design have always focused on the client as our clue for wonderful living environments. Mostly modern and often times “earth-friendly”, we love the process in residential design.

3938

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IFES

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LIFESTYLE MIXED-USE PROJECTS

Our Mixed-use design is about striving to design for the “threaded environment”. This emphasis on the “threaded environment” always leads to creative and layered solutions for today’s end user. Although, mixed-use projects have been around for years they only recently have developed in complexity as the users have become more sophisticated in their desired needs. Our primary objective is creating a user friendly environment while supporting the various components. Bottom line, we understand that mixed-use projects are like Salads; you need to have the right ingredients to make them work. As design solutions evolve into more complex mixed-use developments, i.e. “Threaded Environments”, Liquid Design is working with their clients to ensure that the facilities will meet their users’ needs and desires. People want to work, play, shop, and live in stimulating complex mixed-use environments; Liquid Design strives to deliver solutions for this sophisticated user.

4140

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A PORTFOLIO OF WORK IS A CURATED EXPERIENCE. IT IS A REPRESENTATION OF WHO WE ARE AS DESIGNERS, THINKERS, AND CREATORS. IT IS A SELECTION OF WORK THAT WE BELIEVE BEST REPRESENTS THE FIRMS OUTLOOK ON DESIGN AND THE DISCOURSE OF ARCHITECTURE. IT IS A WAY FOR US TO EXPRESS THAT WE ARE MORE THAN ARCHITECTS; WE ARE BUILDING SCIENTISTS .

SELECTED PROJECTS

4342

PORT

FOLI

O P

RO

JECT

S : O

CT

AD

IA

OCTADIACHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

4544

PORT

FOLI

O P

RO

JECT

S : O

CT

AD

IA

4746

PORT

FOLI

O P

RO

JECT

S : U

SNW

C

U.S. NATIONAL WHITEWATER CENTERCHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

4948

PORT

FOLI

O P

RO

JECT

S : U

SNW

C

LIQUID DESIGN STRIVES TO DESIGN FOR THE “THREADED ENVIRONMENT”. THIS EMPHASIS ALWAYS LEADS TO CREATIVE AND LAYERED SOLUTIONS FOR TODAY’S USER. MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENTS HAVE COME OF AGE AND ARE DYNAMICALLY COMPLEX. ALMOST EVERY NEW PROJECT INCLUDES SEVERAL COMPONENTS THAT CREATE A DESTINATION FOR SHOPPING, LIVING, WORK AND IN SOME CASES PROVIDING RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.

5150

PORT

FOLI

O P

RO

JECT

S : U

SNW

C

5352

PORT

FOLI

O

EXPERIENCE THE SPACE YOU LOVE.

PR

OJE

CTS

: USN

WC

5554

PORT

FOLI

O P

RO

JECT

S : E

NC

OR

E T

OW

ER

ENCORE TOWERCHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

5756

AERO HOUSECHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

PORT

FOLI

O P

RO

JECT

S : A

ERO

HO

USE

5958

PORT

FOLI

O P

RO

JECT

S : A

ERO

HO

USE

6160

PORT

FOLI

O P

RO

JECT

S : S

UN

FLO

UR

BA

KER

Y

SUNFLOUR BAKING COMPANYCHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

6362

PORT

FOLI

O P

RO

JECT

S : S

UN

FLO

UR

BA

KER

Y

6564

PORT

FOLI

O P

RO

JECT

S : F

OR

MH

AU

S

FORMHAUSCHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

6766

PORT

FOLI

O P

RO

JECT

S : C

ELA

DO

N

CELADON, MULTI-FAMILY LIVING CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

6968

PORT

FOLI

O

DESIGN AWARDSAIA + CHARLOTTE BUSINESS JOURNAL

PR

OJE

CTS

: CEL

AD

ON

7170

PORT

FOLI

O P

RO

JECT

S : C

ELA

DO

N

7372

PORT

FOLI

O P

RO

JECT

S : V

AU

GH

AN

VAUGHAN RESIDENCECHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

7574

PORT

FOLI

O P

RO

JECT

S : T

HE

TR

UST

THE TRUSTCHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

7776

PORT

FOLI

O P

RO

JECT

S : T

HE

TR

UST

7978

A PORTFOLIO OF WORK IS A CURATED EXPERIENCE. IT IS A REPRESENTATION OF WHO WE ARE AS DESIGNERS, THINKERS, AND CREATORS. IT IS A SELECTION OF WORK THAT WE BELIEVE BEST REPRESENTS THE FIRMS OUTLOOK ON DESIGN AND THE DISCOURSE OF ARCHITECTURE. IT IS A WAY FOR US TO EXPRESS THAT WE ARE MORE THAN ARCHITECTS; WE ARE BUILDING SCIENTISTS .