# Tangram Wins 2021 IIDA Southern California Calibre Design Award
Tangram Interiors has earned recognition for excellence in educational design, winning a 2021 Calibre Design Award for their work on UCLA's Anderson School of Management. The award highlights outstanding commercial design projects across Southern California and celebrates teams that demonstrate exceptional collaboration and design innovation.
## Transforming UCLA's Marion Anderson Hall
The project involved furnishing all four floors of the newly renovated Marion Anderson Hall, a 60,000-square-foot facility housing UCLA's graduate business school in Westwood. Working alongside renowned architecture firm Gensler, Tangram created an environment that balances aesthetic appeal with practical functionality.
The design challenge was significant: how do you furnish a heavily trafficked academic building while maintaining the open, airy feel of the architecture? The solution lay in thoughtful furniture placement and a carefully curated product selection.
## Design Strategy and Product Selection
Tangram's approach centered on a clean, neutral color palette that complemented Gensler's architectural vision. The design needed to serve multiple functions across:
- **Classrooms** equipped for various teaching methods - **Collaborative workspaces** for student projects - **Event spaces** for presentations and gatherings
The furniture selection included products from **Steelcase**, **Coalesse**, and **Viccarbe**, chosen specifically to handle high traffic while maintaining visual cohesion throughout the building.
## A Five-Year Partnership
**Amber Jones**, Vice President of Sales at Tangram Interiors, emphasized the collaborative nature of the project: "We were honored to work with the highly respected Gensler team on this project from the initial phases of budgeting over 5 years ago, to the final punch walk. Partnering with Gensler on the beautiful space they imagined was an honor."
The extended timeline allowed for careful planning and seamless integration between architectural design and interior furnishings. Other key partners included PCL Construction, Steelcase, and Waveguide.
## Why This Project Matters for Commercial Design
This award-winning project demonstrates several important principles for educational interior design:
**Durability meets design**: High-traffic environments don't require sacrificing aesthetics for functionality. The right product selection can achieve both.
**Collaborative planning pays off**: The five-year relationship between Tangram and Gensler shows how early involvement in project planning leads to better outcomes.
**Flexibility is essential**: Educational spaces must adapt to various uses throughout the day, requiring furniture that supports multiple configurations and activities.
## The Bigger Picture
Tangram's comprehensive approach to commercial interiors extends beyond furniture selection. Their integrated services cover planning, design, and installation, allowing for consistent execution from concept to completion.
For design professionals working on educational projects, this award-winning example shows how thoughtful product curation and strong partnerships can create spaces that truly serve their users while earning industry recognition.
The Marion Anderson Hall project stands as a testament to what's possible when interior design teams work closely with architects from project inception through final installation, creating environments that enhance both learning and the institutional brand.
