Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation has been shortlisted for Private Jet Design Award & Aircraft Seating Award in The International Yacht & Aviation Awards 2020. Read more about Director of Design Innovation, Timothy O’Hara, below:
Name: Timothy O’Hara
Company: Gulfstream
Position within company: Director of Design Innovation
Website: www.gulfstream.com
Tell us a little about your background in design:
I have always been passionate about creating. Even from a young age, I knew that is what I wanted to do. Going to school for design allowed me to stretch wings I never knew I had, and once I discovered industrial design, it was a beacon for me.
After graduating from Columbus College of Art and Design, I took a position as an industrial designer with a high-quality furniture firm and launched a career that is now going on more than 30 years.
In my current role, we – my extraordinarily talented team and I – are fortunate to conceptualize beautiful, wellness-inducing cabin experiences and creating those environments through a deft blend of technology and artistry. We are proud to debut the all-new Gulfstream G700, one of the most elegant designs to grace the skies, in this competition.
How would you describe your personal design style?
I love traditional materials: wood, stone, metal and glass, surfaces that are true to themselves. Though my trade is very sculptural, I love nature and the designs it produces. It ebbs and flows, making the environment its own.
Where does your design inspiration come from?
Michelangelo once said, “The sculpture was already in there; I just had to let it out.” Great design should be true to itself. And that means functionality is beauty in its own right, and allowing the design to focus on its purpose is what helps it become beautiful. Style should always align with functionality, and the form can celebrate that purpose through the materials that embody it.
In what direction do you feel that design is moving towards in a general sense?
Design is evolving in tandem with improvements in individualized manufacturing processes, as customization takes center stage. Design plays such a large role in our lives, whether in our homes, aircraft or even clothing. It allows us to extend our individuality even further. I think the wave of the future is customization at all levels, and for Gulfstream, the future is now.
If you could offer one piece of advice when it comes to design schemes, what would it be?
Let the materials embrace the environment and the shapes they are applied to. Think about the interface of the design and how light will affect those surfaces. A great scheme can improve lighting and bring out the shapes of a design, and that can impact the overall emotion of a room.
How important are The International Yacht & Aviation Awards?
Celebrating design is always important, and the IY&AA is a great forum to do just that. It helps challenge us to innovate even more.
What projects are you currently working on?
The design team, which features an incredible wealth of talented industrials designers, engineers, craftsmen and women and interior designers, is preparing the G700 interior for certification and customer deliveries
What are your aims and goals for the next twelve months?
Certifying the G700 interior and raising the bar for aircraft interiors to come.
Final thoughts; tell us a little more about yourself and your daily inspirations:
Your most treasured possession?
A family ring handed down through the generations
Your favourite holiday destination?
The view from Zermatt, Switzerland
Your favourite hotel, restaurant & bar?
Crossing the globe on a Gulfstream encompasses all
Your favourite book, film & song?
Hamilton, Martian, “You shook me all night long”
Your favourite food and drink?
Thai fusion
Your favourite way to spend an afternoon?
Boating
If you weren’t a designer, what would you be?
I can’t image anything else …
Anything else interesting?
Life is always about taking chances, and it moves pretty fast, so make sure you take a leap of faith once in a while.
Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation has been shortlisted for Private Jet Design Award & Aircraft Seating Award in The International Yacht & Aviation Awards 2020.
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If you think you have what it takes to complete in The International Yacht & Aviation Awards, submit your application by clicking here.