Perfecting the look of Atlanta’s contemporary landscape is what 2012 Design Is Human Week is all about. MA and our passionate partners from many of the city’s leading institutions and top showrooms, including AIA Atlanta, High Museum of Art, Hansgrohe and Room & Board and others share our vision in inspiring change and showcasing Atlanta as a design destination embodied in bold ideas.

Design Is Human Week is all about the future in bold contemporary architecture, design excellence and creative culture at its finest. Our team of experts and proud sponsors have extensive knowledge of the latest design trends and are thrilled about exposing bold ideas, desirable & innovative products that make heads turn.

2012 Design Is Human Promotional Video

Each year the aspirations of Design Is Human Week is set on exposing just how human design really is and showcasing best-in-class products and design services from an impressive roster of exhibitors, established and emerging design studios, and manufacturers recognized locally, nationally, and internationally. Design Is Human visitors get to witness elevated programming rich in content and excitement. Manufacturers, businesses, and design professionals gain access to a growing targeted audience primed for excitement leading up to, during Design Is Human Week, and long after the event has past.

With all the excitement that is 2012 Design Is Human Week, it is the perfect vehicle to exercise your social media savvy and broadcast to your circle of influence and professional network in realtime as events unfold. 2012 Design Is Human Week will have a presence on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

Your Exclusive SNEAK PREVIEW! Keep checking back for more updates as more exhibitors are added to our already impressive roster.

2012 MA Home Tour

Online tickets sales now open. Click Here to purchase.

Gage/Clemenceau Architects Talk “Design Liquidity” at High Museum

In Design Liquidity, architect Marc Clemenceau Bailly challenges current design practices and enlists new players into the architectural and design equation by illustrating his own collaborations between architecture and design, and biology, fashion, robotics, environmental science, software programming, automotive styling and material engineering.
Gage/ Clemenceau Architects is at the forefront of a new architecture language and makes its Design Is Human debut at High Museum of Art for a talk about the firm’s trailblazing practice including the highly publicized collaboration on the design and production of a temporary installation (above right image) with Nicola Formichetti, Fashion Director for Lady Gaga, Creative Director for Mugler as well as fashion stylist to Uniqlo, MAC and V Magazine.
Free admission. Limited seating and early RSVP now being accepted, contact antonella@modern-atlanta.org


Architecture & interiors; Sailing 140 yacht by Studio Boissard. Images courtesy Studio Boissard.

Paris-based Studio Boissard Talk on “Diversions/Conversions in Architecture/Design between Industry & Craft” at High Museum of Art

In this inspiring talk, Diversions/Conversions in Architecture/Design between Industry & Craft, Paris-based architect and designer Sébastien Boissard will question the transversality and interface between various domains of architecture and design and explore some of the influences of the industry with giants like Pierre Chareau, Jean Prouvé who built Historic architectural landmarks in the 20th century.
Before establishing “Studio Boissard”, Boissard collaborated with icon designers Philippe Starck and Martin Francis, where he was in charge of designing the highly publicized Starck “A” super-yacht and participated in the development of Mama Shelter Hotel in Paris. Since 2008, Mr. Boissard has taught 4th year interior and product design at “Ecole Camondo” in a transversal studio.
Free admission. Limited seating and early RSVP now being accepted, contact antonella@modern-atlanta.org



Axor Bouroulec (l), “true passion” (r). Images courtesy Hansgrohe.

Spend An Exciting & Educational Day at Hansgrohe N.A.

Plan B Architecture & Urbanism Talk “Imperfect States”

In Imperfect States talk, New Haven-based Plan B Architecture & Urbanism offers an ideal that values the impermanent and the incomplete. Designing is regarded as the continuing and augmenting of past actions. It embraces multiples over the singular, the improvisational over the deterministic, the indefinite over the finite.
Bimal Mendis, is Assistant Dean at Yale University School of Architecture. Joyce Hsiang is a Critic at Yale School of Architecture. Mendis and Hsiang are principals of Plan B Architecture & Urbanism, a research and design collaborative engaged in the investigation and development of urban infrastructures. Plan B lectures at Atlanta High Museum. Free admission. Limited seating and early RSVP now being accepted, contact antonella@modern-atlanta.org



Pomerol by Herzog & De Meuron, film by Ila Beka and Louise Lemoine. Images courtesy Beka Films.

USA Premiere “Pomerol by Herzog & De Meuron”

From Beka Films’ Living Architecture Series, MA Film Screenings and High Museum of Art hosts the highly-anticipated and humorous screening of Pomerol by Herzog & De Meuron.
Free admission. Limited seating and early RSVP now being accepted, contact antonella@modern-atlanta.org



KUKA Industrial Robotic Fabrication research at YSOA by Cody Davis, Patrick Lun and advisor Michael Gage (l). YSOA digital work (r).

