DESIGN

Most of KVM design's business is with architects and designers, acquired through referrals and repeat calls. KVM can design, collaborate on design, or simply produce the design of others. We have gained a reputation for being able to creatively solve both technical and aesthetic issues in ways compatible with a design intent established by others. The following are examples of specific solutions created by KVM Design for other people's projects.

Technical solutions

Problem: Herculite glass wall for a Southwestern Bell V.P. Conference Room has ¼" gaps between panes which allow sound to pass to and from the lobby. How do we close the gap elegantly without altering the contemporary feel and warmth of the room? To add difficulty, one of the panes has been set with it's slight curvature (3/16" over 10' in this case and present to some degree in most all large slabs of glass) opposite all other panes resulting in a 3/8" offset in the middle.

Solution: KVM Design took ¾" by 1/8" aluminum bar, through bored one piece, tapped a mating piece for a 10-32 button head machine screw, and applied a thin neoprene rubber to the inside surfaces. The machine screws then passed through the first bar and gap, into the tapped bar, and was tightened to seal and draw the panes into alignment. The assembly was then capped by a 1" by 7/16" Mahogany shoe stained to match the existing furniture and millwork.

Problem: A CPU would not fit inside the intended credenza.

Solution: KVM Design manufactured 90 degree pass through fittings for the serial, parallel, and video ports, thus allowing the stiff cabling to lay flat and gain the 1-1/2" needed to close the door. Similar fittings for other projects were later made with different turns and twists to accommodate other applications.

Problem: Create a one of a kind, 6' by 8' rolling conference room door for an architectural firm, and get it to the 5th floor of a building with only a 4' by 6' by 7' elevator and typically small fire stairs.

Solution: The door assembly was broken down into smaller pieces and pre-finished for later assembly on site. The reception counter (8' by 13') was also broken down into small components so that all but one piece would fit the elevator, the remaining component deliverable via the fire stairs. An added benefit is that all of the reception counter's finish panels can be removed for refinishing or replacement.

The same door also required the design of a recessed handle for the wall side and floor guide mechanism with dampening.

Commissioned design.

These picture frames were designed for this particular office where the client wanted something that would not only fit aesthetically, but convey a sense of creativity and precision without detracting from the images of their own work.