Modern office space with glass-walled meeting rooms, sleek furniture, open seating areas, large windows, and city views in the background.
Teknion | Tek Vue Curved Glass

Designers Share the Products Shaping Specialized Interiors

Experts from ZGF, Elkus Manfredi, and Perkins&Will provide guidance on specifying for airport concourses, law offices, and science and tech labs.

Specifying for Aviation

At ZGF Architects, associate principal Dannielle “Dannie” Fautch approaches aviation interiors as gateways to place—grounded in sustainability, shaped by landscape, and designed to support well-being. That ethos is on view at the ZGF-designed Portland International Airport’s Concourse B, where natural materials and biophilic strategies transform the terminal into a calm, welcoming civic experience.

A woman with long brown hair wearing a black blazer and top stands smiling in front of a red brick wall.

Dannielle “Dannie” Fautch
Associate Principal, ZGF Architects 

Passengers sit and walk in a modern airport terminal with geometric wall panels, tall ceilings, large windows, and gate signs overhead.

1. Panel Grille Ceiling

“This acoustic and sustainable ceiling helps add texture and volume to transitory spaces while providing way finding cues for passengers in a hurry.”
rulonco.com

Two people sit in recessed window alcoves of a modern building with geometric wooden wall panels and tall vertical windows.

2. Custom Acoustic Wood Slat Wall 

“Locally harvested and sustainably sourced custom Oregon white oak wood slats bring natural warmth and strong acoustic performance.”
isecinc.com

A large mosaic mural featuring white and green abstract floral patterns decorates a wall beneath ceiling signs in an airport terminal.

3. Custom 1×1 Mosaic Tile

“A custom mosaic is a great way to add color and art that recalls landscapes while providing a durable and maintainable material.”
prattandlarson.com

Beige terrazzo surface with scattered white and tan stone chips set in a light-colored matrix.

4. Terrazzo Flooring

“It’s durable and easy to maintain, making it perfect for a heavy traffic building type such as an airport.” 
tmsupply.com

Close-up of a white LED strip light with yellow LED chips and labeled 24V solder pads along its length.

5. Color Changing Strip Light

“These fixtures provide flexibility to customize and brand the space in a variety of ways, keeping passengers’ experience unique each time they travel through the space.”
kelvix.com

A person walks down a brightly lit airport corridor with large windows; an Alaska Airlines plane is visible outside.

6. Custom Stainless Steel Planter + Vine Support Cables 

“Interior landscaping brings a connection to nature indoors, contributing to a stress-free environment. When you can’t find a product that meets all your needs, design your own.”
aksteel.eu


Specifying for Legal Workplaces

At Elkus Manfredi Architects, associate Anna Reiderman-Hickey draws on hospitality and workplace strategy to reframe legal interiors around experience—designing offices that prioritize community, knowledge sharing, and client engagement. Her approach reflects a broader shift in law offices toward spaces that are more welcoming, flexible, and human centered.

Person with long, light brown hair and black glasses, wearing a black and burgundy top and a rectangular pendant, standing in front of a light-colored wall with framed panels.

Anna Reiderman-Hickey
Associate, Elkus Manfredi

Spacious, empty corridor with a moving walkway, glossy floor, white walls, geometric wall panels on the left, and a few plants along the side.

1. Barrisol Light

“Illuminating ceilings in older buildings with this stretch lighting works magic in providing the impression of daylight and a higher ceiling plane.”
barrisolusa.com 

Wispy white clouds form streaks against a clear blue sky.

2. LA Exuberance 10, 2016 by Tacita Dean

“Original artwork personalizes and differentiates a workspace and
tells the story of the individual culture of a firm.”
mariangoodman.com

Modern conference room with a geometric-patterned glass wall, empty chairs, laptops on the table, and two people on a video screen at the far end of the room.

3. Casper™ Cloaking Technology  

“Because confidentiality and visibility are both important factors when law firms are hosting visitors.”
designtex.com

Modern office workspace with a light wood desk, blue chairs, empty shelving, and multiple wall-mounted monitor screens above the desk.

4. Smooth Sailing

“We designed this gliding monitor rail to give attorneys ultimate flexibility for heads-down focus work and information sharing.”
studioother.com

A modern black cantilever chair with a mesh backrest and seat, featuring sleek chrome metal armrests and a tubular frame, set against a white background.

5. Sled Base ON chair 

“A beautiful stacker that doesn’t look like a stacker, with the reliability and comfort needed for long meetings.”
wilkhahn.com

Two modern, minimalist round tables of different heights stand on a concrete floor against a blue wall, with a vertical wooden slat partition and a green gradient wall in the background.

6. Reverse Tea Table  

“Because confidentiality and visibility are both important factors when law firms are hosting visitors.”
designtex.com

Modern conference room with a long white table, blue chairs, water glasses, large windows, and a cityscape view outside.

7. Carpeting Model: Affinity Bleu

“Where we can get the look of a custom weave within the running line products.”
bloomsburgcarpet.com


Specifying for Science & Tech

As Regional Science & Technology practice leader at Perkins&Will, Adana Johns brings an interdisciplinary lens to research environments, designing high-performance laboratories that balance precision with flexibility and collaboration. Her work reflects a belief that science and innovation spaces should accelerate discovery while also supporting the people who use them.

A woman with shoulder-length light brown hair, wearing a textured black jacket with gold buttons, stands indoors and smiles at the camera.

Adana Johns
Principal, Perkins&Will

Modern hospital interior with patient beds on one side and a curved hallway with workstations and chairs on the other, featuring light colors and large windows.

1. Noraplan Environcare

“This product is offered in a wide range of colors, thicknesses, and performance types, all rigorously tested to resist chemicals, heat, static, and rolling loads.”
interface.com

A recessed linear light fixture is installed in a white drop ceiling with gridlines.

2. TechZone Ceiling Systems with Ultima Technical Panels

“This system organizes complex lab ceilings with service panels and multiple devices while, when combined with Ultima technical panels, delivering an acoustically effective solution.”
armstrong.com

Modern open office space with glass-walled meeting rooms, wooden floors, desks, green chairs, and large windows overlooking trees and a grassy area outside.

3. Tek Vue

“Clients increasingly seek high visibility into lab spaces from adjacent public areas and workspaces, and this meets this demand with a clean, minimal aesthetic and strong acoustic performance.”
teknion.com

A black office chair with a plastic seat and backrest, adjustable height, a circular footrest, and five caster wheels on a star-shaped base.

4. Citrus Chair

“Functional and adaptable, this seating offers a range of heights, arm configurations, and ergonomic adjustments while maintaining an appealing aesthetic.”
cramerinc.com

Modern laboratory interior with turquoise cabinetry, large windows overlooking a cityscape, and scientific glassware on the counter.

5. Max Resistance2

“This phenolic surface provides nonporous counter and shelving that
is much lighter than epoxy while having a one hundred percent recycled paper core.”
fundermax.us

Would you like to comment on this article? Send your thoughts to: [email protected]

Latest

  • A close-up view of colorful, intricately woven textiles arranged vertically, showcasing various patterns and vibrant horizontal stripes.

    Products

    Dorothy Cosonas Designs Textiles from the Fiber Up

    The creative director carries forward Luum’s legacy of material innovation through close collaboration with mills and an emphasis on fiber-level experimentation. 

  • Casa Batlló and neighboring buildings in Barcelona, Spain, with ornate facades and a clear blue sky in the background.

    Viewpoints

    Antoni Gaudí, On the Spectrum

    World Heritage Site, Casa Batlló, is “committed to autism.” Can other cultural institutions learn from this ground-breaking neurodiversity initiative?