Shashi Caan
Encyclopedia
Shashi Caan is a US designer
, educator, advocacy
icon, and founder of The Shashi Caan Collective, a US/UK multidisciplinary and international architecture
and design firm, in 2002. She is the current President of the International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers (IFI) (2009–2011), Past Chair and current member of the Executive Committee of the International Design Alliance (IDA). She is the author of"Rethinking Design And Interiors: Human Beings In The Built Environment" released in August 2011 (Laurence King Publishing, UK).
Bridging design education
and practice, Caan is the Former Chair of the Interiors Department at Parsons The New School for Design
, and also served as Design Director & Associate Partner in the NY
office of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Architects. Other prior affiliations include Gensler
, Pratt Institute
and the New York School of Interior Design, the latter of which she represented the faculty on the Board of Trustees. In her capacity as visiting professor, she has taught at the University of Monterrey, Mexico
and at the Florida International University
in Miami, Florida
.
Winner of numerous awards and recognitions, she was Contract Magazine's 25th Annual US 'Designer of Year’ 2004, and IFMA's 'Educator of Year' for Greater New York
in 2006. In 2010, Caan was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the New York School of Interior Design, and continues to serve on numerous industry and educational advisory boards such as the Editorial Advisory Board for design publication, Contract Magazine.
Described as a "visionary" and an "idealist", Caan leads her own architectural design
practice devoted to listening, researching, rethinking and reinterpreting design challenges through a unique collaborative process. The Collective provides architecture, interior
, workplace and product design
solutions which focus on supporting people both pragmatically and qualitatively. Their focus on improving social conditions and quality of life
(rather than in trends or superficial aesthetics) has received major industry awards and accolades from sources such as Interior Design Magazine, IIDA, GlobalShop and NeoCon.
A sought-after public speaker, Caan participates in design juries, panel discussions, workshop
s and lecture
s around the world. Over the last decade she has written some thirty articles, essays and critiques, published both in the US and internationally.
Caan holds a BFA (Hons) from the Edinburgh College of Art
, as well as Masters degrees in Industrial Design and Architecture from Pratt Institute, New York.
Live Lab Experiment and Installation: Bridging the Art and Science of Color, Architectural Digest Home Show, New York, NY. Televised on the Today Show, March 2006
Curator, “Many Shades of Green” 2000
Sustainable Materials & Product Exhibit, Archeworks, Chicago, IL
Curator, “Virtual Color” 1997
3D Color Exhibit, New York School of Interior Design, New York, NY. Televised on Channel 4 News, 1997
Co-Curator, “Glamorous Green” 1997
Environmental Product and Materials, AIA Interiors Committee & Material ConneXions, New York, NY
Co-Curator, “Surfaces” 1996
Innovation in Architectural Materials, AIA Interiors Committee, NY, NY
Research Grant (Graduate Architecture Research) 1991
Pittsburgh Corning Glass Corporation: Light/Color in Architecture
CIDI – Ibero-American Council of Interior Architects/Designers AC Valencia, Spain
, September 2010
Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts Degree
New York School of Interior Design, New York, NY, May 2010
Honorary Chairman
IAI - Asia Pacific Federation of Interior Architects/Designers
Annual Design Awards, Shanghai
, China
, November 2009
Educator of the Year 2006
IFMA, International Facility Management Association
, NY, January 2006
National US Designer of the Year, 2004, Contract Magazine
25th Annual Interiors Awards, January 2004
(IFI)
President, 2009–2011
President Elect, 2007–2009 / Board member, 2006–present
The International Design Alliance (IDA)
Chair of Executive Committee 2010
Executive Committee member 2007–present
Seoul Design Olympiad / World Design Capitol Advisory - SDO
Council Member, Seoul
, Korea
, 2009–2010
Royal Society of Arts
(RSA), UK
Fellow (FRSA) 2008–present
Contract Magazine
Editorial Advisory Board, 2005–present
Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC)
Member 2005–present
Orfield Labs Research for Sound and Design
Advisory Board member, 2003–2008
International Interior Design Association
(IIDA)
Board Member – National IIDA – 2003-2005
Perspectives (Journal of the IIDA)
Editorial Advisory Board, 2003–2007
Inter-Society Color Council
Board Member, Chair of Art, Design and Psychology, 1993–2000
American Institute of Architects
(AIA), New York Chapter
Interiors Committee, Chair Programs Committee, 1994–2000
UNA – United Nations Associations of New York
Board Member, Chair of Global Issues & Programs, 1986–1996
Designer
A designer is a person who designs. More formally, a designer is an agent that "specifies the structural properties of a design object". In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, such as consumer products, processes, laws, games and graphics, is referred to as a...
