PDR Designers Use Carpet, Fabric Tiles To Create

Ask a group of workplace designers to create a couture fashion garment out of interior finish materials and the result is an imaginative display of color and texture. At Product Runway, an annual event held by the Houston chapter of IIDA, design firms compete for a variety of fashion awards. At this year’s competition Houston based interior design firm PDR was randomly partnered with Mannington Commercial Carpet and Haworth Furniture to create a Latin inspired garment.  As it turns out carpet backing, plastic samples, carpet fibers and Kvadrat clouds look just as good on the runway as they do in your office.

Inspired by the hand crafts and materials of Latin cultures, the garment is embellished with hand embroidered carpet fiber accentuating the full flowing skirt. The accompanying rustle of vibrant colored plastic is reminiscent of castanets while the prominent collar adds a flair of drama fitting for a fashion show.  Runway model Silvia Segura showed of the garments accessories, a fan made from kvadrat clouds and red plastic earrings, as she danced salsa down the runway.

The PDR team showcased the Latin inspired garment at Product Runway 2011, along with 17 other design teams, where the entry earned the award ‘Best Instrumental Artist’ for their exquisite craftsmanship.

The team of PDR workplace designers included Jennifer Segsworth, Matt Crnkovich, Corrine Arnot, Monica Rodriguez-Luna and Clara Mechelle Karnei.

Clara Karnei’s Celebrate Ten-Year Anniversary with PDR

The staff of PDR honored senior associate, Clara Karnei, with a surprise party at the Grove in celebration of her 10-year employment anniversary at the office.  PDR threw a ‘Karneival’ themed party of giant proportions, complete with cotton candy, a balloon twister, and even a game or two of flip cup. Perhaps the highlight of the evening, however, was a Clara look-a-like contest where PDR staff- men and women alike- put forth their best impersonation of the guest of honor. The evening concluded with Clara being presented an anniversary gift from the Baccarat Crystal collection.

Clara has been a project manager and project designer at PDR since 2001, and has worked with numerous clients including Exxon Mobil, Texas Instruments, Frost Bank, Conoco Phillips and the Texas Medical Center. Clara regularly leads a variety of projects through all phases, and her success in delivering these projects can be largely attributed to her commitment to clients.

Clara is certified by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification, and is a Registered Interior Designer in the State of Texas. She received a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2001.

Lauri Goodman Lampson Celebrates 20-Year Anniversary at PDR

Lauri Goodman Lampson, who has developed comprehensive workplace strategies for organizations around the globe, has completed her 20^th year at PDR.

Through the years, Lauri’s award-winning workplace strategies have helped companies address collaborative problem solving, knowledge transfer, process improvement, cross training and other key business challenges.

She has led projects throughout North America and around the globe including Europe, Africa and South America.  She also authored “A Great Place to Work,” comprehensive design guidelines for ExxonMobil’s global Business Support Centers which would become the blueprint for helping the company attract top global talent and maintain peak levels of productivity.

A Principal with PDR, Lauri is certified by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification and is a Registered Interior Designer in the State of Texas. She graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Houston.

Jackie Wheat, Kico Tovar Celebrate Ten-Year Anniversaries With PDR

 The staff of PDR gathered at the House of Blues in downtown Houston to celebrate the ten-year employment anniversaries of Jackie Wheat, senior designer and senior associate, and Kico Tovar, senior designer, senior associate and project manager.

 Jackie has been a lead designer with PDR since 2000 with project experience extending to Europe and the Middle East.  Among her many accomplishments, Jackie served as design lead for key ExxonMobil projects in Hamburg, Germany and Doha, Qatar.  She also served as design lead for CITGO’s executive offices in Houston

 Kico’s work has stretched across the globe for clients including ExxonMobil, CITGO, Accenture, Texas Instruments and Texas Children’s Hospital. He also serves as a senior designer for the new corporate headquarters of Eaton Corp. in suburban Cleveland, Ohio.

After receiving high praise from their colleagues, Jackie and Kico were presented anniversary gifts from the Baccarat Crystal collection.

PDR Goes To Extreme In Gingerbread House Competition

Leave it up to a group of workplace architects to stretch the limits during a Gingerbread House competition sponsored by Architecture Center Houston in partnership with C2 Creative, Buffalo Bayou Partnership and the Houston Downtown Management District.

PDR’s team of Joanne Taylor, Corrine Arnot and Meagan McCabe took home the award for Best Use of Materials for its Alice in Wonderland-themed house, adapted from one of the more famous scenes of the movie when Alice actually “outgrows” her house.

The PDR team of Matt Crnkovich, Justin Dezendorf and Jason Ahuja took the competition to another level with its Gingerbread House depicting the CCTV complex in Beijing, including one tower that burned in 2009.  An unusual entry for a Gingerbread House contest, to say the least – perhaps that’s why the judges presented the team with the award for the Most Non-Traditional Entry.