ZIMMERMAN, Neal 1947-

PERSONAL:

Born March 28, 1947, in New York, NY; married Leann Sherman, 1998; children: (previous marriage) Stacey, Jon. Education: Attended Columbia University, 1968-71, City University of New York, B.A. (architecture), 1976. Hobbies and other interests: Fine woodworking, hands-on construction.

ADDRESSES:

Home and office—744 Trout Brook Dr., West Hartford, CT 06119. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Architect. Neal Zimmerman and Associates, West Hartford, CT, principal, 1985—.

MEMBER:

American Institute of Architects.

WRITINGS:

Office Planning Guide, O.P.I., 1982.

Home Office Design: Everything You Need to Know about Planning, Organizing, and Furnishing Your Workspace, John Wiley (New York, NY), 1996.

At Work, at Home: Design Ideas for Your Home Workplace, Taunton Press (Newtown, CT), 2001.

WORK IN PROGRESS:

Researching trends in work and lifestyle.

SIDELIGHTS:

New England-based architect and author Neal Zimmerman has authored several books that focus on the new American workplace: the home-based office. His 1996 book Home Office Design: Everything You Need to Know about Planning, Organizing, and Furnishing Your Workspace is designed to help the person attempting to mesh their "working office with a living environment," according to a Houston Chronicle reviewer, who praised the author for his "methodical, detailed" presentation.

In the more design-oriented At Work, at Home: Design Ideas for Your Home Workplace, published in 2001, Zimmerman begins with a reader questionnaire, then sets out a multi-stage process designed to ensure a functional home work environment: analyzing needs, determining space options—whether to utilize an entire room or just a portion of one, or even to build an addition—and developing plans. Ideas are presented that transform attics, basements, extra bedrooms, dens, and even closets into functioning offices that fulfil the needs of their occupants. Containing numerous photographs depicting innovative solutions to common office-related problems as well as those unique to home-workers, the book was praised by Booklist contributor Barbara Jacobs as a "straighforward starting place" for those who earn all or part of their living working from home.

Zimmerman told CA: "I write about planning workspace because it is what I do professionally. We all spend so much time working, and many of us do it in unpleasant, uncomfortable, unhealthful environments.

"New technologies are providing us with new opportunities to control where and how we work. We should enjoy where we work, and it should inspire us to do our best work. In my writing, and in my design work, I try to help people get to that place."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, October 1, 1996, Barbara Jacobs, review of Home Office Design, p. 316.

Houston Chronicle, June 26, 1997, review of Home Office Design, p. 7.

Library Journal, September 15, 1996, Gayle A. Williamson, review of Home Office Design, p. 65; September 15, 2001, Gayle A. Williamson, review of At Work, at Home, p. 78.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, February 24, 29002, Joy Krause, review of At Home, at Work, p. 7.*