, educator, advocacy
Advocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
icon, and founder of The Shashi Caan Collective, a US/UK multidisciplinary and international architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
and design firm, in 2002. She is the current President of the International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers (IFI) (2009–2011), Past Chair and current member of the Executive Committee of the International Design Alliance (IDA). She is the author of"Rethinking Design And Interiors: Human Beings In The Built Environment" released in August 2011 (Laurence King Publishing, UK).
Bridging design education
Design education
Design education is the teaching of theory and application in the design of products, services and environments. It encompasses various disciplines of design, such as graphic design, user interface design, web design, packaging design, industrial design, fashion design, information design, interior...
and practice, Caan is the Former Chair of the Interiors Department at Parsons The New School for Design
Parsons The New School for Design
Parsons The New School For Design, known colloquially as Parsons, is the art and design college of The New School university. It is located in New York City's Greenwich Village, and has produced artists and designers such as Marc Jacobs, Dean and Dan Caten, Norman Rockwell, Donna Karan, Jane...
, and also served as Design Director & Associate Partner in the NY
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
office of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP is an American architectural and engineering firm that was formed in Chicago in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel Owings; in 1939 they were joined by John O. Merrill. They opened their first branch in New York City, New York in 1937. SOM is one of the largest...
Architects. Other prior affiliations include Gensler
Gensler
Gensler is an American design and architecture firm headquartered in San Francisco, California. The firm was founded in 1965 by Art Gensler, Drue Gensler, and James Follett, and originally focused on corporate interiors...
, Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute is a private art college in New York City located in Brooklyn, New York, with satellite campuses in Manhattan and Utica. Pratt is one of the leading undergraduate art schools in the United States and offers programs in Architecture, Graphic Design, History of Art and Design,...
and the New York School of Interior Design, the latter of which she represented the faculty on the Board of Trustees. In her capacity as visiting professor, she has taught at the University of Monterrey, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and at the Florida International University
Florida International University
Florida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
.
Winner of numerous awards and recognitions, she was Contract Magazine's 25th Annual US 'Designer of Year’ 2004, and IFMA's 'Educator of Year' for Greater New York
Greater New York
Greater New York or Greater New York City may refer to:* the statistical New York metropolitan area consisting of New York City and surrounding counties of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania...
in 2006. In 2010, Caan was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the New York School of Interior Design, and continues to serve on numerous industry and educational advisory boards such as the Editorial Advisory Board for design publication, Contract Magazine.
Described as a "visionary" and an "idealist", Caan leads her own architectural design
Architectural designer
An architectural designer is an architect that is primarily involved in the design of buildings or urban landscapes, as opposed to the construction documents and management required to construct it. Architectural designers have good creative skills, imagination and artistic talent...
practice devoted to listening, researching, rethinking and reinterpreting design challenges through a unique collaborative process. The Collective provides architecture, interior
Interior design
Interior design describes a group of various yet related projects that involve turning an interior space into an effective setting for the range of human activities are to take place there. An interior designer is someone who conducts such projects...
, workplace and product design
Product design
-Introduction:Product design is the process of creating a new product to be sold by a business or enterprise to its customers. It is concerned with the efficient and effective generation and development of ideas through a process that leads to new products.Product designers conceptualize and...
solutions which focus on supporting people both pragmatically and qualitatively. Their focus on improving social conditions and quality of life
Quality of life
The term quality of life is used to evaluate the general well-being of individuals and societies. The term is used in a wide range of contexts, including the fields of international development, healthcare, and politics. Quality of life should not be confused with the concept of standard of...
