Over the past few weeks, our team has been learning how to make our spaces safe for the return to work, visits to doctors, and trips to our favorite retailers. We acknowledge solutions presented by suppliers and manufacturers that impact our work in interior design; their products influence our spaces from the air we breathe to the chairs we sit on. Read on to see some of what we’ve learned regarding COVID-19 protection measures and visit our Facebook page throughout the week to get our full take on these solutions.
AIR QUALITY
A building’s filtration in its heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) can be a part of an overall mitigation approach to protect occupants from COVID-19. To reap the full benefits of an HVAC system, cleaning and disinfecting HVAC components, including ductwork, installing high-efficiency (HEPA) filters, and increasing outdoor air ventilation are critical.
WALL COVERINGS AND OTHER SURFACES
We also pulled research on the longevity of the COVID-19 virus on commonly used wall covering materials, and how to effectively eliminate the virus on these surfaces. Today’s manufacturers are integrating antimicrobial technology into interior design elements to keep them cleaner from multiplying bacteria – window shades, paint, door hardware, and faucets. Additionally, the addition of UV lights for more deeply disinfecting the office at night could help to keep walls and other surfaces cleaner.
Wall Coverings
TEMPORARY WALL PARTITIONS
In addition to pre-existing wall surfaces, temporary wall partitions find relevancy, especially in open offices, to help ease the spreading of viruses. While plexiglass, laminate, or another hard surface has been preferred, those surfaces must be frequently cleaned. Not all fabrics are a good option for the surface of partition, those that are coated or are made specifically to repel moisture would be best. And, while not as attractive, cardboard has been tested and it may be that the virus lives less on cardboard than on plexiglass.
Temporary Wall Partitions
UPHOLSTERY
Presented with the problem of maintaining upholstered surfaces in high-traffic and shared spaces, our fabric manufacturers have risen to the challenge and provided, and continue to seek, solutions for safe fabrics. Referencing the EPA’s recommended products for disinfecting, our fabric manufacturers quickly pulled together their resources to help educate us on which materials perform best in an environment that will not require excessive cleaning. Coated fabrics, vinyl, and Crypton meet these standards for cleanability.
Crypton Upholstery
PERSONAL PROTECTION
Beyond innovations for public and private spaces, the design community is contributing to the solution for your personal space – personal protection equipment. We’ve seen manufacturers and design firms shift their resources and brainpower in response to COVID-19. Fabric manufacturers and independent designers are using their resources to create face masks, and many donate face coverings for each mask purchased.
No one solution protects us completely and it will be a combination of behaviors and tools that gets us through this time. We look forward to more virus testing, and then, of course, the vaccine.
We are pleased to have updated our systems in January 2020 with updates in hardware and software. While we couldn’t have anticipated the impacts of COVID-19, we are proud that we invested in an infrastructure that allows us to be more responsive. We acknowledge our relationship with i3 Business Solutions and their continued support of our ability to do business in these changing times.
We are fully engaged with applications that allow us to meet and communicate richly with our customers online. We continue to learn about new ways to be engaged and are pleasantly surprised by their effectiveness. We are encouraged that we will be able to express/communicate interior design concepts and finishes through virtual and social distancing.
We are committed to our creative team and customers. Let us know how we can help.
We met Mike and Lisa Mervenne through an introduction by West Michigan Office Interiors. They are the owners of Burco, Inc., an amazing company that supplies automotive mirrors for new and after-market. This multi-generation business is an entrepreneurial inspiration. It’s reflective of the business creativity in West Michigan, but more specifically of their corporation.
Our year-long relationship of designing and budgeting resulted in a great remodel thanks to Erhardt Construction and Joe Kuhn. The project was completed early this year.
The remodel included more open office areas, an expanded break room, more efficient office layouts, and branded décor. Building on their amazing brand, r.o.i. Design developed an interior design scheme that reflects their brand colors, culture, and needs.
In addition to interior design, we were able to provide graphic design for custom branded décor, as well as providing new furnishings for their break room.
These are challenging times, but we know our ability to provide budget-brand-beauty interiors will set us apart. We have many projects in-house that require our attention and look forward to their continuation.
We have several projects through our partner, First Companies Inc. Those projects include dermatology offices, dental offices, and industrial/manufacturing offices in West Michigan. Including, but not limited to: Portland Dentistry by Design, Total Fire Protection, Wilkast, Cedar Springs Dentistry, The Derm Institute of West Michigan, and Wolverine Dermatology.
We are working with the City of Kentwood on a few projects based on previous work with the city. Ten years ago we designed their library.
Our work with new customer FCC Construction and their customer, American Immersion Theater, gave us the opportunity to show our theatrical “chops”.
Concept Rendering for American Immersion Theater
Mars Hill Bible Church asked us to assist them in the redesign of offices and children’s ministry areas, as they have sold half of their facility to Grandville Public Schools. It was just two years ago that we redesigned all of their kids’ ministry areas.
