Turf’s Design Studio Brings Prototyping and Color Expertise to Projects of Every Scale

A single inspiration image is enough to set Turf's Design Studio in motion, as is a CAD detail or a complex mockup, and the first call, held virtually or in person, goes straight to sketching and riffing on possibilities. Led by Turf's in-house design team, the studio works directly with the A&D community to adapt the brand's acoustic ceiling and wall systems to a given interior, handling prototyping, color development, submittal drawings, and installation support at no charge.

The company created the resource after five years of rapid change across the industry, which sent it hunting for new ways to back its peers across the profession. Part of the aim is to lighten the load on those teams, from fielding questions about exactly which products to specify to trimming the hours a job demands, whatever its scale or complexity. “For a long time we focused on what designers need to provide us in order to work with Turf,” says Alex Moore, Design Studio Director. “Now, with the Design Studio, our goal was to flip that idea and consider how we can be a partner at any stage of a project.”

Sketch to Schedule
Each engagement opens with a conversation about the challenge at hand, with ideas drawn out in real time as the studio and its client talk them through. “This is our favorite step, honestly,” Moore says. “We start collaborating on day one by listening and offering suggestions.”

Once a scheme takes shape, attention turns to the timeline, and the studio helps steer specifications to fit it. “Projects are moving faster than ever, and we always want the first touchpoint to be as early as possible, but that is just not reality,” Moore says. Turf adjusts its approach depending on whether a job is in schematic design or construction documentation, and at those later phases its account managers and architectural project managers join the effort, giving decision-makers prompt answers so they can stay on track.

Modifying the Systems
When a job calls for something beyond the standard line, Turf's product development team sets the minimums and maximums, and the studio works within those parameters to modify the brand's systems. Turf intends the process to be neither difficult nor expensive, giving specifiers room to leave a personal mark on a space. “Our designers are makers, and we use our prototype space daily,” Moore says. “As we are working through a project, we immediately jump to prototyping because it's one thing to model something and it's another to see it physically.”

Of everything the team hears while traveling the country to meet with designers, color comes up most often. The studio works through those requests with Hues, Turf's color palette, drawing on the brand's capabilities to land on the right shade, and it does not expect clients to arrive with answers before reaching out. “More often than not, our first solution is not the final but this enables a great final product,” Moore says.

Through Installation
The studio's involvement continues well past the early phases, extending into the small steps that determine how an installation comes together. “We spend our days in the details,” Moore says. “It is ultimately important to deliver on the commitments to the schedule and high-quality design.”

In the field, the studio guides installation teams on coordination, works out solutions for outlets and other devices, and addresses existing architectural conditions such as soffits and corners. Understanding a scheme's intent early lets the team build those particulars into submittal drawings that show how everything fits together. Support carries through installation and into day-two guidance afterward, and the team remains a phone call away.

At Every Scale
The studio has collaborated with artists on projects ranging from smaller spaces to convention centers and airports. At Chicago's Shedd Aquarium, the team adapted Swell, a Turf ceiling system, for the institution's new south entry, integrating it with lighting and mechanical systems. “When working on any project, regardless of size, it's about showing our finesse,” Moore says.

Turf sees the studio's model continuing to develop, with additional time in the field, a growing slate of lunch and learns, and visits to offices across the country, all while keeping the relationship straightforward. “For us, our design process (or ethos) is built on anticipating a project's needs and being one step ahead, so our design partners can feel confident in what they specify,” Moore says. “When we deliver on that type of design partnership, I think it's energizing for everyone involved.”