Bostwick Design Partnership
Proven core values, with a new name
The firm that has developed into Bostwick Design Partnership was founded
in 1962 by Bill Collins. Much has changed since then, including the name,
but much remains the same. Collins started his practice designing primarily
healthcare projects. This led to a firm with a core market emphasis on institutional
work such as healthcare, higher education and municipal projects.
These will remain the core markets for Bostwick Design Partnership, despite
the many changes the firm has undergone. Other things that will also remain
are the firm's core values: Its strong service orientation, its close client
relationships, its focus on its reputation within the community and its
sense of responsibility to the built environment that its members create.
"Mike Zambo and Glenn Pizzuti have a larger sense of our history, as
they were here longer than I," says Robert Bostwick about his fellow
principals, as he explains the changes already made and those being made.
Office changes
Originally, the offices of the principals took up the front windowed
offices along Prospect Avenue, space that is now converted into meeting
rooms. "It is a night and day difference from before," says Zambo.
"I grew up in the older configuration. The old office was set up as
a maze of cubicles, so you didn't know who was in and who was out. This
is a nicer atmosphere, and we find that a transparent management style serves
clients best."
The days of a sole proprietorship, with that kind of management style,
have given way to a flatter management structure, and all principals actively
encourage and welcome challenges and interaction with the rest of the staff.
"We have changed in the last six to eight years," says Bostwick.
"The firm has undergone a cultural difference in the last decade, as
new leadership nurtured under Collins has come into play and transformed
how we do business. What we have added to our core markets and core values
is a strong commitment to collaboration, working in a team effort."
How the office is structured supports this. Now, the principles are accessible
to everyone. "It's more of a family," says Zambo. The staff of
47 includes 18 licensed architects, seven of which are LEED-accredited,
two of which are interior designers/architects, and one architect/MBA.
A new generation
Bostwick says that the firm is completely transitioning for a new generation.
"Where are we going now?" he asks rhetorically. "We have
had a history of steady, continued growth, and we want to maintain that
while building an exceptional staff. We allow talented people to grow quickly
and continue to be challenged. We need to give them the opportunity for
aggressive growth, so we look beyond our region: to Northern Ohio, Ohio,
the Northeast, the United States. We will pursue work outside the country,
wherever the market takes us." In addition, two new principals are
slated to come on board.
But, he adds, "we will stay in the institutional area, because we
have relationships with healthcare and higher education entities and we
have learned how to address these markets in a truly state-of-the-art way.
We can take that knowledge and the same skill that made us successful to
any part of the world and find an outlet for that talent. We plan to satisfy
the demands of our clients," says Bostwick. "And we look forward
to growth and to having space to grow into."
Bostwick Design Partnership's recruitment strategy is a deliberate one,
with the selection of a wide range of talent from a variety of backgrounds.
The team includes interns, undergrads and graduate architects, who are treated
as professionals, exposed to as many aspects of the practice as possible
and expected to contribute in a real way. For instance, one as yet unlicensed
new staffer was sent as sole representative to interact with clients, and
site visits are common for all. "They don't just sit and draw,"
says Zambo.
The firm looks to hire from schools across the country to keep that diversity
of viewpoint going, and looks at students with a variety of interests and
talents. These internships often lead to full-time jobs, as students learn
to put theory into practice, with heavy interaction from the senior staff
as guides.
Glenn Pizzuti mentions that this means that the firm can get a clear
indication of the abilities of its young architects.
Challenge as opportunity
Bostwick Design Partnership has recently engaged in Opportunity Planning,
a strategic planning effort to see how time has transformed the firm since
its beginnings, take stock of its current talent and skills, and assess
future opportunities. There were three aspects to the initiative: operations,
or the service the firm provides; market growth, a way to look outside to
find the right projects and challenges; and resources, an examination of
the firm's internal resources, both human and technological.
The firm did determine the need for a new name to reflect its character,
and the name was carefully chosen. "Partnership" describes the
collaborative nature of the business, both within the firm itself and in
relation to its clients and consultants, with all involved in the new structure.
"Design" tells what they do-to find solutions to structural needs
and demands, which is the reason the staff feels it entered this profession.
It can't be mistaken for a law firm or accountancy practice. And the "Bostwick"
up front, says the firm's namesake, means that there is a real person behind
it all, someone with their name on the line to give a sense of personal
accountability. "It is not a generic and nameless entity," says
Bostwick.
Opportunity Planning also led to some staff, a true cross-section of
the entire office, taking it on themselves to craft a statement putting
the office culture and values into words, out of a sense of conviction and
belief in the firm's ideals. "They did a magnificent job," says
Bostwick.
In addition, two new principals, David J. Miano AIA and Richard L. Ortmeyer
AIA LEED A.P., are being added to allow for fresh perspectives as the company
moves forward. BXM
Public realm, private workings
The firm is still dedicated to creating a built environment for healthcare,
higher education and civic betterment
Bostwick Design Partnership does a wide range of work, with challenges
that include "inward-looking" work such as buildings designed
for sophisticated clinical procedures or robotic operating rooms, where
architecture and technology are combined but the public will never see.
