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BUSINESS NEWS SVA ARCHITECTS’ DESIGN FOR LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE CELEBRATED AT GROUNDBREAKING SVA Architects , along with Long Beach City College and Novus Construction, announced the groundbreaking ceremony for a $25 million renovation and addition to Auditorium J at Long Beach City College. The two-year college educates more than 33,000 students per year and is one of the largest community colleges in California. The renovations to Auditorium J, which is dedicated to performing arts activities, are being funded by voter-approved Measures E and LB. Long Beach City College joins SVA’s ever-expanding portfolio of improved educational settings featuring state-of-the-art technology and efficient design. Ernesto M. Vasquez, FAIA, CEO of SVA Architects, states, “We are excited to be a part of Long Beach City College’s campus renaissance. Bond measures passed in the

past 15 years have provided new facilities and modernized learning environments. Long Beach City College continues to become better equipped to prepare its students to succeed in the 21st century.” SVA’s Long Beach City College project includes both new construction and modernization for an existing performing arts auditorium originally built in 1956. The 37,878-square-foot renovation includes a complete redesign of the entry, lobby, and restrooms, as well as substantial work within the auditorium including rehab of all seating and the addition of accessible control areas. All backstage and support areas are being completely modernized. The project also includes constructing a new, 14,449-square- foot, two-story addition designed to blend with the existing structure and the surrounding campus. The addition includes a costume

shop, paint room, offices and new classrooms for theater production and dance. Construction is anticipated to be complete in fall 2019. The project was designed by SVA Architects, and is being built by Novus Construction. Robert Simons, AIA, president of SVA Architects, states, “It’s both challenging and highly rewarding working on a campus that has been educating students for 90 years. Our design and construction team is thrilled to be bringing our expertise to modernize this space where students can learn, engage, and create life-long memories.” Founded in 2003, SVA Architects has become one of the country’s most innovative and respected design and planning organizations. The award-winning firm specializes in urban planning, architecture, and interior design of public, private, and mixed-use projects.

KATE BITTERWOLF-HYDE, from page 9

5)Routine can easily lead to boredom. Sometimes we silo our creatives within a particular project type because that’s where we’ve seen them excel or it’s simply where we need their help most. Make sure you balance that day-to-day need with what truly inspires them and gets their creative juices flowing. Give them the freedom to explore new challenges and opportuni- ties – you may be surprised what this may lead to in their day-to-day tasks. 6)They deliver new ideas but dread the details. A good deal of research shows that creatives are full of ideas, and that de- tails make their heads spin. That’s why having them on teams where they are balanced by more organized teammates who can help make sense of the ideas is important. Focus the cre- atives on tasks that benefit from the strength you hired them for and let those well-suited for project management and ex- ecution attend to the details. 7)They need a creative and participative environment. Cre- ative people value collaboration. In fact, the best results often come when creative teams work together constructively. The breadth of diverse creative teams – not just gender, age, and ethnicity, but also life experiences – stokes new ideas and in- fluences a different way of thinking. 8)Constraints are good but they need to experience free- dom. As leaders of creatives, there’s a balance of placing “boxes” around these employees and giving them free reign. Sometimes, constraints are the opportunities and having a “box” to push against allows your creative employees to think outside of it. There’s no magic formula for leading your creative team, but understanding what fans their flames and what douses their embers will foster a more productive and professionally fulfilling environment for everyone. And keep in mind that creativity isn’t reserved for right brain types; many left brainers embody their own version of creativity and will benefit from leaders who keep these tips in mind. I should know – the engineers and techies I have worked with continually surprise me with their ideas and creative solutions. KATE BITTERWOLF-HYDE is Little’s national director of human resources. She can be reached at kate.bitterwolfhyde@littleonline.com.

creatives do need to be briefed properly on the task at hand, they have an experimental mindset. As leaders in a creative industry, we have to not only invest in this but also set the example. Oftentimes, a project led by a creative means allow- ing time for experimentation and fact-finding while embrac- ing the potential for failure. It’s this process that moves us all toward bigger success and innovation. 2)Know they’ll be emotionally attached to what they cre- ate. Giving effective feedback is challenging. Employees who work on complicated creative projects can internalize and almost become the project for a while. In our business, this is where design critiques or pin-ups become valuable exercises. So the way we offer feedback should be rooted in empathy, with the understanding that we’re all in it together. It is also important to remind the creator that they are not their idea. Feedback is focused on the idea, not on them as an individual. “There’s no magic formula for leading your creative team, but understanding what fans their flame and what douses their embers will foster a more productive and professionally fulfilling environment for everyone.” 3)They’ll need a deadline but it needs to be reasonable. Whether you’re dealing with an architect who’s designing a building or a marketing employee who’s designing a presenta- tion, deadlines are important. While they may cringe at the sound of the word, creative people admit they need the struc- ture. However, make sure everyone agrees the deadline is rea- sonable; otherwise, you’ll end up with a frustrated employee and suboptimal results. 4)They are more motivated by praise than by money. The secret to getting great work out of your creatives is to praise them. Money definitely doesn’t hurt either, but let’s be real. Don’t you think they would have chosen a different profes- sion – law or healthcare, perhaps – if they were in it for the money?

THE ZWEIG LETTER May 7, 2018, ISSUE 1247

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