College of Education and Human Development
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5229 USA
Main office: (269) 387-2960
Student services: (269) 387-3474
Alumna Angela Harness designs Colorado Springs office space
Angela Harness (BS ’13, Interior Design) has designed many spaces, such as healthcare facilities, educational institutions and retail stores since graduation. She has worked in many branches of the commercial interior design world but feels that she has finally found something that is creative, flexible and engaging. Harness has recently moved from Tampa, Florida to Denver, Colorado to work as a project coordinator for Kestrel Architecture, a small firm in downtown Denver that allows her to grow professionally.
As project coordinator, Harness handles all aspects of any given project, and because she works at a smaller firm, she is able to blur the lines between each profession involved in the building process of a space. From the time Harness begins to plan out the space to the time the contractors begin their work, a completely cohesive and creative process takes place, and she is passionate about being a part of that.
Harness states that, “while it is great to have a project end up exactly how I imagined it from the beginning, it is the most satisfying to see a complete project where the users are functioning so much better than they were before the space was designed.â€
Harness is currently working on a small office space in Colorado Springs that will be completed early spring 2017. The watercolor vector rendering (pictured left) was designed by Harness with specific goals in mind. Her design was made with colors using the client’s logo and incorporates finishes that would allow for a flowing pattern as opposed to a specific installation pattern, such as a quarter-turn. The back wall of the space will feature a custom watercolor graphic that Harness created. Harness’s design also addresses the issue of sound that many open offices have. Her design uses many ceiling elements to diffuse the noise of daily conversation and telephone calls.