Design Is Human Week Academia Exclusive! YALE

YALE School of Architecture (YSOA) TALK “Patternism and Technology at YSOA”
YSOA Panel Discussion “Visualization/Internationalization in Design Pedagogy”

Each year MA invites top international institutions of design to participate in Design Is Human Week elevated activities. For 2012, we are extremely excited to welcome the prestigious and internationally-acclaimed Yale School of Architecture. What we didn’t foresee was how enthusiastic (and collaborative) Yale would be in what we consider to be (props to Dean Robert Stern) an historic moment and as further proof of the international acceptance of Design Is Human Week and our intrinsic values to a high quality of life and interlacing creative culture. To our delight, Yale wanted to do two separate activities addressing its preoccupations in architecture/design, Yale Talk at the High Museum of Art, and a Panel Discussion taking place at MA Design Exhibition/MA Home Tour launch night.

YSOA’s talk Patternism and Technology at YSOA, makes the case that at a point when digital architecture is nearly two decades old, the Yale School of Architecture has invested heavily in the next generation of hardware and software, allowing its students and faculty to explore what robotics and algorithmic software might mean for the next generation of architects and forever changing the frontier of our built environment.
Free admission. Limited seating and early RSVP now being accepted, contact antonella@modern-atlanta.org

In the Yale panel discussion Visualization/Internationalization in Design Pedagogy, explores the internationalization or proliferation of technology, and in particular how technology has resulted in ever widening applications, techniques, platforms, methodologies and audiences for visualization.
Open admission to MA Design Exhibition/ MA Home Tour attendees only.



Bar Alto London (l), Bread Workshop (r). Images courtesy DesignMarketo

DesignMarketo’s BAR ALTO Atlanta & BREAD WorkShop

London-based DesignMarketo brings the excitement of BAR ALTO & ‘BREAD’ Workshop to Design Is Human Week. DesignMarketo is a platform developed to help young designers reach a wider audience. DesignMarketo allows anyone in the world to buy products from amazing designers.
DesignMarketo’s Bar Alto Atlanta and Bread Workshop takes place in the Edgewood Design District.

Bar Alto/Bread Workshop Atlanta Sponsors are MA, The Sound Table, Space2, Cablik Enterprises, and the Edgewood Design District



Habachy Designs founder Michael Habachy. Right, Room & Board

Room & Board welcomes Atlanta-based Habachy Designs founder Michael Habachy

Steven Banken

Steven Banken graduated Cum Laude in 2010 at Design Academy Eindhoven in the Netherlands. After his graduation he started his own design company, where design and production meet. Following successful premieres at Milan’s 2011 International Salone del Mobile and Dutch Design Week and in Russia, Project Sheaves makes its USA debut in Atlanta at Design Is Human Week.



Last year’s 10Up! Winner “Edge Condition”, 2012 10Up! pubic installation comes to Atlanta BeltLine

Atlanta BeltLine Hosts Third Installment of 10UP! International Architecture Competition

The Young Architects Forum of Atlanta (YAF Atlanta), a program of the American Institute of Architects Atlanta, is pleased to announce the third Annual competition entitled 10Up. We’re calling on young designers to step up to the 10Up challenge! This year Modern Atlanta (MA) and YAF Atlanta are teaming up with Atlanta Beltline Inc. to create a temporary installation on the Atlanta BeltLine. To add to all the excitement the design challenge, 10UP is an architectural experience for the public and that is inhabitable and built within 24 hours.



HOK interior designer John Cantrell, Curator 2012 Design is Material Installation

Be BOLD! Design Is MATERIAL2 2012

Curated by interior designer John Cantrell and HOK, 2012 Design Is MATERIAL is back following a successful launch last June. This exciting and informative activity focuses on the latest trends in material applications, exterior and interior systems, and innovation.



Dutch designer Maarten Baas featured in Dutch Profiles

25 Dutch Profiles over 2 days

“Ten Thousands Buddhas”, Bill Lowe Gallery presents the work of artist Cha Jong-Rye

and there is more…features in 2012 Design Is Human publication includes

2012 Modern Atlanta Home Tour Guidebook
Tony Riffel, Octane Coffee Lounge
John Cantrell, Interior Designer
Ego Collective Paris
Robert Tretsch, Harrison Design Associates
I’m Dutch (Rianne Koen, Steven Balken, Michael Courts, Dutch Profiles Short Films)
Karl Injex, Sound Table
Kystal Persaud, CEO For Change
Kwanza Hall, Atlanta City Council

Promotional Video, 2012 Design Exhibition & MA Home Tour

Come celebrate 2012 MA Design Exhibition and Home Tour Launch event at Terminus Atlanta

2012 MA Design Exhibition and Home Tour Launch event
Friday, 8 June
6:30pm - 11:00pm
Terminus 2, 4th floor
Buckhead, 3280 Peachtree Rd NE (intersection at Peachtree Rd and Piedmont)
Atlanta, GA 30305