Most recently, we have engaged with the Kent County Office of the Defenders in their exploration of new offices in downtown Grand Rapids. This is in response to a request from the State of Michigan to expand its services. We are engaged with local contractors and furniture suppliers as we build budgets and feasibility for their expansion.
We have added new customers in the senior-living/multi-family category. We are pleased to be working with Darley Village in Spring Lake and continued work with Eagle Point Properties who has engaged us with their project in Virginia.
We have a variety of office projects that we are managing that serve the business community in finance and accounting.
We met Grand River Bank through Dixon Architecture and have been working with them for several months. This project reconnected us to BDR Construction, who hopes to deliver the space at 50 Crahan in Ada, Michigan in August 2020.
Grand River Bank Lobby Rendering
We were referred to Pennell CPA through our work with Stenger and Stenger, and we are providing oversite, design, and architecture. Pinnacle Construction is providing construction management.
Colorboard for Pennell CPA
We were referred to Evolution Wealth by BluHouse Properties. We are providing design and architectural services for their new location on Cascade in Grand Rapids.
In addition to our commercial work, we continue to engage with our clients to support their residential needs. We welcome all requests and interest in our ability to support residential planning. Currently, we have residential projects that range from existing home remodels to future residential construction.
Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the Mary Jane Caster Memorial Luau has been postponed. We will let you know when it will be rescheduled after it is safe for groups to gather once again.
We still encourage you to share your memories of her on our Facebook page and consider making a donation to Gilda’s Club through our link on Facebook. We miss her so much, but we are keeping her memory with us in this current situation as we strive to make r.o.i. Design the best it can be.
We are celebrating the life of Mary Jane Caster this March and inviting you to celebrate with us.
We are hosting an Open House Luau in her honor.
r.o.i. Design Office 1451 Front Ave. NW Grand Rapids, MI 49504
T.B.D.
4 – 6 pm
If you have photos of Mary Jane or stories to tell we ask that you respond to ourr.o.i. Design Facebook Post remembering Mary Jane. We will share those stories at the open house.
Giving In Honor of Mary Jane
Mary Jane enjoyed the community at Gilda’s Club and we invite you to donate to that cause on her behalf at the link below. Please select ‘In Honor Of’ and enter Mary Jane’s name before making your donation.
Mary Jane was a founding member of r.o.i. Design. She joined the Designers Workshop team on August 30, 1993, and survived the transition from Designers Workshop to r.o.i. Design in 1994. Since then she had been a key player in all that r.o.i. Design has accomplished and in her 26 years, she probably touched over 800 projects. Her imprint on r.o.i. Design is permanent. Who we are, what we value, how we behave, and how we plan for the future has been influenced by MJ.
As a part of the r.o.i. Design team, Mary Jane had a particular role. She often was the one to bridge the psychological gaps between us, and she cared for each of us from where she sat. She was patient and, when needed, emphatic and direct. She reminded us to have fun, and always advocated for things that would bring out our best. She loved her vacations and many of her passwords were vacation related.
Mary Jane was admired and respected by customers, sales representatives, architects, and designers. She would sell, manage, design, and furnish projects. We would laugh at how long she had been with r.o.i. Design and she would say, “But no two years have been the same! I didn’t need to change my job to have a different job.”
She loved new materials and challenged us all the time to consider doing more, trying something new. There are situations in a project where we say, “What would Mary Jane do?”, or “Where is Mary Jane on this one?”
She is greatly missed and irreplaceable at r.o.i. Design and in our hearts. We invite you to participate in our celebration of all things MJ!
In January, Funky Buddha Yoga Hothouse opened its fourth location
in the exciting new Studio Park development in downtown Grand Rapids. Anna
Baeten, Executive Director, and Michele Bookie, Operations Manager, see this
new location as the opportunity to align the look of their facility with their
updated clean brand that’s on their website and marketing.
“It was time to become clear with our brand; we are intentional
and simple in our approach. We believe in Growth through Practice. We want our
spaces to reflect our values: Respect, Integrity, Intentionality, Caring, Honesty, and Humility,”
says Baeten.
With that
direction in mind, r.o.i. Design assisted in developing an interior that
minimized their previous scheme of tropical fruit colors to a neutral palette
of black, white, gray, cork, and wood. With touches of greenery and a focus on
cleanability, there was still room for some “funk”.
A variety of shapes of wood shade lamps hang in the lobby. The desk and retail area are built from reclaimed pallet wood from Grand Rapids Pallets. Their diamond logo is featured in the tectum acoustical panels applied to the yoga studio’s ceiling. Indirect lighting was added to the waiting area as well as the studio.
We thank our
collaborators Jon Blair from r2Design for architecture, First Companies for
construction, and Ken Kearney for specialty millwork build-out.
For more about Funky Buddha please visit their website.
