User:Bherrin3/William Pulgram

Interiors Contract Documents
In 1972, Pulgram was the chair of a taskforce for the AIA Documents Committee, which was responsible for developing interiors contract documents. This committee was full of members of the AIA (American Institute of Architects) and ASID (American Society of Interior Designers). In 1975, he became the Chairman for the AIA's pioneering Interiors Committee. The committee developed contract documents and started publishing information on subjects including starting a practice, identifying differences between interior design and architecture practices, developing client relationships, and how to obtain new work. The Interiors Committee has grown from only 50 members at its conception to nearly 1,500 members today.

Associated Space Design
* Merged with career section* William Pulgram started his company as the interior design department of Finch, Alexander, Barnes, Rothschild, and Pascal, where William stayed for five years. William Pulgram had built up a first rate interior design firm while contributed to it as a designer and leader in the field of interior design. It became its own firm in 1963. It is one of the largest interior design firms in the country. The firm does not market itself, work is obtained by referral. Associated Space Design offers complete design services, including product and graphic design. Some of ASD's projects include corporation offices, banks, public institutions, and a number of government jobs.

Early Life
William Pulgram was born on January 1, 1921 in Vienna, Austria to Sigmund Pulgram (tailor and manager of a fine clothing store) and Giselle Bauer Pulgram. He had two siblings, a younger sister, Lilli, and older brother, Ernst. William and his family lived a comfortable life which was disrupted by the Nazi invasion of Vienna. In 1939 he escaped to England with the aid of a group of Quakers. He then stayed in England for a year and a half before receiving his papers allowing him to come to the United States and join his brother, Ernst. His father, Sigmund, mother, Giselle, and sister, Lilli all tragically passed away while being held at Auschwitz.

By the time that William arrived in the United States, his brother, Ernst, had already made it to America and served in the United States Army until he was released on medical leave. Upon arrival, William got a job in Atlanta, GA at a department store named Davison-Paxon. By 1943, Pulgram decided to enlist in the Army to help fight against the Nazi regime. Initially, he was rejected because he was not a United States Citizen. He then had to write letters to military leadership declaring that he volunteered to be drafted into the military. That petition was accepted and he joined the Army, participating in special services entertainment by playing the piano. He served for three years ending in 1946. He served in McPherson and Los Angeles.

Education
In 1946, Pulgram attended Georgia Institute of Technology at twenty five years old, and graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1950. The G.I. Bill aided him in his educational pursuits. The G.I. Bill was a program created by the government which rewarded WWII veterans. One of the rewards was financial coverage in the veteran's pursuit of education. Over two million veterans attended college under this program. This led to logistical problems with overcrowding at universities, but students did not mind, and were grateful for the opportunity to learn. Pulgram was one of these students. William met his wife, Lucia, while studying at Georgia Tech. He later continued his education at Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, France.

Career
Pulgram joined the firm Cecil Finch Alexander in Atlanta where he began working on creating contract documents for the firm's interior projects. He then created a subsidiary firm of Finch Alexander Rothschild and Pascal, focusing on interiors. He then left and began his own firm, Associated Space Design (ASD), for the design of interior spaces in 1963. His firm focused on the development of notable corporate environments such as Southern Bell, Coca-Cola, Black & Decker, and many others. His firm worked to ensure that it responded to the needs of the employees as well as their automated working tools. Pulgram believed that interiors were important continuations of the exterior architecture, and that a well planned interior effectively utilizes available space, is efficient and dynamic, is personal to the user, is flexible for future changes and is a sound investment. Before his death he was the chairman emeritus of ASD. He spent time consulting internationally on architecture and facility planning with an emphasis on effects of the information based society.

Projects
The Huff-Feldman House was built in 1953, and is 3,000 square feet. It was remodeled in 1955,1958 and again once it was purchased by the Feldman's and restored by Margaret Gilchrist Serro and interior designer Herbert Brito in 2000. It is one of only five houses designed by Pulgram.

In 1970, he created the TRM (task response module) System. Eppinger Furniture, INC used in opening planning for offices. TRMs are similar to wall units in homes used to hold decorations, books, and stereos. A TRM can hold any necessary item while also allowing the occupant to add items to make them feel more comfortable. The TRM (task response module) was integral in facilitating an open office plan that was varied and module based.

Tampa Electric Company in Tampa, Florida. 1979. A main focus was the atrium overlooking offices.

Old Post Office in Washington, D.C. 1979. An adaptive restoration, the first project of its type in the U.S. government, it was completed as part of the Pennsylvania Avenue Redevelopment Project.

Hurt Building Redevelopment in Atlanta, Georgia. 1985. Ground floor arcade and art gallery.

Alma Desk showroom in Atlanta, Georgia. Associated Space Design created a space where each showroom has a different perception of the community. ASD allows the space to form different spaces. The spaces created double as offices for the showroom staff.

McDonald's Oak Brook headquarters is an interiors project where Pulgram removed the desks, and replaced them with task response modules that hold telephones, create writing spaces, drawing boards, and typewriters. There are few doors or walls, the space is separated by TRMs and cabinets. He created a ‘think tank’ where a hidden door led visitors to a small arena with a waterbed in the floor- where they can relax and take time to take care of their minds – creating a space where they can be creative. The space is created with irregular shapes and padded walls.

Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium is one of the project done by William Pulgram and his firm in 1965. it was designed by a joint-venture team of FABRAP (Finch Alexander Barnes Rothschild & Paschal) and Heery, Inc.

William and his firm Finch did quite a few of commercial buildings. Including the First National Bank (mid-1960s, with Emory Roth and Sons of New York), it was design to replace the Ten Eyck Brown's Peachtree Arcade (1916–17).

William’s firm Finch also help designed the headquarters of the Coca-Cola Company (1970, 1979, 1981) and Southern Bell (later BellSouth, 1980), the latter with Skidmore Owings and Merrill of New York.

Personal life
With his wife Lucia (1925–2020), he had four children, Christopher, Anthony, Laurence, and Dierdre. Christopher was a violinist with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Anthony was an opera singer with the New York City Opera, and Laurence worked as an attorney in San Francisco.

He died in April 2020 at the age of 99.

He lived in the house he build with his wife in North Buckhead, a suburb of Atlanta, GA, for 49 years.