Click Here For Tickets

New Products from top international established brands and emerging design talent making their mark on the industry

Axor Bouroullec designed by Rowan & Bouroullec (r) for Hansgrohe. 2012 MA Design Exhibition

Join MA and check out all Design Is Human exhibitors including Hansgrohe’s “Axor Bouroulec” and Room & Board’s Eames collection, just to name a few. We also invite all Design Is Human visitors to openly mix with your fellow event attendees, and some very special guests for an evening of excellence in creativity, sustainability, social responsibility, and all that is uniquely MA. In short, “your” kickoff is the window to changing times, embracing Atlanta’s future in bold urbanism, and connecting powerful ideas that leaves a positive impact on individuals, society, the environment, and benefits the world we all share.

We are kicking off 2012 MA Home Tour with this launch event and design exhibition!

The many faces of contemporary architecture in and around Atlanta. Newcomer Residence (l), Plutino Residence (r). 2012 MA Home Tour

2012 MA Home Tour is now in its 5th successful year and has gain a solid position in the marketplace as a major force in promoting contemporary architecture and design. That’s thanks in part to our strong alliances with AIA Atlanta and the High Museum, our architecture models and renderings exhibition, elevated talks and inspiring films on architecture and design, and having a big beautiful publication that inspires action and change in the designed world.

2012 Architecture Models and Renderings Exhibition

Philip Babb Architecture. 2012 Models and renderings exhibition

Get yours.
Design Is Human publication and MA Home Tour guide

Armchair-designed 2012 edition Design Is Human publication & MA Home Tour Guide

“MA People Favorite Ads”
2012 Design Is Human publication/MA Home Tour Guide

2012 Adwork from London’s Design Museum (l), Octane Coffee Bar (m), and Lightroom (r)

Graphic Design Category
MA 12 Design Exhibition and Home Tour Launch event attendees and guests can vote on their favorite adwork in the 2012 Design Is Human publication/MA Home Tour Guide. 3 winners will be drawn and given a prize. At MA, we celebrate the talent and creative contributions Graphic Designers make to the designed world and have created a fun and interactive activity our attendees and quests can demonstrate their admiration too. Forms will be handed out at the door. At your own pace, review all the amazing content and ads, make your selection and hand the form to one of the MA staff. Winners will be announced at 10pm.

Click Here For Tickets

Free entry to 2012 MA Home Tour ticket holders and includes the fifth edition of our beautifully-designed 2012 DESIGN IS HUMAN publication/program/MA Home Tour guidebook.
*Cost to attend design exhibition/launch event only: $10 at the door (book not included). Books can be purchased at the door for $10.00

But there’s still more to be happy about at 2012 MA Design Exhibition and Home Tour Launch event…

Yale Panel Discussion “Visualization -in Design Pedagogy”

Robotic and Digital fabrication research at YSOA. Images courtesy Cody Davis and YSOA.

In this MA exclusive Yale-led panel discussion asks the question, what are the larger implications on contemporary visual culture? Visual representation is intrinsic to the education of the designer. Its role in facilitating and communicating a design idea is indispensable to the intentions of the designer. Evolving beyond conventional two-dimensional hand drawing, which has defined architectural production for generations, visual representation now encompasses digital, three dimensional and interactive strategies. What is the future of visualization in pedagogy as it continues to radically transform the process of design and its production?

Panel Discussion starts at 7:30pm - 8:15pm, arrive early, limited seating. Moderated by AIA Atlanta with a three member panel consisting of industry experts from Yale School of Architecture and Atlanta-based architecture/design professionals.

Design Is Material2 Installation

HOK interior designer John Cantrell, Curator 2012 Design is Material Installation

Curated by interior designer John Cantrell and HOK, 2012 Design Is MATERIAL is back following a successful launch last June. This exciting and informative activity focuses on the latest trends in material applications, exterior and interior systems, and innovation.

Octane Coffee Bar’s Food and Beverage Stand at this year’s launch

Best of the Best! Official 2012 Design Is Human Week Support Partners Includes!

Alan Heller & Frank Gehry Furniture Collection debut at Whitespace Gallery & Design Is Human Week

About Alan Heller

Frank Gehry Furniture Collection for Heller

Frank Gehry has single-handedly changed conventional ideas about architecture. Recent masterpieces include the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao and the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. Gehry’s unique vision and innovative use of materials has brought him numerous honors including the 1989 Pritzker Prize, the 1998 National Medal of Arts Award, and the 2000 American Institute of Architects Gold Medal.


Cubes, bench, chair, sofa, and table. Image courtesy Heller

Through his emphasis on collaboration in the creative process, Gehry continues to transcend the boundaries of design. The Frank Gehry Furniture Collection is in the permanent design collection of the Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich and exhibited in The Cooper Hewitt Museum, New York.

Sponsors