What does a school board president do when they want to make sure their school is the best design it can be? Call r.o.i. Design!
Barb Ellis did just that.
Black River Elementary School is part of the Black River Public Schools, a public charter school. Until last April, their elementary school was meeting in portable classrooms on their campus. They moved the students to a temporary location and broke ground for their new school. Four months later, the students came back to their new beautiful school.
Special Education Offices and Classrooms
Barb and Black River were in the capable hands of Robert Doornbos, (RMD Architects), and Bob McFarlane, (Lakewood Construction), but the list of decisions to make and the broad spectrum of opinions threatened to slow the process down. We joined the team late in 2014 and ran alongside their process to aid in the imagining of the exterior and the interior design of the classrooms and auxiliary spaces.
Teachers Break Room
We met with teachers early in the process and shared some ideas for iconic furnishings that would make their Montessori classrooms even more of an experience for their students.
Color schemes and the organization of color within the school was a collaborative process and the result has received “all A’s”.
Grades 1 -2 Classrooms : Blue Accents with Dark Wood Casegoods
Grades 3-4: Green Accents and Light Casegoods
Barb and Mike Ellis have been friends and customers of r.o.i. Design for a long time and we appreciate them giving us this opportunity. (Spin Dance in Holland, MI and Grand Rapids, MI).
For more about Black River Schools and the building of the elementary school:
Welcome Traci, our new Customer Services and Procurement Professional at r.o.i. Design.
“Runs Towards Fires” is the opening line of Traci Pelton’s resume. r.o.i. Design likes to avoid fires and emergencies, but finding someone who is willing to address them if they show up is a wonderful attribute, especially for someone who’s job is to provide customer services.
Traci joins us with more than 10 years experience in project management, product estimating, engineering and wood manufacturing. Her background resonated with our team since r.o.i. Design also has roots in manufacturing and a “get ‘er done” attitude.
In her first week with us, we asked Traci to work in the field receiving over 900 pieces furniture and accessories for Black River Elementary School in Holland, MI. She checked, sorted, moved, investigated, and even in some cases, assembled. Thank you Traci!
A more typical week for Traci will include researching products, writing proposals and purchase orders, managing the logistics, receipt, and delivery of products that our customers purchase from us. She also can create renderings of products we design!
Traci also knows how to finish wood. We have already got her spray finishing some custom furnishings!
Garden Cottage: Cottages at Waters Edge, Crystal Mountain Resort. Custom wall art, books by Michigan authors on the shelf, art by Michigan artists on the walls.
Hotel design tries to anticipate what the customer is looking for in an experience. Today, that experience is much more thoughtful, more local, more residential, more virtual and more customizable. The notion is being challenged that a brand formula created by a “corporate office”, rolled out in test cities, cloned throughout a continent is a guarantee to attract customers. Hospitality design is a sister to fashion design and shares the runway in announcing style to drive demand, but attitudes and expectations are changing.
The market responds to style leadership. But today, our customers have many more references and aren’t as willing to choose a hotel based on a branded style. They more likely to enjoy a space that allows them to extend their casual and online lifestyle.
No longer is the idea of staying in a place that is better than home an automatic room sale.
Thoughtful
Making charging devices easy and obvious. Not everyone wants to unpack for a night’s stay, make the whole luggage thing convenient. Make it personal, share with your guest the stories behind the decisions made.
Local
Responsible use of materials from the region. Local artwork, locally harvested or manufactured materials.
Residential
No formal casegoods, more apartment style furnishings.
Virtual
Instant access to the internet, TV’s that can be monitors to personal computers, voice activated thermostats and lighting controls.
Customizable
Within reason, allowing the room to be adapted based on need. That might mean offering stack chairs, or a easy to move sofa.
r.o.i. Design knows for a property to be successful, they have to adapt. Most guests recognize the efforts made to make their stay more personal. To win the hearts of customers, we just need to show them we understand what they need for the best possible experience. That may not be a major remodel, it may be one or two things this season and a few more the next.
The documentary, “The Chef’s Table” (A Netflix Production), features six chefs and their restaurants. Each of them considered to be one of the best 50 in the world, they were chosen for their exotic tastes, remote locale and menu, passion or untiring curiosity.