"It is forward-thinking work," says principal Mike Zambo, "working
with medical professionals on tasks like melding the diagnostic into invasive
technologies. If we don't do it well, someone does not get well."
The other end of its work, adds Robert Bostwick, is the chance for the
firm to work in the public realm, with civic buildings that provide places
to carry on the public's business and allow for citizens to meet, learn
and discuss. Says Bostwick, "It is so rewarding to work with the great
organizations of Cleveland, with the City Club, the Cleveland Museum of
Art, the schools and the hospitals. With the CMA, we are making a contribution
to a jewel of the city, and to have a role in it and contribute to its success
is very rewarding."
Healthcare
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation has had the firm design more than 50
projects and honored it as Consultant of the Year in 1998. The Cleveland
Clinic E. 93rd Office Building and Garage has 115,000-sf of offices and
research facilities wrapping the south and east sides to mitigate the appearance
of a 1,340-car parking garage with a welcoming and open plan. The open garage
saved the client money by providing natural ventilation, and the two components
of the building, as well as a pharmacy and other amenities, are connected
in a thoughtful way.
The Cleveland Clinic Heart Center will become the actual heart of the
expansive campus, with all cardiac services included. NBBJ is the design
architect, with Bostwick Design Partnership providing design of the medical
and technical medical spaces within, as well as $100 million worth of enabling
projects.
The Fisher-Titus Medical Center patient pavilion in Norwalk is a $28
million facility that, like Fairview Hospital, was pre-tested by hospital
staff in mockup rooms to make sure the design fit their needs. City infrastructure
is accommodated with pumps to assure even water pressure, and big windows
overlook the outdoors.
Kids are delighted at the new look of Green Road Pediatrics, Inc., at
University Suburban Health Center. The firm designed it as a tropical paradise,
complete with custom murals and life-sized trees, glowing insects and jungle
noises, as well as a corridor of tall grass plain and floors that look like
young patients are wading in the ocean. It is all planned to decrease anxiety
and let kids look forward to visiting the doctor.
Education
The $60 million Dolan Center for Science and Education was an important
addition to the region, as it serves John Carroll University as a math and
science classroom building with labs and other amenities that allow for
interdisciplinary instruction among all the sciences. The complex structure
was built in eight bid packages according to sustainability principles,
a specialty of Bostwick Design Partnership, on a "fast-track"
mode that brought it in on time and on budget.
The Cedar Point Center at Firelands College won an AIA Cleveland Award
for Excellence in Education Design in 2003 and was an Architectural Showcase
feature in American School & University in 2004. The building is located
at the edge of this campus for non-traditional students and faces the arboretum,
allowing for a natural connection. An atrium joins public and private spaces
and overlooks the arb, while distance learning and state-of-the-art presentation
technology are accommodated.
Case Western Reserve's Agnar Pytte Center for Science Education and Research
is another example, with several older buildings renovated and joined into
one complex whose centerpiece is the Hovorka Atrium, a light-filled entry
and central gathering and study place with open pedestrian bridges and glass
elevators.
Plus, there is Cleveland State University's entire E. 17th and 18th block,
including the James J. Nance College of Business Administration, Maxine
Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs and Cleveland Marshall College of
Law. New work here includes a renovation at John Marshall College of Law
to give it a new public and open presence.
Ohio Northern University's new Greek housing units are an innovative
way to create affinity housing. An internal courtyard is faced with eight
different and distinct chapter houses for Greek organizations, as well as
eight separate residences behind them that join to a common residence area
that serves the entire campus community. In this way, the space is flexible
enough to allow for changing memberships, while college ownership allows
the school to keep a close eye on student activity. All are served by a
Commons with kitchenette and dining room, laundry facilities and a fitness
center. It is expandable to accommodate new organizations.
Civic
The City Club of Cleveland is America's longest uninterrupted public
speaking forum, and the firm redesigned the club for the modern era by incorporating
ideas of openness and transparency. The main auditorium is entered through
a gallery that provokes interaction and discussion while exhibiting portraits
of the many famous speakers.
The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District offices in MidTown conjoin
a refurbished older building and a new expansion to lend a new presence
to Euclid Avenue. Private offices for the agency are augmented by public
meeting rooms, an educational wing and an outdoor garden.
The Cleveland Museum of Art is being expanded with a design by Rafael
Viñoly, but Bostwick Design Partnership is working with the curator
team on the internal presentation of the artworks themselves, with a giant
model of the structure in one room totally dedicated to the process. Frequent
meetings find the collaborators moving elements around on the scale model
to develop the best ways for patrons to view the artwork.
