Transforming Sterile Spaces into Places of Belonging

Strategic placemaking for commercial and residential environments

Because architecture creates buildings. Art creates homes. And Cork deserves both.

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Don Samec in studio with mixed media artwork

The Problem You're Facing

Modern developments are beautiful. But they often feel cold, unwelcoming, and forgettable.

Residential Properties

Tenants pass through lobbies without engaging. Your space doesn't feel like home—it feels like a hotel.

Corporate Offices

Employees spend 8 hours in sterile environments. Retention suffers. Culture feels forced.

Hotels & Hospitality

Guests crave authentic, local experiences. Generic decor doesn't drive bookings or social shares.

Healthcare Spaces

Waiting rooms amplify anxiety. Clinical environments add stress when people need calm.

The Solution: Material Memory

I create site-specific installations using layered, reclaimed materials that give spaces a "human heartbeat."

This isn't decoration. It's placemaking as infrastructure—strategically designed to solve psychological problems:

The result? Spaces where people slow down, engage, and feel at home.

Rooted in Cork

For the past five years, Cork has been my home, my studio, and my endless source of inspiration. I walk this city constantly—camera in hand, eyes scanning textures, fragments, moments of beauty hiding in plain sight.

Every photograph I capture on these walks, every urban abstract, every street scene becomes raw material for the work I create. Cork's energy, its vibrancy, its flux—all of it gets woven into the installations I make.

When you commission work from me, you're not just getting art. You're getting a piece of Cork itself—its character, its memory, its spirit embedded into your space.

Residents don't just want beautiful spaces. They want to feel connected to where they live. Employees don't just want offices. They want to work somewhere that feels like somewhere.

That's what Cork gives us. And that's what I give back through every piece I create.

Don photographing Cork

Recent Project: 450k Residential Installation

The Challenge

A modern residential development with beautiful architecture but cold communal spaces. Residents weren't connecting with the building or each other.

The Approach

Three large-scale panels using reclaimed materials, archival imagery, and layered textures. Each piece designed to invite closer inspection and spark conversation.

"The building managers are greatly satisfied with the result"

Delivered: Site-specific artwork, professional installation coordination, documentation for marketing use

450k final installation

From Studio to Site

Materials and concept development
Work in progress
Detail of layering and texture
Finished panels ready for installation

Every piece is handcrafted with meticulous attention to material quality and archival standards

How We Work Together

1

Discovery

Site visit and consultation to understand your space and objectives

2

Concept

Custom design developed specifically for your environment and brand

3

Creation

Handcrafted mixed-media artwork built to archival standards

4

Installation

Professional team coordinated to meet all technical requirements

5

Documentation

Photography and video content for your marketing

One creative partner. Complete solution. No vendor coordination headaches.

Who This Is For

Property Developers
Property Management Companies
Hotel Groups
Corporate Offices
Architecture Firms
Healthcare Facilities
Educational Institutions
Co-working Spaces

If you manage spaces where people need to feel belonging—not just occupy square footage—let's talk.

Let's Create Something Meaningful

Based in Cork, working across Ireland and internationally

Email
don.samec@gmail.com
Phone
083 097 1140

Artistic practice