(rather than in trends or superficial aesthetics) has received major industry awards and accolades from sources such as Interior Design Magazine, IIDA, GlobalShop and NeoCon.
A sought-after public speaker, Caan participates in design juries, panel discussions, workshop
Workshop
A workshop is a room or building which provides both the area and tools that may be required for the manufacture or repair of manufactured goods...
s and lecture
Lecture
thumb|A lecture on [[linear algebra]] at the [[Helsinki University of Technology]]A lecture is an oral presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject, for example by a university or college teacher. Lectures are used to convey critical information, history,...
s around the world. Over the last decade she has written some thirty articles, essays and critiques, published both in the US and internationally.
Caan holds a BFA (Hons) from the Edinburgh College of Art
Edinburgh College of Art
Edinburgh College of Art is an art school in Edinburgh, Scotland, providing tertiary education in art and design disciplines for over two thousand students....
, as well as Masters degrees in Industrial Design and Architecture from Pratt Institute, New York.
Independent Research & Exhibitions
Spatial ColorLive Lab Experiment and Installation: Bridging the Art and Science of Color, Architectural Digest Home Show, New York, NY. Televised on the Today Show, March 2006
Curator, “Many Shades of Green” 2000
Sustainable Materials & Product Exhibit, Archeworks, Chicago, IL
Curator, “Virtual Color” 1997
3D Color Exhibit, New York School of Interior Design, New York, NY. Televised on Channel 4 News, 1997
Co-Curator, “Glamorous Green” 1997
Environmental Product and Materials, AIA Interiors Committee & Material ConneXions, New York, NY
Co-Curator, “Surfaces” 1996
Innovation in Architectural Materials, AIA Interiors Committee, NY, NY
Research Grant (Graduate Architecture Research) 1991
Pittsburgh Corning Glass Corporation: Light/Color in Architecture
Personal Awards & Recognitions
Honorary FellowCIDI – Ibero-American Council of Interior Architects/Designers AC Valencia, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, September 2010
Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts Degree
New York School of Interior Design, New York, NY, May 2010
Honorary Chairman
IAI - Asia Pacific Federation of Interior Architects/Designers
Annual Design Awards, Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, November 2009
Educator of the Year 2006
IFMA, International Facility Management Association
International Facility Management Association
The International Facility Management Association is a professional association for facility professionals IFMA headquarters is located in Houston, Texas....
, NY, January 2006
National US Designer of the Year, 2004, Contract Magazine
25th Annual Interiors Awards, January 2004
Professional Designers Boards and Associations
The International Federation of Interior Architects/DesignersThe International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers
The International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers represents professional Interior Architects/Designers.. Founded in Denmark in 1963 as a not-for-profit, limited liability company to unite the profession and act as a forum for interior design issues,,IFI is an associations'...
(IFI)
President, 2009–2011
President Elect, 2007–2009 / Board member, 2006–present
The International Design Alliance (IDA)
Chair of Executive Committee 2010
Executive Committee member 2007–present
Seoul Design Olympiad / World Design Capitol Advisory - SDO
Council Member, Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, 2009–2010
Royal Society of Arts
Royal Society of Arts
The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce is a British multi-disciplinary institution, based in London. The name Royal Society of Arts is frequently used for brevity...
(RSA), UK
Fellow (FRSA) 2008–present
Contract Magazine
Editorial Advisory Board, 2005–present
Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC)
Member 2005–present
Orfield Labs Research for Sound and Design
Advisory Board member, 2003–2008
International Interior Design Association
International Interior Design Association
The International Interior Design Association is a professional networking and educational association of more than 13,000 members in ten specialty forums, and twenty-nine chapters around the world. IIDA is committed to enhancing quality of life through excellence in interior design...
(IIDA)
Board Member – National IIDA – 2003-2005
Perspectives (Journal of the IIDA)
Editorial Advisory Board, 2003–2007
Inter-Society Color Council
Board Member, Chair of Art, Design and Psychology, 1993–2000
American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
(AIA), New York Chapter
Interiors Committee, Chair Programs Committee, 1994–2000
UNA – United Nations Associations of New York
Board Member, Chair of Global Issues & Programs, 1986–1996