Placemaking Moments: How Thoughtful Design Connects Us to a Space

featuring Molly Morton

January 29, 2024

When truly designed for its users in mind, a building can surpass what’s expected of it. Functionality is paramount — but it’s the special touches, the intentional design elements that make you feel connected to a space. Through branding expertise and by collaborating with skilled craftspeople, artisans and industry-leading makers, we’re able to design places that tell stories. Places that completely immerse you in an environment you don’t want to leave. Places that you remember when you do. From partnerships with artistic visionaries to incorporating human-centric design practices, here are just a few ways that thoughtful interior design can tell stories and create connections.

Experience Through Art

Art has a powerful ability to evoke emotion. At the Fountain Place residences, a 45-story building of emerald green glass that stands next to its office tower sibling, site-specific artworks anchor several public areas. Adjacent to the lobby entrance, Page collaborated with visual artist Beili Liu on “Resonance,” a multidimensional, vertical installation wrapped by an ADA ramp. This piece delivers a unique experience in a space where artwork isn’t typically found, and it changes depending on how light interacts with the piece throughout the day. We also collaborated with sculptor Paul Clarence Oglesby for an artwork in an outdoor seating area. “Two Cereus Cacti with Pods” is a modular sculpture inspired by the plant form and crafted with reclaimed materials. It’s visible from inside and from the connected plaza, providing a captivating link from interior to exterior.

Integrated Design & Branding

Considered branding for The Westcott influences how this luxury residential high-rise in Houston resonates with tenants. Its sophisticated identity is inspired by nearby Memorial Park, with a color palette of warm leathers and wood, greens that play on the park’s natural beauty, and complementary pops of peach. Its typography “utilizes a handsome serif typeface whose letterforms were inspired by a style of engraved lettering,” says Molly Morton, brand planner in the Branding & Graphics studio at Page. “This is paired with a geometric sans serif for hardworking copy, providing a balance of refinement with approachable ease.” Hand-drawn illustrations used for printed materials and signage throughout the property bring elevated whimsy and charm, while paintings by artists Raven Roxanne and Sydney Yeagar feature hues that beautifully match the branding. The Westcott’s inimitable character, brought to life by visual and tangible design elements that create cohesion, allows residents to feel inspired by and connected to their home. Recently, The Westcott won the national Gold “Best Interior Design” Excellence Award from ­Multi-Housing News.

Sustainability & Wellness

For the Greater Texas Foundation Headquarters in Bryan, Texas, Page connected old with new — a practice that simultaneously grounds us in history and guides us towards the future. We reused a wooden warehouse for most of the nonprofit’s surfaces, including flooring, walls and the underside of the ceiling, as well as furniture pieces designed by local maker Mark Macek. For these, our focus remained on wellness and ergonomic design. Specifically, boardroom seating needed to be flexible for clients while helping foundation staff feel connected to the space, whether sitting in a chair or at a laptop table. This human-centered design perspective prioritizes all users of the building and enhances their comfort.

Custom Furnishings

In Santa Fe, Page designed the private Torcasso residence together with architect Larry Speck to reflect the majestic beauty of the New Mexico landscape. Our custom coffee table and end tables, a collaboration with Macek and artist Hawkeye Glenn who fashioned their bronze bases, are equal parts effortless in function and sculpturally aesthetic in appearance, inviting a visceral connection to earth and sky. These are just a few pieces in the 6,000-square-foot home that not only serve a purpose but also invite the owner and guests to feel rooted in nature and connected to their surroundings.

Molly Morton

Project Manager