Design to the Rescue

Mining for work in Africa and other developing regions, designers at Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo recognize the rising value of flexible, modular building systems.

Deborah Wilk -- Interior Design, 3/1/2011 12:14:00 PM

Mining for work in Africa and other developing regions, designers at Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo recognize the rising value of flexible, modular building systems. How about a single unit that can serve as emergency housing for disaster victims or a pop-up suite for a luxury hotel chain exploring new destinations? That question led to the development of the Mosaic PATHWAY, standing for Por­table Adaptable Temporary Hotel With Alternative You-ses. WATG entered Mosaic in the Radical Innovation competition, part of the Hospitality Design Exposition & Conference in Las Vegas, and Mosaic emerged victorious. As WATG chief information officer Larry Rocha points out, "Winning offers branding opportunities." Plus, the firm is using its prize money, $10,000, to build a functional prototype appearing at HD in May. The beta model was in wood; for the 2.0 version, the team ultimately settled on aluminum-framed foam core surfaced with semigloss white plastic laminate resistant to stains and scratches.

Of course, designers at a firm that nicknames its acronym with We Always Think Green intend Mosaic to leave no footprint, regardless of location. Anything needed for a particular site can be shipped in the system's containers.