The annual conference of Iowa’s chapter of the American Institute of Architects will focus on the use of design in things from everyday life, from office chairs to the landscaping outside. The conference begins today at the Polk County Convention Center in Des Moines and Iowa A-I-A president Gregory Palermo says organizers were inspired by a short film titled “The Powers of Ten.” From the universe down to atoms, he says they consider it in a series of jumps in size to the power of ten, looking at design in many scales. Some of the topics are architectural, but Palermo says they’re also looking at the design of everyday products. They’ll be looking closely at the design of furniture and interiors, how materials come together in construction — and also large-scale urban design concepts. Palermo says you can see design influence everywhere. He says there isn’t a place we walk, work, worship or play, he says, that hasn’t been touched by creative thought. The film that inspired this year’s theme was made by the grandson of architect Charles Eames, who helped design the Des Moines Art Center and Drake University.
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