Finally, the Willoughby Municipal Courthouse, a rare public design/build
project done with Regency Construction Services, created a presence on a
main street corner with a modern look that fits into the established downtown
Willoughby scene. It addresses the strict security needs of a building in
which prisoners are brought into holding cells and other needs of the justice
system, as well as places for judges and juries to do their work. bxm
The collaborative advantage
When it comes right down to it, it's all about the teamwork
and about the essential love of buildings
When you walk into Bostwick Design Partnership offices, you know it is
not like any other architects' workplace. The open plan means that all architects
work from cubicles, even the principals, and various conference rooms around
the perimeter, one including a working fireplace, serve as places to meet
and exchange ideas. It is all meant to facilitate the collaborative nature
of the place. "We have a lot of meeting rooms, breakout spaces and
tables, both formal and informal areas, sprinkled around the office,"
says Bostwick. The studios are dominated by pinup walls, with surfaces that
take pushpins, vertical work surfaces for review and discussion. Excellent
lighting is a given.
"If we don't believe that our work environment affects our work,
we should not be architects," says Robert Bostwick, principal. "And
if we do, we have to live that way. We sacrificed some quiet and privacy,
but we get back the collaborative advantage. No one can feel detached and
not included."
At Bostwick Design Partnership, says Glenn Pizzuti, another principal,
even the newest designer can get involved in client contact, financials
and other grownup workings. "We encourage senior project leaders to
bring the project team into meetings, setting an example and including them
at decision points."
Plus, says Bostwick, the firm's open door-actually a doorless-policy
creates an obligation to inform people so they can ask intelligent questions
and understand the financials, the marketing opportunities, client contractual
information. There is a quarterly meeting at which the staff is presented
with a State of the Office financial report. "A well-informed team
member does not have to design in a vacuum," says Pizzuti. "They
know the client, the parameters, the budgets, the codes."
Idea-based design
"If I had to capture it in one word," says Bostwick, "I
would say we are idea-based. Our staff is most gratified when we deal with
new concepts and challenges that let us use self-expression for clients
that need to solve tough, complex problems. We have a staff that can solve
problems that seem intractable."
He points to particulars: In Bucyrus, for instance, the question for
Bucyrus Community Hospital was whether to build new or renovate. It is
easier to build new, but creative solutions from Bostwick Design on using
new technologies within an existing structure meant that the current building
could be put back into use for the community.
Another example: The Cleveland Clinic's E. 93rd Building, which had to
combine an office building with a parking garage, side-by-side. The hybrid
building had complex technical and aesthetic issues involving fire safety,
air quality, vibration and use of space and windows, as well as floor-to-floor
height, ceilings and duct placement. At the same time, it had to serve
as a gateway structure to the Clinic's new heart center, which is indeed
its new heart.
A third challenge was adding Fairview Hospital's new patient wings on
a sloping site overlooking the Metroparks' ravine, with each single-patient
room having a park view. The building is cleverly supported from below,
as attractive to look up from the park as it is to look out of. A mockup
room let all hospital staff members contribute ideas.
In the field
Indeed, Bostwick Design Partnership prides itself on serving clients
by doing far more than just handing over the documentation. "Our staff,
including the senior staff, spends a lot of time in the field working with
the constructors. We feel that level of expertise on site is a key value
for our clients," says Bostwick.
Pizzuti adds that the firm "is very sensitive to the fact that the
persons in the field are part of the design team, and they have to be intimately
involved with how the design decisions were derived. "We like to take
the team out to show them what is going on, how the curtain wall is hung,
that kind of thing," he says. "We had field trips of the NEORSD
site, for instance. We have a sense that it is not architecture until the
owner is able to use this space."
Adds Mike Zambo, AIA, a third principal, "We all take ownership
of the final product. It makes all of us proud to walk around on the jobsite.
Architects, engineers, and builders-they all love and respect buildings.
When we design, we have a whole team of people behind us, contributing to
the actual outcome."
He echoes his two partners in explaining the joy of architecture. According
to Pizzuti, for instance, "Part of the reward of this profession is
the fact that all your work will still be in place long after we've done."
Adds Bostwick, "The common denominator is that your work is part
of the physical makeup of the city, so we have a deep obligation to perform
at the highest level we can. We sacrifice our profitability to get the design
just right, to make sure they are the best that they can be. We are leaving
something behind in the history of the city." BXM
The design technology
of the future
In the past two years, says Bostwick Design Partnerships' Robert Bostwick,
"we have made an extraordinary investment into technology, with a robust,
well-engineered server that forms the basis for the adoption of sophisticated
software that allows such things as 3D construction drawings. "It forces
the staff to think with more complexity," he says. Adds Mike Zambo,
"And to understand the components of buildings." "We virtually
construct the buildings on the computer now," explains Glenn Pizzuti.
"This is a threshold change," says Bostwick. "This software
steps into the world that lets us construct with a digital tool in a digital
way."
"It's the right time to do this," says Zambo. "The industry
is ready to receive it. 3D is our future, and it will lead to stronger integration
with contractors and let us be more exact." Plus, color printers of
production quality can be used for renderings for design and for clients
to use in fundraising. This can save the clients money as Bostwick Design
Partnership will not have to outsource the work. "We are always looking
for new technologies," says Zambo; the firm has a full-time IT person
to help with that initiative. BXM
