October, 2014 - ROIDESIGN

Making It Home: The Common Areas of Apartment Developments

by Mary | Oct 1, 2014 | Design News, Designing Public Areas, Home Design, Interior Design

Stuyvesant Apartments Library Lounge

Our friends Hooker DeJong Architects and Engineers have referred us for a variety of projects in hospitality in the past, including Double JJ Ranch and Resort and Meadow Brook Medical Care Facility. So when their apartment developer clients asked them if they knew anyone who could work with them to finish the design and decor in their common areas, we were pleased that they thought of us. Projects of this caliber all have a requirement to offer a computer room, a community room, a laundry room, an exercise or activity room and a library. We have been very impressed with the facilities that we have been working with and are seeing these types of facilities being more and more interested in creating a community within their building.

Stuyvesant Apartments in Grand Rapids MI

Hooker DeJong and Wolverine Building Group.

Because of the historical nature of this project, it had the additional criteria of having historically-inspired decor. We were asked to use vintage photographs, which we researched through the collections at the Grand Rapids Public Library. Other decor consisted of a West Michigan theme, ranging from manufacturing to recreation.

Elevator Lobby Art of Belle Isle at St. George Tower

St. George Towers in Clinton Township, MI

Hooker DeJong and The Millennia Companies

This complete renovation is a wow! As we worked through selecting art and accessories, we sensed the pride the residents and the management had in this project. We enjoyed hearing comments from the residents who followed us around as we hung art and staged areas who looked over our shoulders and said, “I remember that place!” “That’s the Tech Center on Mound Rd? Sure looks different today!”

Lobby of Stuyvesant Apartments with Historic Photos of Site

Designing for Kids: A Pediatric Dental Office in Traverse City

by Mary | Oct 1, 2014 | Design News, Designing for Kids, Designing Public Areas

Drs. Jamie VanWingen and Matt Mandeville of Northern Michigan Pediatric Dentistry typically will see up to 20 patients per hour and most of them are under the age of five.

The lobby playhouse and boat, “USS Tooth Ferry”

They’ve been planning for growth, and to meet their changing needs, engaged Rockford Construction to work with them to remodel a building on 8th Street in Traverse City, MI. Bob Cornwell of Cornwell Architects was asked to work with them to create a space plan. Last spring we were contacted by Josh Reynolds of Rockford Construction to inquire if we had experience with designing for kids and if we would give him a bid for the interiors of this project. We showed them our work with children’s museums, day care centers, schools and theme parks and they invited us “to play”.

Mary and Mary Jane from r.o.i. Design worked with Drs. Jamie and Matt to come up with an interior that reflected their outgoing nature and love of adventure and travel.

The Lobby will have hanging felt boats, radiating beams, and a boat house.

Part of the design criteria given to us was to design interesting flooring patterns and interesting ceilings. The doctors also wanted to get away from the literal kid-mural type of interiors and instead work with blocks of color and graphics so the space would appeal to both kids and families.It was also important to ensure staff wasn’t exhausted by working in a space that was so visually busy.

The new office is designed around three areas; Water, Land and Sky. The interior finishes reflect those themes in a colorful way. The completion date is scheduled for November 2014. For more about what we did on this job see our blog story “There is a Boathouse in the Warehouse”.