DesignPhiladelphia

O&N Celebrates 40 Years of Support

By Tiffany Mercer Robbins on Oct 16, 2021

2021 marks the 40th anniversary of O’Donnell & Naccarato, or O&N as we are commonly known. Our structural engineering practice has grown from a 3-person company in 1981 into a national firm of over 80 people spread over four offices. O&N has provided structural solutions for buildings across all construction market sectors with projects located throughout every part of the United States. Over these past four decades, we have remained committed to our mission – offering a progressive design and team-oriented approach to provide structural engineering services that contribute to the success of our clients, employees and community. In this 40th Anniversary year, we reflect on the ways we have supported many incredible projects, clients, community members and staff. First and foremost, we honor the foundation that Bill O’Donnell and Pete Naccarato laid for us as well as the legacy we are charged with honoring as we look towards growing our firm in the future. Bill and Pete combined a passion for developing client relationships with a focus on quality and creative engineering to provide solutions for clients that not only help complete very successful projects but also strengthen those relationships. This passion and focus are embedded in the O&N... Read more »

A New Framework

By Tiffany Mercer Robbins on Oct 16, 2021

Design has played a profound role in defining our work and living spaces. Decade after decade designers have re-imagined how and where we work, live and play. As the pandemic continues to unfold and accelerate change exponentially, we find ourselves in a unique inflection point. Living and work environments have reached a new symbiosis that requires profound re-evaluation of what functions are desirable in both. Flexibility in work schedules and environments means that the incremental models of the past can be leap frogged by innovative and adaptable organizations and families. It is in this new living laboratory that architects and designers find themselves formulating a new future. At MIO we have been creating a new framework that we would like to share with you. A Future of Places As we see it, the desire is for a future of places not spaces. “Good enough” is no longer a viable or welcoming scenario for these environments. At home we are spending more time and demanding more from its amenities. At work, we are going only for functions that require it and our expectations are higher. In this future we expect to see well thought out smaller footprints, with more resources devoted... Read more »

Tents at Work?

By Tiffany Mercer Robbins on Oct 15, 2021

It started when the Steelcase Design team was doing a study on privacy. Building on research conducted with the University of Wisconsin, they knew that visual distractions can interrupt focus, often more than noise. They were shooting for an inexpensive solution, light in scale, using less material—something that could be easily moved and highly flexible. With a number of outdoor enthusiasts on the team they got inspired by one of the earliest forms of shelter and privacy—the trustworthy tent. The team reached out to Chris Pottenger, an industrial designer who spent his career designing outdoor equipment for companies like Big Agnes, North Face and REI. Pottenger’s portfolio of designs ranged from sleeping bags to backpacks, clothing and canteens. And yes, tents. “Tents inherently make you feel comfortable and safe when you’re inside of them, says Pottenger. “The idea of bringing tents to the workplace is so innovative and something I had to be a part of.” The team conducted a series of intense design sprints, bringing in engineers and upholsterers and began experimenting with tensile structures—a construction of elements carrying only tension, no compression or bending. After months of tinkering and testing, the project was completed. The finished collection currently... Read more »

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