Michael Cole graduated from the Landscape Architecture program in 1979. He worked for Odell Associates Inc. in Charlotte for almost 10 years before co-founding ColeJenest & Stone, P.A. in 1988 with Brian Jenest, also a 1979 College of Design landscape architecture graduate. The award-winning firm employs 40 landscape architects, civil engineers and urban designers and has participated in more than 2,900 projects in its 15-year history. The company has developed a unique approach to blending science and art by teaming landscape architects and civil engineers in the firm’s five specialized project teams. Both disciplines collaborate from concept to construction, contributing design and technical expertise to each project.

Though the firm has produced commercial, residential and healthcare projects, their primary focus is mixed-use developments, urban public spaces and campus planning. Cole was commissioned to update the master plan for the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and is currently working on relocation of the College of Engineering to the North Carolina State University Centennial Campus.

Other significant urban design projects include: Gateway Village, a 1.1 million SF mixed-use development in Charlotte with Bank of America and Cousins Properties, Inc; The Green at Wachovia, a 1.5 acre downtown plaza between South Tryon and College Streets; and Pack Square, the central public open space, in Asheville, North Carolina.

Cole has helped position the firm for continued strong growth using its teaming philosophy and commitment to design excellence.

Paul Montgomery is a 1981 graduate of the College of Design in Product Design. He received his MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in 1987. Prior to attending Cranbrook, Montgomery worked as a designer for Texas Instruments and PA Technology. After graduation he went on to frogdesign in California as design director.

In 1990 he and Herbie Pfeifer established a multi disciplinary design firm located in San Francisco. Montgomery Pfeifer employs 15 designers working on consumer/technology products and identity systems for clients such as Alcatel, Apple, Digital Persona, Intel, Lifescan, Logitech, and Microsoft. Personal computers in work groups are encumbered by redundant software and antiquated hardware. A better solution is to share software from a centralized server. In a networked environment the server can be tucked away, with access for individuals through a “thin client” terminal.

The potential for the SunRay network computer is to streamline the desktop work environment. Through the use of a smart card (inserted into the front of the device), the user can tap into their virtual workstation anywhere a terminal is located. Not only does this enhance performance and flexibility, but precious desk space is liberated, minus the repetitive hardware.

The identity of the SunRay enclosure was conceived to be an antidote to the ubiquitous computer box. Working closely with the SunRay project team, it was important the design communicate stability and novelty. To this end, we developed a morphology rooted in anthropomorphic forms. The imagery ranged from the brooding megaliths of Easter Island to the abstract portraits of Analytical Cubism. The result was an animated yet reserved form posed for action. The overall gesture communicating a dutiful purpose—an eager helper ready to deliver information, instantly and economically.

While a member of Nike’s Image Design department, I was charged with establishing a visual language for the ACG category (All Conditions Gear). This entailed devising a look, feel, and approach which spoke directly to the essence of the brand. The ACG team of footwear, apparel, and accessory designers were, and are, serious outdoor enthusiasts and derived their inspiration from travel, outdoor activity, and other forms of research.

The sketchbooks contained a wealth of thoughtful ideas that were most often realized in their final design solutions. The design team also worked closely with professional and amateur athletes and enthusiasts ranging from river guides, snowboarders, cyclists, climbers, and runners. Their design input and photography efforts were also critical elements of the overall brand voice.

The scope of work ranged from product catalogs, point of sale materials, exhibit design, packaging systems, videos, retail fixtures, and special events graphics. The main goal for the program was to accurately describe the ACG range of products as highly innovative, technically superior, and a whole lot of fun. It was also important to communicate that ACG products are designed by a team of people who are dedicated outdoor enthusiasts who possess a keen understanding of the punishment that these products must withstand in order to successfully perform.

While the design for the brand was a lot of fun, I was also expected to test the products. This was not a problem since I enjoy riding, skating, and running anyway! But the main source of enjoyment came from the opportunity to design a visual program that was applied in so many dimensions, places, and flavors.

Jérémie McGowan (BAD 2001) is a Fulbright Fellow with the Giellagas Institute for Saami Studies at the University of Oulu. McGowan's work, inspired by travels in Circumpolar Norway, Sweden and Finland, will be exhibited through October 2002 at the Fulbright Center. Photographs of arctic landscapes are displayed with artworks created by the artist's intimate connection with arctic mythology. Unifying the diverse range of media is the theme intrinsic to McGowan's works: What is the relationship between the modern artist and the ancient shaman? The following essay by McGowan was published in the Fulbright Center News of March 2002.

Design Mythology

Michael Tribble, FAIA, RIBA is vice-chairman of the firm of LS3P ASSOCIATES LTD. with offices in Charlotte, NC and Charleston, SC.

Katherine N. Peele, FAIA is the managing principal of the Raleigh office of LS3P/Boney, with offices in Wilmington, Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina.

Richard Curtis is managing editor of graphics and photography for USA TODAY.

Ron Mace was a nationally and internationally recognized architect, product designer and educator whose design philosophy challenged convention and provided a design foundation for a more usable wo

Randy Hester, a professor at UC Berkeley, is founder of SAVE International. He is a former associate professor at NC State University and was once elected to the Raleigh City Council.