2010 nora Architect and Design Workshop 

North American Architects and Designers Collaborate with nora systems, Inc. in Germany 

“This is the fourth year we have held our A&D Workshop in Germany, and each time we come away with some great new ideas,” said Andreas Mueller, president and CEO of nora North America. “Bringing together our customers to contribute to the creative process is beneficial to both sides – we can share our beliefs as a company and are able to understand their wants and needs first hand, while they can provide input that directly affects how we develop our products and processes.”

Helen Lanes, senior interior project designer of Perkins+Will, Washington, D.C., came away impressed with nora’s product development process. “Each part of the workshop was very engaging, and I found the whole process of how nora goes about developing their products to be very inspiring. My firm takes great pride in its research and development process, and to see a manufacturer like nora align with a similar strategy – it was great to be included.”

Lanes was one of 15 architects and designers who attended the 2010 Workshop. This year’s group came prepared to discuss their roles as architects and designers, and how they use flooring in specific settings and applications. Each member that participated in the workshop shared their own sources of inspiration and how they actualize the creative process individually. They illustrated colors, textures and patterns that would not only exemplify inspirational design, but that are also suitable for different market segment applications.

“Throughout this workshop, I felt that the people at nora really let us drive the workshop,” said Kevin Lynch, director of interior architecture at HDR Architecture, Dallas, TX. “There was no sales pitch – they were professional yet lighthearted, and they were really interested in serving us as opposed to telling us what to do.”

Julie Sayers, interior designer at Ellerbe Becket, Kansas City, MO, found the whole workshop to be inspiring. “As a designer, sometimes it’s easy to get bogged down and comfortable, so it’s inspiring, especially in a venue as beautiful as this, to have a manufacturer both challenge and listen to us. Instead of asking us ‘what do you think?’ about a certain product, they asked us ‘what do you want?’ which definitely added value to this workshop for me.”

Providing collaborative solutions is central to nora’s company mission, and it was once again evident on this year’s trip. “During the workshop, we placed the architects and designers in different groups to work together in developing ideas, and they worked very well with each other,” said Amy Bostock, manager, marketing and creative services at nora. “The entire workshop is predicated on collaboration, and our designers really took that to heart and came up with some great ideas together.”

Aimee Platt, associate at RTKL Associates, Chicago, IL, really enjoyed the collaborative spirit of the workshop. “Working with my peers and seeing different perspectives was great, and our group had tremendous working chemistry. We worked hard, learned quite a bit and had a lot of fun. I was flattered to be invited, and I had a wonderful time.”

“In terms of design, the workshop was a very invigorating experience,” added Nita Posada, associate at SRG Partnership, Inc., Portland, OR. “Seeing everything laid out in the showroom helped me understand the breadth of nora’s product line, and that visual treatment really helped me envision all of the applications in which I would use the different types of flooring.”

The annual Architect and Designer Workshop is an invitation-only event that is traditionally held at nora’s international headquarters in Weinheim, Germany. For more information on the 2011 trip, check back at http://www.nora.com/us for dates and how you can participate.

nora systems, Inc. has been located in the United States for more than 30 years. It is the U.S. headquarters of German-based nora systems GmbH, the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial rubber floor covering systems. The company has been designing and manufacturing nora rubber flooring for more than 50 years, meeting a wide range of functional performance requirements while paying close attention to the aesthetic aspects of interior design. For additional information, contact nora systems, Inc. at 1-800-332-NORA or visit the company’s web site at www.nora.com/us.