SYRACUSE — Ashley McGraw Architects of Syracuse has rolled out Vaysen Studio, which the firm describes as a “creative studio that focuses on design strategy and interior design.” Susanne Angarano, a principal with Ashley McGraw, leads the Vaysen Studio’s work. It includes five interior designers and design strategists. They have experience in “transforming” interior spaces […]
SYRACUSE — Ashley McGraw Architects of Syracuse has rolled out Vaysen Studio, which the firm describes as a “creative studio that focuses on design strategy and interior design.”
Susanne Angarano, a principal with Ashley McGraw, leads the Vaysen Studio’s work.
It includes five interior designers and design strategists. They have experience in “transforming” interior spaces for a wide range of project types including K-12 schools, colleges and universities, and community/civic buildings, the firm said.
Ashley McGraw is still working on securing projects for those involved in the Vaysen Studio’s work, says Angarano, who spoke with CNYBJ on May 12.
She started thinking about this studio about the same time she became a principal with the firm in 2017.
As Angarano explains it, the Vaysen Studio is about “understanding [the] essence of our clients, the stakeholders for projects, the context of projects, and understanding the deep essence and personality of all those entities so that we can provide design that really speaks to their values.”
Angarano says she’s German by heritage, and the word essence in German is wesen (pronounced like vaysen), so she used the word’s phonetic spelling to name the studio.
Ashley McGraw will continue to offer interior design and design-strategy services. The new studio “allows for maximum flexibility and customer service” in serving clients, the firm contends.
“Vaysen Studio stems from the needs of Ashley McGraw Architects’ clientele who were seeking something beyond traditional interior design services. We have recognized the importance of sophisticated stakeholder engagement methods and measurable outcomes for design strategy and interior design,” Matthew Broderick, president of Ashley McGraw Architects, said in a release. “The creation of Vaysen Studio will not only support and strengthen Ashley McGraw Architects but will also increase our geographic and market reach while expanding our project portfolio.
When asked to explain the difference between the work that the Vaysen studio will do and other projects at Ashley McGraw Architects, Angarano says she hopes that the firm’s Vaysen Studio work will help it “team up” with other architectural firms on projects. Those firms could be in the Central New York region or outside of it.
“The research and knowledge that we are using to develop our design and the way that we approach design and the way that we work with clients, we want to be able to offer that to a broader client [base],” says Angarano.
Ashley McGraw created a second website for its Vaysen Studio work. “We wanted to highlight how we’re emphasizing the services and the importance of the work that we’ll be doing,” says Angarano.
She notes that its work that Ashley McGraw has previously handled but considers the firm’s design process in the Vaysen Studio to be “more in depth” and “more specialized.”
Most of those designers working with the Vaysen Studio can handle their duties in their regular workspaces, so the firm didn’t initially need to pursue a renovation or construction project for the studio. Most Ashley McGraw employees are working remotely as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
The new studio didn’t require any additional hiring but Angarano says the firm will hire new staff, if the need arises.
Under the state’s work-from-home mandate for non-essential workers, Ashley McGraw has been using Zoom, GoToMeeting, or other computer programs for its client meetings, and Angarano has described the effort so far as “pretty seamless.”
“We’ve done everything from just a discussion to a full design presentation … I would say that we’re still getting just as much face time with our clients as we did before,” says Angarano.