Recipe of the Week from Marigold Lodge: Frisee and Apple Salad

Fresh fall flavors shine in this recipe for Frisee and Apple Salad from Marigold Lodge chef David McClimans. Enjoy it as an appetizer or pair it with last week’s recipe for Curried Butternut Squash Bisque.

Frisee and Apple Salad
Serves 6

6 heads frisee lettuce
1 Granny Smith apple, sliced
1 Fuji apple, sliced
½ cup dried Black Mission figs
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
1cup roasted, salted walnuts

Walnut Vinaigrette
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup walnut oil

Add vinegar, sugar, and oil to a food processor or blender and mix slowly. Pour vinaigrette into a container. Salt and pepper to taste.

Toss frisee lettuce, apples, figs, blue cheese, and vinaigrette together. Garnish with walnuts.

Watch for another recipe from Marigold Lodge next week!

Herman Miller Healthcare Scholars Bring a Better World Perspective to Healthcare Design

Back in September, Herman Miller Healthcare announced the names of those selected for its 2010 scholarship program for intern architects.

As part of the scholarship program, the company will sponsor the attendance of nine individuals at this year’s Healthcare Design conference in Las Vegas, November 13-16.

I thought it would be fun to catch-up with the scholarship recipients before the conference to find out what interests them about healthcare design and architecture. And, because creating a better world is important to Herman Miller, I specifically asked them how they think healthcare design and architecture can contribute to a better world.

Check out their thoughts about the subject:

Ryan Cameron
Visions in Architecture, Lincoln, NE
It is in a designer’s best interest to provide value to healthcare architecture—value created with better design through increased collaboration, new techniques and time for reflection. Future designers will need all three if they are to create a better world.
Read more

Doing Good at Home

Over the years, we’ve received some national and international recognition for everything from our products and processes to our practices and even our picnic posters. Recently we were named the first recipient of the Excellence in Business award, sponsored by the Zeeland, Michigan, Chamber of Commerce, in honor of former Chamber president Ann Query. The award is given for business excellence and contribution to the community.

Zeeland is our hometown and the hometown of our first president, D.J. De Pree. Community service is a way of life here. (One example: The Holland/Zeeland area CROP Walk has raised more than $100,000 for 23 consecutive years.) To be recognized by our own community, where the bar is set so high, makes this award special.

“Herman Miller’s employees aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty volunteering,” said Jim Schoettle, Chamber president. Jay Link, manager of corporate giving at Herman Miller agrees: “The award is a tribute to our employees, who consistently give back to the community in lasting and tangible ways.”

D.J. believed that “A business is rightly judged by its product and service — but must also face scrutiny and judgment as to its humanity.” We’re pretty sure this hometown award, more than any of the others, would make him proud.

Mirra — One in a Million!

Back in October, I attended a celebration for the build of our one millionth Mirra chair! What is so special about that? Well, the Mirra chair was the first product launched under our Design for the Environment protocol.

I asked Gabe Wing, Senior Environmental Manger for Herman Miller, what that means for the chair. He said it means that the design of this chair took into account the chemical makeup of the components, disassembly, and recyclable materials in the construction of the chair. That makes the sale of a million chairs in its eight-year history pretty special for everyone involved—as well as knowing that we contributed to the health of our environment one million times!

With the help of a web cam connection, the designers of the Mirra chair, Studio 7.5 in Berlin, Germany, and the entire Mirra production team were able to celebrate together and share stories about the ideas behind the design. The enthusiasm of the Studio 7.5 team was contagious!

The Wrap from Educause 2010

A few weeks ago I attended Educause, a conference that encapsulates the best thinking in higher education IT. A highlight for me was participating in a session focused on seeking evidence of the impact of learning space design.

The majority of the session was spent in small group discussion focusing on this question: What evidence do we have that change and innovation are having the impact we hope for? Given the investments colleges and universities are making in their learning spaces, it’s a question that requires an answer. Collectively the participants established the need for complimentary quantitative and qualitative data with the type of data being highly dependent on the situation.

Two of the people in my discussion group represented schools that have participated in Herman Miller’s Learning Studio Research Pilot program: Butler Community College and Estrella Mountain Community College. The pilot program provides the opportunity for schools to test new learning spaces and evaluate the results before making a significant commitment within an entire building. For both schools, the results of the pilot have been significant, from both a quantitative and qualitative standpoint.

What’s ‘Behind Our Designs’?

People often ask how design happens at Herman Miller. This brief video provides a glimpse of our approach and thoughts from several of our design contributors, including Studio 7.5 designers Burkhard Schmitz and Carola Zwick, and Herman Miller’s Vice President of Research, Design, and Development Don Goeman.

Recipe of the Week from Marigold Lodge: Curried Butternut Squash Bisque

A fall favorite at our Marigold Lodge, this Curried Butternut Squash Bisque recipe from chef David McClimans is a savory starter any time of the year.

Curried Butternut Squash Bisque
3 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 quart chicken stock or broth
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups heavy whipped cream
1 tablespoon yellow curry paste
1 tablespoon olive oil

In a large, heavy bottom stock pot, sauté onions and curry paste in the olive oil. Combine squash and chicken stock in a 4-quart sauce pan and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer for 35 to 45 minutes or until squash is tender. Let it cool for about one hour and place in the blender and puree until smooth. Pour back in the stock pot, add cream, and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for an additional 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Watch for another recipe from Marigold Lodge next week!

The Civility Discussion—Again

Last Monday, The Today Show began a three-part story about civility in the United States–or rather the lack of it. From political leaders to sports figures to everyday people on reality shows, there seems to be a growing lack of respect in word and deed. Some blame technology (read “cell phones”), some blame parents.

This is not a new problem. One of Herman Miller’s iconic designers, Bill Stumpf, and I wrote a book about the subject 12 years ago. He and I explored civility–a long-time interest of Stumpf’s–and how people can restore to their lives through design. That is, in fact, the subtitle of the book: The Ice Palace that Melted Away: Restoring Civility and Other Lost Virtues to Everyday Life.

Watch the segments on The Today Show, read Stumpf’s book, and become an advocate for civility in your workplace, your relationships, and your life in general. We will all be better for it.

Making the Most Out of Net Impact 2010

I recently returned from Ann Arbor where University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business hosted the 18th Annual Net Impact Conference. Net Impact is a global organization with over 20,000 MBA students and professionals who believe that businesses can help build a better world.

Herman Miller has been involved with this conference for the past five years. Our executives have led keynote speeches and employees have participated in panel discussions and managed our presence at the expo and career fair.

This year we decided to participate in a new way. Before and during the event, we used Twitter to ask conference attendees the following questions:

What does a better world look like to you?

Share with us some companies, organizations, or individuals who you think are helping build a better world.

Replies were sent to @HermanMiller, in 140 characters or less, with hashtags #NI10 and #betterworld. And if those who answered the questions stopped by our booth at the expo, we gave them a bag made from excess material gathered at our seating production facility.

The bags were a hit and we learned a lot from this experiment. Most importantly, it was a fun and new way to tap into the energy of this dynamic conference.

SAYL Makes Its International Debut at Orgatec

Last week our SAYL chairs made their way overseas to Cologne, Germany, for Orgatec 2010. This international trade fair presents integral solutions for all areas of office and facility design—an ideal place to launch our latest seating solution by designer Yves Béhar.

Those working in our booth were pleased with the reaction to the chairs. Most of all, they heard that SAYL is the right chair at the right time—at the right price.