As a designer, watching the program, watching the creative chefs, watching the food, I couldn’t help but look at their choices for the interiors of the restaurants. This study recommitted my focus on five elements in restaurant design. There is no other type of space where we design for all the senses.
Lighting
Like a play, the lighting in a restaurant puts focus on the players. While in fine dining this could mean spots on table tops, with only enough other light for guests to find their way to restrooms and exits. In most restaurants, this means a variety of light levels and light sources: the table pendant, the wall wash, the ambient overall up lighting. Lighting in a restaurant imitates theater.
Seating Layouts
Depending on menu, casual to fine, the seating takes a cue. We are seeing very few deuces (two top) tables being used in restaurant planning today. Quite the reverse, we are seeing community tables and larger tables being used that enhance the sense of gathering and family. The traditional booths are being replaced by settees and wall benches which gives restaurateurs more flexibility in seating groups of all sizes. Not only do these seating trends reflect current lifestyle preferences, they are great for showing off plates and presentation.
Finishes
There are at least three categories in restaurant interior finishes:
The interior finishes that disappear – the food is main stage, 1 to 4 star
The interior finishes that have to tell a subtle story, supporting the brand of the restaurant. No star to 1 star.
The interior finishes that have to be more exciting than the food because they are delivering an average menu with good taste.
Decoration
Mirroring the levels of finish, decoration varies based on the menu.
Minimal, but fine art, commissioned art, wall finishes used as décor for the starred restaurants.
Narrative, biographical and branded interiors for the “no star” but up-and-coming environments.
Entertaining, graphic design as décor, messaging and color is the key to the $10 a plate eatery.
Table top
What the diner sees as they are seated and as they eat leaves the greatest impression, mostly subliminally. The determined chef doesn’t want to distract the diner from the scent and look of the food. Fresh flowers and candles are appropriate as long as they don’t have scent. For the lower plate price restaurant, it is an opportunity for advertising. But in all cases, it is an opportunity to help the customer understand what is important at the restaurant.
“The Chef’s Table” showed us the chef’s journey and process. They also gave us clues as to how the interior supports the goal of the menu and experience. Napkins folded and measured for accuracy? An extravagant abundance of non-smelly flowers? A display of objects from the region? A methodical hanging of historical textiles or significant signatures?
Everything is intentional, everything is about the experience.
Northern Michigan Pediatric Dentistry. A design build team- r.o.i. Design was the interior designer.
Who is the design team?
The building architect, interior designer, site engineer, landscape architect, structural engineer, civil engineer, casegood designer, furniture designer, and art consultant all make up the design team.
Construction managers are dealing with a variety of team types:
One Stop Shopping
Large architect and engineering firms who offer “one stop shopping”, everything in one company, linear accountability. Convenient but not always transparent. When a design team has a bundle of work with a contractor, it is easier for the GM to negotiate changes since they are funneling a quantity of work to a firm.
The Inn at Harbor Shores, r.o.i. Design was recommended by contractor as an industry specialist.
Industry Specialist
A key player (designer or architect) who offers unique experience in a construction type: charter schools, national retail chains, senior care, mid-scale hotels, higher education, specialty medical, etc. , who recommends a group of independents they or the contractor manages to fill out the roster of all the professional design requirements.
GVSU Laker Store, a customer directed design team. r.o.i. Design worked as planners and interior designers.
Customer Team
When there are pre-existing relationships that have to be managed and the contractor works with the customer to fill out the professional needs of the project with a variety of firms.
Design-Build
The “design-build” team is assembled by the contractor and the customer directs all design criteria to the contractor who then works with their choice of professionals to support planning, produce design, architecture, engineering and all it’s documentation.
So what is the ideal “design team”? It’s the one that works best for the project.
Experienced construction professionals understand that they can’t have just one process that will deliver the design on all their projects (unless the contractor only works with one building type). Experienced construction professionals know they have to have a variety of firms in their contact list and stay informed of changes in those firms, understanding their emerging strengths and successes on new projects.
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r.o.i. Design works on several teams and team types. We understand the “R’s”: rates, relationships and relevance. We see successful design companies prosper when they can collaborate and adjust to changing criteria. We also see the importance of the construction manager who realizes the need for customers to be connected to the design process and their designers, and still be sure their budget and timeline are prioritized.
