IIDA NC: Reflections on the Pioneers In Design Event 2016

By Suzanne Nagorka, CID, IIDA

As Director of the North Bay IIDA NC City Center, I was thrilled to attend the Pioneers In Design Event at the SF Jazz Center. This year’s award went to Michael Murphy of MASS Design Group, a non-profit architecture firm that specializes in providing healthcare and housing for under-privileged communities in Africa, Haiti and the US. His presentation tied in with our 2016 IIDA philanthropy theme “Design for Humanity” and inspired the audience of over 600 design professionals to look for a deeper understanding of the occupants and users of the spaces we design.

In conversation with moderator Dr. David Smith, founder of the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic, Michael explored the connection between healthcare and homelessness in our local communities. They both shared their personal stories that led them to serve the non-profit sector and encouraged the audience to reflect on what attracted them to the design industry. One of the most rewarding aspects of my job as Director of Interiors at TLCD Architecture is to see how our work affects the way people live, work, heal and play. Michael’s closing comments addressed possibilities for formulating new approaches to design and architecture during this time of social and political change.

All in all, it was a very inspiring evening with the Northern California design community.