Hyphn Learning: An Education Project Success Story
Tim Cowan
Workplace ConsultantAs a workplace consultant, Tim's fluent understanding of architecture and construction helps clients discuss interior design and furniture solutions earlier in the process, alleviating pressure during design and making a notable impact on the fit and finish of the final space as well as the budget—something everyone can get behind.
-Hyphn recently published a case study about its efforts on the iTech Preparatory School project for Vancouver Public Schools (VPS). Tell us your top 5 factors for that project’s success.
I think the success factors are directly tied to Hyphn’s core values. We believe collaboration is imperative for achieving the best results. We partner with our clients and advise each other. We ultimately build community by getting to know our clients and what matters most to them. We insist that laughter brings us closer together. And we aim to be continuous learners.
We’re One Team - Hyphn is a highly collaborative and communicative organization. We believe the best results are achieved by exceptional partnerships between our internal teams, clients, trade partners, and manufacturers -- and that’s exactly what happened on iTech.
We’ve Got You - Hyphn partners for success. We have a design process that gives our clients a unique user-led experience to engage in design and to explore options. We are advisers from early planning through installation, but we rely on our colleagues and partners to give us fresh perspectives as much as we rely on our clients to help us learn and grow.
We Build Community - Prior to joining Hyphn, I was the lead designer on the architectural team for the iTech project, so I was familiar with the building design and the school’s philosophy. Getting the chance to know many people from the iTech family helped us capture their core values and ultimately create an exceptional student experience.
We Love to Laugh - My close engagement with the Principal and stakeholders throughout the architectural design process afforded our team the necessary insights to develop a furniture package that matched their vision for project-based learning via collaboration and process on display. We really became friends throughout the process of working together. The iTech staff is composed of outstanding individuals committed to each other and the success of their students while having fun and instilling positivity and possibility in all they do.
We Never Settle - Historically, Hyphn’s work in the K-12 market was largely focused on office and administrative areas, but the timely addition of Smith System to the Steelcase family put us in a great position to provide furniture services for the whole school environment yielding a more cohesive and better functioning solution for the users. We’ve really expanded our capabilities by partnering with manufacturers who are fully invested in providing the best quality and service to the education market. And we’re constantly seeking out information and feedback so that we can improve, adapt and grow with our clients to best meet their needs and plan for the future.
- This project was a little different for you than most due to the fact you were a part of the architectural team prior to joining Hyphn. What were some benefits of your architectural involvement?
Yeah, that’s true. I was very familiar with the architectural plans and the goals of the project, so I was able to offer my insights about the programming we completed with the stakeholders to help inform the furniture package design.
Furniture is so critical to the successful performance of spaces and the way students and staff engage with the architecture. There were definitely some revelations during the furniture design that I wish we could’ve incorporated earlier during the architectural design process -- I would have loved collaborating with Hyphn during the design development!
Since joining Hyphn, I’ve witnessed how our design team collaborates so well with our Architecture and Interior Design partners. I believe we are truly creating better spaces by design when we have the opportunity to consult with the broader design team and our clients earlier in the project process. Our team has a unique consultative offering that bolsters interior design and architecture and ultimately improves the end users’ experience.
-As you came to the conclusion of the project, what were some aspects of Hyphn’s offerings that really surprised and assisted VPS?
The Principal at iTech was really surprised by how well the furniture supported student collaboration by extending the classroom and lab spaces into the common areas. Another take-away was how flexible the furniture solutions were to allow for the staff and students to manipulate and reconfigure their spaces to support their mission of project-based learning. In addition to the flexibility, the VPS team expressed appreciation for the quality and durability of the furniture. I’m so proud of what our team developed and the positive impacts the furniture is having on student learning and engagement.
-Hyphn has worked on several other VPS school bond projects since the iTech Preparatory School. What do you attribute that to?
First, I took great pride in helping Principal Meade and his team throughout the architectural design process. Their core team’s input helped create a high-functioning network of learning spaces around the concepts of collaboration and process on display. We felt a strong bond to their vision for the future of student learning.
Throughout every step of the process, we illustrated the depth of Hyphn’s capabilities. From the knowledge base of our senior interior designer and focused attention to detail by our coordinator to the tireless commitment of our project manager and operations team in the field, every single team member gave it their sincere attention to ensure the project’s success. Our team illustrated the value of Hyphn by delivering not only an exceptional client experience, but a better learning experience.
We never settle.
We love to laugh.
We build community.
We’ve got you.
We’re one team.