Today we’d like to introduce you to David Hassing.
Hi David, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
After completing my bachelor’s degree of Interior Design at the University of Minnesota, I left the twin cities for New York City to work at hospitality design firms. There I was positioned with architects designing interior build-outs of high-end bars, restaurants, hotels, resorts, and entertainment venues in major cities in the US, Europe, Asia, and South America. Though these were invariably interior projects, most of my colleagues assumed I was an architect since we all were producing detailed construction drawing packages. I’ve spent most of my career working at the intersection of Interior Design and Architecture, which is why I describe myself as an Architectural Designer.
All of the projects I worked on while at prominent firms in NYC were one-of-a-kind, with each client and project seeking to achieve something spectacular. The demands of high-end hospitality design are such that nothing is copied from another previous project, and that anything is possible. This mindset requires continuous creative problem solving and an expectation that all options should be considered, and it’s a mindset that I have carried with me since that time. Since high-end design firms have a tendency to ‘pigeon hole’ their employees, my colleagues and I would move firms every few years as a way to move up and take on larger responsibilities. As a result, I’ve worked in a wide range of hospitality design firms, large and small, in NYC, Minneapolis and Chicago.
In 2015, after 20 years in big cities like New York and Chicago, family circumstances led to a move to rural Northwest Michigan. I made the move from city life to country living to support my wife as she walked the end-of-life journey with her parents. Our young daughters were four and six years old at the time, which proved to be good timing to give them the experience of moving from the bustle and hustle of New York City to the quiet and bucolic landscape of Northwest Michigan, a place known for rolling hills, deep forests, orchards, and beautiful freshwater lakes. To help my kids and support my wife as she both launched a business and managed through the deaths of both of her parents, I stopped working for firms and began the adventure of self-employment. I’ve been self-employed ever since, and the nine years spent in Michigan led to a whole new world of projects and new kinds of connection to community and the natural world. In addition to more residential design work, I had the opportunity to learn about permaculture and landscape design. The relationship between design as I had understood it working in firms and the natural world was not something I’d considered before, but I did have a long history of enjoying working with my hands and a general openness to learning new ways of seeing design and the built environment. Surrounded by beautiful trees and land, I learned about treehouse design and dove deep into learning about permaculture landscape design and sustainable agriculture. I’ve always been mechanically inclined and have always loved working with my hands, so the time spent in rural Northwest Michigan allowed me to acquire new skills and to develop an expanded mindset about “design.” While in Michigan, I built a treehouse that functions as a summertime bedroom and remote office, a ‘sugar shack’ for producing maple syrup from the sap of trees on our land, and a backyard nature pond filled by a water catchment system connected to the gutters of the house. I oversaw the installation of a geothermal heating/cooling system and am in the process of designing a solar system for this long-term permaculture project we have underway on our precious three acres of land in Michigan. In addition to pursuing my own projects, I also continued to work for clients on residential projects, including a shore restoration project connected to a lake house redesign job, and a ‘man cave’ pole barn for an antique car collector in Michigan. Whether I’m designing an interior space, studying the land with an eye toward increasing biodiversity, or working on my 1978 Toyota Landcruiser, I love new challenges and the opportunity to learn new things.
Two years ago, my family decided to return to our hometown of Saint Paul, where after 20 years away it’s a bit like entering a whole new city. I moved back to allow my daughters to attend a high school with more opportunities than offered in rural northwest Michigan and to be closer to family. We’ve kept and continue to develop our permaculture project in Michigan but decided it was time to live closer to my family and my aging parents. It’s wonderful to be back in the beautiful Twin Cities. As I take on new projects here, I’m meeting more builders, finding more material sources, and feeling more at home. I’m excited for what the future holds as I continue to develop my relationships and networks in the Twin Cities, and I’m looking forward to bringing my passion for design back to my hometown.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
As architecture and design are significantly affected by the health of the economy, the road has not always been smooth.
When I entered the job market in 1998, design was booming and jobs were plentiful. But as the country and economy were rocked by various events, my, and my colleagues’, jobs were always threatened. For example, I was working at a firm that specialized in airport projects when 9/11 happened, so I and most of my colleagues were laid off. Then in 2008, the housing crash and ensuing economic hardships for the country, more than half of my colleagues and I were again laid off.
During that time, I watched the NYC architecture industry shed jobs for two full years. Coincidentally my first child was born in 2008 and the silver lining of the economic downturn was that I was able to be a stay at home dad. I will forever cherish the time I got with my daughter as the country and my industry struggled.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Motus Locus?
Motus Locus, a Latin phrase, means ‘spaces that inspire’ or ‘spaces that stir the soul.’ I chose the name because I offer a service that finds itself at the intersection of architecture and interior design, where we modify our built environment in ways that improve function, solve problems, but respect original architecture and maximize the beauty of the space. The results are spaces that clients and end-users love to be in.
With extensive hospitality design experience and an understanding of the mechanical aspects of the built environment, I have the ability to create beautiful spaces with high-impact solutions while working within any budget constraints. Whether it’s commercial/hospitality, residential, interior renovations, additions, stand-alone buildings, or landscape design; I listen closely to clients to help them realize their dreams. My training has led me to be comfortable with trying new approaches, and my varied experiences and interests have prepared me to tackle design challenges that others might shy away from.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
It was lucky timing to graduate with a degree when the economy was strong, and jobs were plentiful.
I felt lucky to have been introduced to NYC by a college classmate, and to have found my way to NYC where I was able to build a life and career that has served me ever since.
I was also lucky to find a life partner who shares my sense of adventure and possibility, but who is in a very different line of work. As my industry contracted, hers expanded, and this allowed us to creatively engineer our family and work lives to meet different economic circumstances. We have built a partnership that has allowed us to support each other in pursuing our respective dreams, while raising two formidable daughters. While a lot of that is about hard work, it also feels like we’ve been very lucky to have each other in this journey.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://motuslocus.com
- Instagram: Motus Locus
