{"id":114094,"date":"2016-08-31T22:20:35","date_gmt":"2016-08-31T22:20:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/projects\/art-inspires-architecture-in-the-boston-office-of-elkus-manfredi-architects\/"},"modified":"2022-11-09T12:02:17","modified_gmt":"2022-11-09T17:02:17","slug":"art-inspires-architecture-in-the-boston-office-of-elkus-manfredi-architects","status":"publish","type":"id_project","link":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/projects\/art-inspires-architecture-in-the-boston-office-of-elkus-manfredi-architects\/","title":{"rendered":"Art Inspires Architecture In the Boston Office of Elkus Manfredi Architects"},"content":{"rendered":"

After moving into their new 50,000-square-foot space in the Innovation and Design Building, a former military depot on the edge of Boston\u2019s Seaport District, Elkus Manfredi Architects<\/a> faced a lot of blank walls. \u201cWe instinctively knew that we did not want to be self-aggrandizing and fill our office with photos and models of our designs,\u201d says Elizabeth Lowrey, a principal and director of interior architecture at the firm. \u201cInstead, we wanted our office to feel like a design studio, a hub for all kinds of ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n

For founding principal Howard Elkus<\/a>, filling the office with art was a given. The firm already has a strong history of not simply using art as a decorative afterthought, and it often works with corporate clients who have large art collections. For instance, it helped curate a museum-inspired work environment for Raptor Capital Management with Raptor\u2019s world-class art collection. \u201cThe visual arts are becoming even more important in our current culture of innovation, and the influence of art and design in our work as architects is without question,\u201d says Elkus.<\/p>\n

When it came to their own office, the architects knew that they wanted original artwork that was grounded in a design sensibility\u2014an understanding of composition, line, and spatial relationships. Luckily, they didn\u2019t need to look far to find Lida Lowrey, an artist whose work possesses the viewpoint they were looking for. First trained as a graphic designer, an environmental and industrial designer, and a museum exhibition designer, Lowrey later transitioned her design experience into being a visual artist. Now in her early eighties, Lowrey has amassed a body of work that spans decades and styles\u2014from representational to abstract, from muted to saturated in color. She also happens to be Elizabeth\u2019s mother.<\/p>\n

The team selected pieces from Lida Lowrey\u2019s portfolio that would prompt the staff to relax and think beyond architectural boundaries. \u201cWe design environments in which people live, work, learn, and play, so we want to work in an environment that stimulates, challenges, and is provocative,\u201d says founding principal David Manfredi.<\/p>\n

In the otherwise neutral main corridor, Lowrey\u2019s vibrant abstract pieces extend a bright welcome to visitors. And her playful swaths of greens, yellows, blues, and reds reverberate perfectly off of the polished concrete floor. On a smaller-scale, vintage cartoon characters, including Little Orphan Annie and Mr. Magoo, greet workers in the kitchen and cafeteria and help encourage a relaxed lunchtime vibe.<\/p>\n

Paintings in grey scale hang in the client meeting room, where the firm\u2019s work needs to be the primary creative focus. \u201cArtwork for this room intentionally references how we see our profession: bold yet quiet,\u201d says Elizabeth Lowrey. The six canvases in the \u201cteam room,\u201d a space for contemplative work, also strike a subdued note, and allude to the building\u2019s maritime neighborhood. In a nod to Boston Harbor\u2019s misty light, they \u201cchose oil paintings that from a distance are seemingly monochromatic, but upon closer inspection are actually modulated and luminous,\u201d says Elizabeth Lowrey.<\/p>\n

With Lida Lowrey\u2019s art, Elkus Manfredi has created an office that reflects the company\u2019s understanding of art\u2019s ability to bring a layer of personal experience into a workspace. \u201cWhen I see a staff member or a client looking at the work, I interpret their momentary glance or lingering engagement as a few seconds or minutes when they may subconsciously be piecing together a creative approach for a design project,\u201d says Elizabeth Lowrey. \u201cSubtly, I hope the artwork inspires people to be brave and not design in a silo.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After moving into their new 50,000-square-foot space in the Innovation and Design Building, a former military depot on the edge of Boston’s Seaport District, <\/span>Elkus Manfredi Architects<\/a> <\/span>faced a lot of blank walls. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3576,"featured_media":148706,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"featured_image_focal_point":[],"legacy_django_id":12271},"tags":[],"id_tax_domain":[14],"id_tax_product":[],"id_tax_program":[],"id_issue":[],"internal_flag":[4220],"class_list":["post-114094","id_project","type-id_project","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","id_tax_domain-workplace"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nArt Inspires Architecture In the Boston Office of Elkus Manfredi Architects - Interior Design<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"After moving into their new 50,000-square-foot space in the Innovation and Design Building, a former military depot on the edge of Boston’s Seaport District, Elkus Manfredi Architects faced a lot of blank walls.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/projects\/art-inspires-architecture-in-the-boston-office-of-elkus-manfredi-architects\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Art Inspires Architecture In the Boston Office of Elkus Manfredi Architects - 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