Explore Design

There’s a quietness to well-designed public spaces.

While designing the expansion of the Anchorage Museum, we knew the interior spaces need to support movement, gathering, reflection, and flexibility all at once. Open sightlines, natural light, warm materials, and layered community spaces help the building feel as welcoming as it is functional.

Spaces like this shape how people interact with culture, community, and each other often without them even realizing it.

Biochar is an emerging material that has the potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions in the construction industry.

Created by transforming organic waste into a charcoal-like material, biochar can be incorporated into concrete and cement products to help lower their carbon footprint without compromising performance. Even more importantly, it actively stores carbon that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere.

As conversations around sustainable building continue evolving, materials like biochar are changing the way we think about long-term environmental impact in design and construction.

(Photo: MIT Climate Control)

For many travelers, this is their first impression of Alaska.

The Arrivals Hall at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport was designed to reflect both the scale of modern aviation and the experience of moving through the Alaska landscape. Natural materials, glacial-inspired forms, expansive light, and clear circulation all work together to create a space that feels distinctly connected to place.

More than two decades later, it remains one of the largest and most complex public projects completed in Alaska. 🛫

Every designer’s desk tells a different story.

Some are minimal. Some are organized chaos.

This one screams cowgirl energy with a pink cowboy boot and a cactus with sunglasses. Sometimes joy looks like playful objects, weird little treasures, and things that make you smile in the middle of a busy day. 😉

Can you guess whose desk this is?

There’s a lot that goes into material selection beyond just picking colors or finishes.

Our team recently spent time with Maharam exploring textiles, textures, durability, and performance through a hands-on rep visit and material review. These conversations help us better understand how products will function in real spaces and how they can support the overall experience we’re designing for.

With growing demand for lower-carbon building solutions, calcined clay is becoming an important material in the future of concrete and cement design. This supplementary cementitious material (SCM) can reduce the CO2 footprint of traditional cement by nearly 50% while still maintaining strong performance.

As conversations around sustainability continue shaping the industry, materials like calcined clay are becoming an important part of how we think about long-term building performance, resilience, and environmental impact.

(Photo: Holcim)