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Interview with Tim Politis |
Home > Designer Interviews > Tim Politis |
Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer Tim Politis (TP) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of Tim Politis by clicking here.
FS: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
TP: My career and love for design began in the sandbox. Moreover, if the name was not already taken, I would have called our studio 'sandbox.' It is the freedom to create, explore and build that the sandbox provides that I have always loved. Continuing through school, I took as many art and drawing courses as I could and wound my way to the University of Nebraska, College of Architecture where I discovered the joys of creative projects.
FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
TP: One Line Studio, a design-focused architecture studio founded in 2012 by Tim Politis, originates from the belief that the first move (often the first gesture on paper) is significant in setting ideas, defining the critical path, and leading to creative problem solving. The Colorado based studio engages in diverse commercial, experiential hospitality, adaptive reuse, inspired living, and one-of-a-kind ventures seeking inventive solutions that turn constraints into opportunities.
FS: What is "design" for you?
TP: Design is all encompassing. It is not only what is built and the environment that it is in, but also the many intangible elements such as time, available resources, the talent brought by others, individual interests, the economy and so much more.
FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
TP: For our studio, it is not the type of work that is intriguing, it is rather the problems that we discover. To do this, you need an open-minded team including clients, consultants, and contractors. It is in the open and collaborative realm that we can identify problems and through the process of problem solving, discover creative solutions.
FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
TP: We are currently working on the ‘The Stitch,' an elevated transit experience that soars above the Cherry Creek waterway in Denver with vistas of the Front Range and Rocky Mountains in the distance. The platforms and bridges that connect gondola stations create opportunities for vertical parklets and strings of pedestrian-focused routes that stitch together Denver’s unique neighborhoods, connecting LoHi, LoDo, The River Mile, Ball Arena, Union Station, The Theater District, the Convention Center, Auraria Campus, the Golden Triangle, Cherry Creek North and more. With a minimal footprint and a diagonal route through the city, The Stitch meets numerous bike trails, bus routes and train lines already within the city to create a dynamic, pedestrian oriented and well-connected urban environment for Denver.
FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
TP: I am inspired by the duality of materials and their use. It is a process of seeking resourcefulness as the seed to developing creative solutions. For example, if a wood panel can be both structure and finish. An expansion joint not only separates materials but serves as the vehicle to ventilate a space. Structural steel members are designed to support the superstructure as well as the secondary glazing, minimizing the need for additional frames.
FS: When do you feel the most creative?
TP: When walking. I take a walk in the middle of the day almost every day. This walk not only is a change of environment and refresher for the remainder of the day, it clears my thoughts and allows me to see things differently. I believe there is also something about the act of doing and in this case movement that helps to expand the creative energies.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
TP: Most often excitement and curiosity. It is the opportunity to discover that which I do not already know.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
TP: There is a mix of emotions, where there is a joy in seeing something realized, however also an analytical side that evaluating the realized design as if it were simply a model for further exploration. It is a mix of seeing what was not built to plan, what could have been built, and what opportunities lie ahead.
FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
TP: I have come to realize that the best compliment that one may receive for a design is actually an odd question: 'What did you do?' At first this appears to be a criticism, however, what it identifies is that the design intervention fits so well into its context and environment, that the one asking the question is not able to identify what changed. It is a refinement of design so that it appears that it is always meant to be that way.
FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
TP: Out of respect, we have the responsibility to listen, first. It is in listening that we can be responsive, creative problem solvers. I believe it is important to check our ego's and self-interests so that we can be open minded about the affects of what we do and the potential impact to communities and the environment. It does not mean that we do not have a voice, but that we allow our connection to others and the world that is bigger than the self to shape the solutions that we propose.
FS: How do you work with companies?
TP: We begin by listening. We have an engaging process where we ask many questions in hope of discovering and identifying the true needs of our clients.
FS: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
TP: Ask a lot of questions to get a good feel for how a design team works. Choose the team that has a creative problem solving process. In the end it will not only be more rewarding, but bring great value to your business.
FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
TP: Listen to those around you!
FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
TP: We work as a team and bounce ideas off of each other. Anyone can come up with an idea, but it is the refinement and sculpting of the idea that makes for great works.
FS: How can people contact you?
TP: Please check out our website at www.OneLineStudio.com
FS: Thank you for providing us with this opportunity to interview you.
A’ Design Award and Competitions grants rights to press members and bloggers to use parts of this interview. This interview is provided as it is; DesignPRWire and A' Design Award and Competitions cannot be held responsible for the answers given by participating designers.
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