Corey Papadopoli

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Corey Papadopoli ("CP") for their original perspective and innovative approach to design as well as their creative lifestyle, we are very pleased to share our interview with our distinguished readers.

DL: Could you please tell us a bit about your design background and education?

CP : In high school, I was a fine arts major. I went to Wentworth Insititute of Technology and earned an Associates Degree in Architectural Engineering cumm cum laude and a Bachelors Degree in Architecture magna cum laude.

DL: What motivates you to design in general, why did you become a designer?

CP : I've always liked to draw and loved math and science. Architecture seemed like a great way to combine these things.

DL: Did you choose to become a designer, or you were forced to become one?

CP : Definitely a choice.

DL: What do you design, what type of designs do you wish to design more of?

CP : Mostly residential buildings along with small institutional and commercial structures. Along with that, there is often some furniture design as well.

DL: What should young designers do to become a design legend like you?

CP : I don't think I am a legend.

DL: What distinguishes between a good designer and a great designer?

CP : Problem-solving ability.

DL: What makes a good design a really good design, how do you evaluate good design?

CP : How well it solves the problem at hand. And does it do so by bringing delight and joy or does it overwhelm with bravado? A great design is quiet, silent.

DL: What is the value of good design? Why should everyone invest in good design?

CP : Good design provides joy. It also amplifies the small things.

DL: What would you design and who would you design for if you had the time?

CP : I would like to design workforce housing.

DL: What is the dream project you haven’t yet had time to realize?

CP : The next one.

DL: What is your secret recipe of success in design, what is your secret ingredient?

CP : Creative problem-solving is the key. Working through an iterative process that is deductive to try and reach a solution.

DL: Who are some other design masters and legends you get inspired from?

CP : Louis Kahn, Corbusier, Tadao Ando, Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der Rohe, Edward Hopper, Italo Calvino, etc.

DL: What are your favorite designs by other designers, why do you like them?

CP : There are too many to list. Anything by the Charles and Ray Eames, Arne Jacobsen's tea kettle (and the whole Cylinda series really), Tadao Ando's Church of the Light, Corbusier's Notre Dame du Haut, Louis Kahn's Salk Institute and Exeter Library, Wright's Unity Temple.

DL: What is your greatest design, which aspects of that design makes you think it is great?

CP : This is hard to say. I think the Old Yacht Club is one of them. It solved a complicated problem in a way that presents a dialogue between old and new and draws the environment into the daily experience of the house.

DL: How could people improve themselves to be better designers, what did you do?

CP : Constant education and a willingness to take risks, put yourself out there.

DL: If you hadn’t become a designer, what would you have done?

CP : I would have been a poet.

DL: How do you define design, what is design for you?

CP : Creative problem-solving that brings delight or joy to its solution.

DL: Who helped you to reach these heights, who was your biggest supporter?

CP : I've had much help along the way, from professors including Glenn Wiggins and Weldon Pries to former employers, in particular Peter Forbes and my current employers (now partners), Matt and Libby Elliott.

DL: What helped you to become a great designer?

CP : I worked in a lot of small offices along the way to where I am now. Working in smaller offices often means more responsibility, if one is willing to take it. It also means the ability to work on different aspects of design as opposed to getting pigeonholed or solely focusing on just one thing. That exposure, especially early on, was hugely beneficial to my growth.

DL: What were the obstacles you faced before becoming a design master?

CP : I don't believe I am a master designer. In terms of obstacles, not every project turns out the way you would like. Sometimes there is value engineering that occurs or client changes that have to be reconciled. And some projects just never get built. That can be frustrating at times but you just keep pushing forward.

DL: How do you think designers should present their work?

CP : The best way to understand design is to experience it. The closer that one can come to that the better.

DL: What’s your next design project, what should we expect from you in future?

CP : I'm working on a number of projects, some residential and some non-residential. You should see some interesting things in the future.

DL: What’s your ultimate goal as a designer?

CP : To learn from each preceding project and constantly push the bar higher.

DL: What people expect from an esteemed designer such as yourself?

CP : I do not consider myself esteemed. However, I would expect thoughtful solutions regardless of the design problem or budget.

DL: How does design help create a better society?

CP : It reinforces our connection with the natural world and place in the universe.

DL: What are you currently working on that you are especially excited about?

CP : I'm working on a lot of interesting projects: a renovation to an auto museum, an office "cube," a new house comprising four interconnected structures.

DL: Which design projects gave you the most satisfaction, why?

CP : Ones that my clients enjoy on a daily basis.

DL: What would you like to see changed in design industry in the coming years?

CP : More sustainable self-sufficient projects.

DL: Where do you think the design field is headed next?

CP : Towards greater incorporation of sustainability.

DL: How long does it take you to finalize a design project?

CP : Depends. But usually, a project from start to completion takes on average 2.5 years.

DL: When you have a new design project, where do you start?

CP : Thinking about the problem and how to define it.

DL: What is your life motto as a designer?

CP : I think I have to steal this from the Boy Scouts: "do your best."

DL: Do you think design sets the trends or trends set the designs?

CP : All art is reflective of society.

DL: What is the role of technology when you design?

CP : It is a supporting role. I often use the Trace app by Morpholio as it is close to drawing on actual trace but with added benefits. In particular, it streamlines the presentation process and allows for an iterative design process.

DL: What kind of design software and equipment do you use in your work?

CP : I use the Trace app by Morpholio and AutoCad.

DL: What is the role of the color, materials and ambient in design?

CP : These are critical to the engagement of all the senses in understanding and experiencing architecture. Architecture should not just focus on ocular centricity; it should engage all the senses.

DL: What do you wish people to ask about your design?

CP : Whatever they want.

DL: When you see a new great design or product what comes into your mind?

CP : How such a simple solution has evaded us for so long.

DL: Who is your ideal design partner? Do you believe in co-design?

CP : Someone who is collaborative and thinks creatively. And has a sense of humor.

DL: Which people you interacted had the most influence on your design?

CP : Peter Forbes.

DL: Which books you read had the most effect on your design?

CP : Ulysses, Between God and Man, Towards a New Architecture, Experiencing Architecture.

DL: How did you develop your skills as a master designer?

CP : I'm still honing them every day.

DL: Irrelative of time and space, who you would want to meet, talk and discuss with?

CP : Louis Kahn.

DL: How do you feel about all the awards and recognition you had, is it hard to be famous?

CP : I don't consider myself famous therefore I don't find it hard.

DL: What is your favorite color, place, food, season, thing and brand?

CP : Red; Florence, Italy; tiramisu, fall, a volleyball; and Alessi.

DL: Please tell us a little memoir, a funny thing you had experienced as a designer?

CP : While not funny at the time, we did have a renovation project where the client's cat disappeared. It ended up hiding behind the tub while they were putting up gypsum board and inadvertently got sheetrocked into the wall. The cat was unharmed and perhaps a little shaken up but for a while, they couldn't figure out while the walls were meowing. Anyway, the cat was rescued and the owner kept him off the job site from that point on.

DL: What makes your day great as a designer, how do you motivate yourself?

CP : Working on a challenging problem and making headway towards a solution.

DL: When you were a little child, was it obvious that you would become a great designer?

CP : It was obvious I would become a designer. I'm not sure I would add the word "great" yet.

DL: What do you think about future; what do you see will happen in thousand years from now?

CP : Sometimes. Most of what we're designing today will probably not exist. I wonder if humans will still inhabit this planet or if climate change will be the end of us. If humankind persists, how will they view our generation?

DL: Please tell us anything you wish your fans to know about you, your design and anything else?

CP : This seems to have covered a lot!