Bev: Whoa, Marcie, Mike just got lost with talk of Universal Design and Green Design.

Mike: How did we switch to Green cars and Universal joints?

Marcie Harris: Ha, Ha! Certainly there is correct terminology for this concept - but my interpretation of Universal Design is creating an environment that is end user-friendly - for all age groups and for users with physical limitations. It is not just about ADA compliance. For instance, a space designed for a young family could have lower vanities in the baths for the kids - perhaps with a pullout cabinet under the sink if someone in a wheelchair needed to use it. It is about proper lighting - reducing glare, proper task lighting. It is about proper flooring - seamless changes in flooring materials so someone with limited ambulatory abilities won't trip on the edge of a surface change. It is about wider doorways and hallways and making bathrooms more accessible and safer with proper grab bars and turning radius and wheel-in showers. It is about a space that if you suddenly broke your leg, you would not be helpless in your own space. It is about aging in place.

Bev: It could be about aging "boomers"! And "green" Design?

Marcie Harris: Again, we've heard a lot of this lately. My interpretation of Green Design is that designers and architects need to be educated about the lifecycle of the products they specify. This is not only the recycling capability of products, but thinking about what it took to make the product in the first place. Obviously we can't evaluate everything - but if more pressure were put on manufacturers from designers and architects regarding Green Design, I believe the industry would react accordingly. I have a client with a child that came down with environmental sickness after they moved into their new home. The off-gassing of VOC's from the various products (osb board, carpet glue, etc.) was enough to keep her out of one whole year of high school. This was 8 years ago and things are improving - but it is still a huge concern.

LF+DG: Okay, a change of pace. If I walk into one of your client's homes, will I say, "Ah, this is a Marcie Harris designed home!"

Marcie Harris: Since a lot of my design work in the past has involved model homes - I have had the opportunity to be my own client over and over again (with, unfortunately, the budget constraints that go along with me!). So I'd say a lot of my models have a similar "look." As I moved away from "staging" to working for individual clients, I broke loose from that, however, and lately I've been incorporating some more modern touches, meaning a more streamlined look - more mid-century modern; traditional forms simplified - not as much embellishment; a "quieter" look. I still adore traditional interiors but find the modern look to be appropriate in many environments today.