There is one name in the architectural design business synonymous with glass, and that is Joel Berman. His company is the forerunner of providing unique yet thoroughly usable glass products for all types of interior and exterior applications.
The company is led
this master glass man, following his vision and passion for art, craft, and technology. Repeat. No Repeat. caught up with Joel recently to ask him about his past, present, and future:
Repeat. No Repeat: How did you get into the glass business?
Joel Berman: My family had a jewelery business founded by my grandfather who was a watchmaker. They sold blown glass from Italy. Glass always intrigued me and at the time it never occurred to me one could learn this art and craft. Over time, I had the opportunity to learn leaded and stained glass from an Irish artist and the rest is history. The whole experience of glass and light totally connected with me and I sought every opportunity to learn more. This led to studying with two German glass artists who are considered the fathers of the contemporary architectural movement: Ludwig Schaffrath and Johannes Schreiter. I also studied with Anne Warff from Kosta Koda and Klaus Moje from Germany at the Pilchuk Glass Center.
From there my involvement grew.
Our work was really self taught and developed. Opportunities grew and were created in the design industry, and we grew.
RNR: Your company has some unique, gorgeous products that fill a void in the industry, and you are well known for your glass fabrication techniques - How do you come up with ideas for new products?
Joel: Many of the innovations we came upon, stumbled on, developed with direction were a product of someone asking “can you?” Many of the techniques we employ did not exist and had to be invented. When the studio started casting glass there were only three studios working in kiln cast glass. Now it is a common language in glass design and decoration.
This proliferation of cast glass makes for a bigger challenge in terms of “ what’s next “. To that end, we work diligently to continue making and designing compelling glass art.
This exercise involves the philosophy of teamwork. Innovations are completely a group development – a process I absolutely love. So much can come from collaboration. I can be so myopic which disappears in a collaboration if one is willing.
For example, we won a sculpture competition for the Winnipeg airport, located in the Canadian prairie. The sculpture is a glass Iceberg hanging from the ceiling of the arrivals floor. The sculpture has had many influences in the studio to the point where no one can actually claim authorship. To me this is a successful endeavor that is fulfilling both artistically and spiritually.
RNR: What are you favorite types of glass installations?
Joel: That’s hard to say. By others, at the moment I’d have to say the renovated stained glass at the Cologne Cathedral with the new work by Gerhard Richter. This is a blend of leaded glass windows going back to 1248 with new windows installed in 2007. Definitely a bold and controversial commission. Of my own studio work, the water wall at the Aria Casino in Las Vegas, a 35’ x 120’ water wall, the glass façade for 11 Times Square in New York, and the glass sculpture at the former guest facility for Smed (then Haworth) outside of Calgary.
There is one more: we made a pair of 16’ glass skis for the Olympics. They were cool, definitely different.
RNR: Tell us about the newest venture for your company - Berman Glass Editions
Joel: Editions was all about accessible good design. For many years, our customers said we were too slow and too expensive. So I took that to heart and developed a production glass where we make the glass in runs of 50,000 to 200,000 square feet at a time. This makes for an inexpensive, well designed decorative glass that is distributed nationally.
The idea is to develop “good, better, best “ products.
This was a $4,000,000 exercise to make our glass less expensive and “quick ship” .
Editions comes in four textures ranging in thickness from 4mm to 12mm. 20% of the make up of the glass is recycled pre-consumer, post industrial product. We hope to launch new textures this year.
RNR: Your studio is in Vancouver - how does that inspire or inform your work?
Joel: Vancouver is fantastic for its beauty and mild climate from a Canadian point of view. The studio office and showroom is located on Granville island which is a really nice part of the city, and we back onto the water. Our production facility is also near the water with a great view of the mountains. So what's not to love? However, we are looking to move. Our facility does not have the material handling equipment we need to do bigger, better work. The industry is calling for larger all the time.
Vancouver is a thriving community and with its natural beauty it is inspiring. Come and visit!
RNR: For the Vancouver Olympics, your studio designed and showcased 16' H skis made from art glass. Tell us about the installation - it sounds very cool!
Joel: The skis were a bit if a lark idea. The management said there was little sport art on Granville Island for the Olympics. So we said, “no problem, we can fix that.” Saleem Khattak, our senior designer, came up with the idea to do skis.
So the idea was hatched, and Steve Gerrish, our OEM manager, is friends with one of the VPs from K2 Skis who agreed to co-sponsor the skis. The Studio printed the K2 graphics on the skis and away we went. The skis are still installed in front of our building. K2 will eventually install them in Seattle.
Joel Berman in front of his studio
RNR: What are your future goals both personally and for the company?
Joel: That’s a tough one. One one side, I want to survive this crazy recession. On the other, I would like to have the opportunity to make art. Personally I am very interested in product design and plan to launch some light fixtures out of cast resin, and some furniture.
Ultimately there is so much I want to do - more architectural work, more design collaboration on A&D projects where we can really show off some architectural innovation and have fun.
RNR: When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Joel: I still want to be an architect when I grow up! There were two want-to-be's: an architect and jewelery designer.
Some examples of Joel Berman glass:
Bastoni Textured Glass:
Detail of Desert Stones:
Profile Glass:
