Tomas Tillberg shares how his company manages interiors projects that exceed client expectations
By
Sean Dudley |
This article was first published in the Spring/Summer 2015 issue of Cruise & Ferry Interiors.
Since setting up his own firm in 1996 to better serve clients in the US, Tomas Tillberg – a former owner of the original Tillberg Design and the son of company founder Robert Tillberg – and his team have been dedicated to providing high-quality cruise interior design services.
Tillberg Design US offers full ship lifecycle services, including initial concepts and final newbuilding design, as well as refurbishment and modernisation work.
In the conceptual phase of a newbuild project, Tillberg says the company is involved in every aspect of the creation of the new ship.
“The concept design is vital, as this lays the groundwork for everything that follows,” Tillberg explains. “Once the concept is established, the designs are further developed in close coordination with the owner, naval architect, shipyard and the different contractors that are involved. After the development phase and once all coordination is completed, there is a clear understanding of what to build. Then the detailed design is created.”
Tillberg says that in the design development phase, each space and function is thoroughly coordinated with the shipyard and the owner or operator.
“Cruise ships tend to be refurbished every two and a half years during their first ten years of use,” Tillberg explains. “In that period you would select some areas that need to be renovated due to wear and tear or because they are outdated. Depending on how well a ship is maintained, at some point between 10 and 20 years of use, more thorough renovation would be done throughout the ship, including the cabins and public areas. This would be the modernisation programme.”
One final phase of any project is the follow-up and quality assurance. This entails the project designer working with the client during the execution of the designs to ensure that all designs are built as envisioned, as well as making certain that the contractors and the yard achieve the best possible product.
The Tillberg Design US team has a rich and successful history of handling refurbishment projects.
“We go above and beyond what is expected,” Tillberg says. An example would be the ability to write a clear ‘contractor specification’, as well as a detailed and well researched ‘materials specification’, in addition to a proper drawing package. Without these, contractors will produce bids that are based on speculation rather than the exact specific information they need.
As one contractor said: “I absolutely love dealing with you. Your specs are so clean and clear and the plans are the same – Tillberg’s are always perfect!!”
Tillberg concludes: “As architectural design is the most visible and crucial component for the owner of a cruise ship, it needs to be developed in a clear, organised and sequential way to ensure that the owner’s vision is fully materialised.”