001: Liesl Morell

My original sources of design inspiration were my parents who encouraged exploration of color, interior finishes and undertook many DIY projects that included my siblings and me. As a little girl, we would take walks through housing communities in the neighborhood that was under construction; I still love the smell of wood framing and the joy of discovering what rooms were taking shape. I would go home and draw these houses in chalk on the patio and decorate my dollhouse imagining the interiors into life. In college, I would have to say I was inspired by my first professor of interior design who taught us, “Design is a process”. I remember that every day as I work with my customers.

When I began practicing as a kitchen and bath designer, I learned from my first boss, “Set the proper expectations” which has been very helpful as both a designer and a manufacturer’s representative. At Armstrong, I am inspired by our mission statement that goes back 3 centuries now, “Let the buyer have faith”. I know that by representing this brand, our customers can believe in the quality assurance Armstrong brings to the market. As part of the San Francisco Bay Area Design Community, I am inspired by the creative work our architects and designers do and how that further encourages innovative and sustainable new products to be brought to market. I love walking into a space where I helped collaborate on the design and experience the expansive sense of place that a ceiling brings to the interior environment.

I have been fortunate that Charles Salter invited Armstrong Ceilings & Walls to accept the opportunity to donate ceiling and walls to the project at a fortuitous time of growth and change for both Armstrong and the AIA. Armstrong has acquired ACGI and TURF as well as introduced new ceilings for healthy interior spaces to enhance indoor air quality and provide air purification at a time when AIA has need for all of these elements to complete their vision. My role has been one of a systems integrator between the talented design team at Aidlin Darling and the inspired collaborators at Armstrong: Michelle Moretti interfacing with ACGI and TURF, Cati Silva and Anne Jennings supporting Healthy Spaces, and David Macintosh working with the GC and subs who will be doing the installation. This project has Armstrong’s support at the highest levels of the corporation, starting with our previous VP of Marketing Sue Rhoades and now Nick Taraborelli and Keith Audit supporting the donation efforts, our CEO Vic Grizzle to our West Regional Manager Mike Slowey.

What excites me about the center is that this will be a wonderful opportunity to showcase for the public the power of design and the sense of space that can be created with thoughtful planning and interior finish selection. I’m looking forward to the gatherings and presentations that will take place here. As a representative of Armstrong Ceilings and Walls, I am excited for everyone to see “Armstrong 2.0” and be introduced to the felt blades, acoustical walls and beautiful wood we are bringing to the project while contributing to the AIA goals of creating a beautiful, healthy and sustainable space.

I envision this to be a vibrant, central part of the design community, a place where everyone feels welcome whether you are a lay-person visitor, a global “star architect”, an aspiring student, a manufacturer’s representative, a client, an interior designer and of course a member of the AIA. Good design is for everyone and a well-designed and welcoming place like this Center will provide inspiration for us all, from opening day and 10 years into the future.

On the horizon for me is a wonderful new opportunity to support our design community as a new member of the USGBC MLAB, working with Melanie Colburn and the Women in Green Committee. This dovetails nicely with work I am fortunate to engage in at Armstrong on two levels; one being sustainability and two working with women in construction. I am a member of the Corporate Sustainability Team, which just produced Armstrong World Industries’ inaugural Sustainability Report, featuring our three pillars of sustainability: people, planet, and product. I’ve linked the report below and would share that my role on the team is to support the product pillar from a sales perspective, offering the voice of the customer to our corporate decision-makers. Armstrong also launched the AWARE Group in 2020, “Armstrong Women Achieving Real Excellence” which fosters networking, development of career skills, and customer outreach amongst a nurturing community of women within the company. I’m pleased to be able to support this initiative by offering speakers and guidance on customer-facing connectivity. https://www.armstrongworldindustries.com/content/dam/awi/images/sustainability/files/2021-awi-sustainability-report.pdf

Collaborating with the talented design professionals in the San Francisco Bay Area over the course of my career as a manufacturer’s representative has been a rewarding experience. I’ve endeavored to give back to this community through diligent customer service and to be a trusted advisor to the architects and designers who call on me for design support as an Architectural Sales Manager for Armstrong World Industries, Inc.

My goal representing the expansive portfolio of Armstrong Ceilings and Walls is to advocate for our specifier’s design needs in the areas of sustainability, new product development and seismically appropriate solutions. Beautiful, healthy interiors are achieved when visual interest can be combined with acoustic comfort and products are specified with occupant health in mind.

Projects where I have been pleased to assist with ceiling designs contributing to these design goals include domestic and international airports, embassies, corporate office headquarters buildings, technology and biotechnology campuses, higher education campuses and iconic architectural buildings in San Francisco, the North Bay, the Peninsula, Silicon Valley across the country and around the world.

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