Exciting News for Our Clients!

We are extremely proud and thrilled to announce---NKB is now a Class A Licensed General Contractor with BLD specialty in Virginia!  We are thrilled to not only provide our clients with designs for their interior projects but also BUILD them as well! 

What this means for you is that you no longer have to worry about going out to find  a designer  for your interior renovation and then separately having to find a contractor.  We are housed under one roof allowing for Convenience, Quality and Affordability to you!   This is so important for us to be able to do this for our clients.   

At NKB Design and Management, we look forward to serving you! 

Holy Design!

When looking at statistics to understand how many people attend church and how many religious congregations there are, the Gallup Polls states 40% or roughly 98 million people attend church on a regular basis and there are roughly 350,000 congregations in the US. 

Whether you practice Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, Buddism or any other religion, going to your specific place of worship has become a ritual.  These places of worship provide different purposes  for different people including: guidance, inspiration, calmness and relaxation.    Buildings that serve as religious spaces are designed to have a connection to the realm of God.

SOURCE: FREE DIGITAL PHOTOS ARTHUR84

The interior space within the architectural shell encompasses several key components making a space complete.  For example, in addition to the primary sanctuary spaces within churches, there are secondary spaces used for teaching and social functions.   With keeping design in mind, there are several key design elements needed to carefully create the religious masterpiece. 

Here are the top 4 key design elements:

1-      Scale: Places of worship are built “to be enduring icons of the civilization for which they stood, and landmarks for years to come” (Roberts, 2004).  Scale contributes to massively high ceilings i.e. as if to be reaching towards God and the added effect of awe.   

2-      Lighting is another key element to design because it serves as a connection between humans and deities (Hamilton & Watkins, 2009). Consideration should be placed on brightness and darkness for contrast.  Also, layers of lighting should be paired together in order to provide different levels of illuminations.  This includes accent, ambient, decorative, task and natural lighting. (Read more about this in our previous blog on lighting).

3-      Acoustics:  The acoustical performance of a congregational place is critical in providing the message clearly whether you are sitting in the front row or the last seat in the back.   For example, the geometrical configuration should be considered because it impacts how the Pastor sounds when speaking versus how the choir sounds when they are singing.

4-      Materials:  Because of scale and acoustics, designers and builders have to keep in mind the specific materials to be used when designing the space.   

At NKB Design and Management, we look forward to working with your place of worship in the areas of Northern Virginia and DC.  Please let us know how we may be able to assist you. 

  

Sources- Evidence Based Design for Multiple Building Types, Gallup Poll, Hartford Institute of Religion Research 

The Air We Breathe.

The EPA indicates that you spend about 90% of your time indoors and the quality of indoor air can be two to five times more polluted than the worst outside air.

The EPA also states that the three sources of poor indoor air quality in offices are : “ the presence of indoor pollution sources like asbestos from insulation, formaldehyde, carpet, cleaning materials, air fresheners, and copying machines; poorly designed, maintained, or operated ventilation systems; and uses of the building that were unanticipated or poorly planned for when the building was designed or renovated.”

This makes us think--what are we doing to better the air we breathe?  How often are you dusting your space, cleaning the air vents or shampooing your carpets?  Are you getting fresh air into your office at all? Have you considered the materials and finishes you chose may be harmful to your health? There is some good news--you can take certain steps to improve your interior environment.  

Here are a few:

1-      adding plants in your space removes CO2 and adds oxygen

2-      getting your ducts cleaned

3-      changing air filters often

4-      shampooing your carpets

5-      getting an air purifier with a HEPA filter that removes dust, dirt, pollen and other allergens in the air

6-   selecting low-emitting carpet and paint

Also, as we have recently talked about LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification before, the USGBC has Indoor Environmental Quality as one of the six areas covered in the LEED process.

If you are looking to renovate or expand into new space, going after LEED certification is something to consider.  Or if you just moved into a LEED certified space, there are certain points that have already been obtained from the checklist.  This means planning, implementing and maintaining indoor air quality, thermal comfort, increased ventilation and daylight through views have been achieved or considered.

Let NKB Design and Management help you come up with an indoor air quality action plan which would include selecting materials that are low-emitting such as paints, carpets and adhesives and possibly adding LEED certification into your project.  

Check out this informative image on the benefits of indoor plants!

image from urbanplanters

How Colors Make Us Feel.

Design is influential to our daily lives whether we realize it or not.  One element of design is color which plays a huge role in our decision making from the foods we choose to eat to practically every purchase we make. 

What’s your favorite color? This is a question providing an answer into your personality.  For example, if you like the color red, it has been psychologically related to words like powerful, bold and exciting. 

When you think about choosing the right paint for your space why does it become such a difficult decision?  Could it be our color choices change with our mood or even the season?  Try this tip, think of words that come to your mind when you think of your favorite store or restaurant.  Do any of these words come to mind: energized, calm, romantic, elegant or dignified?  Marketing and branding companies really focus on how colors can draw customers in.

One should keep in mind that color choices are subjective which is precisely why painting your child’s room their favorite color is great…because it is a reflection of them…well at least for maybe the year!  However, when you’re thinking about selecting colors for your business, you should get feedback from others and if you want to make a bold statement, like for example if you’re using the bright green color from your company’s logo, then pick one wall to do so—i.e. the accent wall and then pair it with some neutrals.    Another point to keep in mind is color choices can be different based on age groups, gender and cultural backgrounds. 

Check out this cool graph from Painters of Louisville which breaks down colors regarding psychology and feelings, see how many of these you agree with.

And next time you decide on a color for your space, think about how the color(s) makes you and everyone using the space feel.