by Mary | Dec 6, 2015 | Design News, Hospitality Design
Hospitality properties have guests who spend the holidays with them; sometimes by choice and sometimes not, sometimes in small groups and sometimes not. It is a time for properties to show what they are made of and fill in the gaps for holiday guests.
During the winter holiday, staff is called on to be even more personal and intentional. These holidays show how well a properties staff is hired, trained and managed to support an experience that is worthy to be considered a celebratory time. A time when emotional connections can be made.
Guests who decide to celebrate the season with you want the property to give them the holiday they couldn’t have at their own home. Decorations, uniforms, sentiment, menu items, activities, the works!
It may be less important to recreate their particular traditions than it is have a hotel tradition. Properties and resorts who create a branded event and all the anticipation building up to it, have set the stage to a wonderful memory. But an event alone won’t be enough.
Elf – Style Sleep Tight Goodnight
- It may be guests with little to no family decide to celebrate with you. That means the staff has to make a personal connection with guests, recreating family and intimacy.
- It may be guests who are taking the whole family to your site expect you to recreate “home”. This group needs greater flexibility in food service, identified hosts and personalities that can help them through their reunions.
- It all cases guests are ready to be surprised by joy, generosity and the ability to share.
Holiday Surprises for Customers of WestJet
An example of the type of success that can be had is described by blogger Alexander Kellerman who wished this celebration happened in a hotel verses in an airport-http://www.hotelierinc.com/is-the-hotel-industry-losing-its-hospitality/#more-1340
There is no bluffing during the holidays. The guests have high expectations and vulnerabilities. Meet those needs and you have a guest forever.
by Mary | Nov 23, 2015 | Construction, Design News, Interior Design, Workplace Design
While Michigan has been “rich” with energy for several generations, recently r.o.i. Design has learned more about how communities are powered.
Through the invitation of Richard Skendzel of Architectural Technology in Traverse City, MI we met Wolverine Power Cooperative in Cadillac, MI and were engaged as interior designers for their new 40,000 SF corporate office. The new facility is being built adjacent to their existing offices on beautiful wooded acreage.
Planning for the housing of this growing team of engineers, planners, project managers and administrators has been the work of Eric Baker, CEO, Dawn Coon, Executive Assistant, and Tim Martin, Manager of Energy Operations.
The facility has been designed to nestle in the landscape, celebrating the Northern Michigan environs. The building sits low in the horizon but the interior spaces feel sky-high.
Some of our favorite features so far are the ceiling clouds, radius walls and specialty lighting. Project completion Winter 2016.
Rendering of Proposed Lobby
Bulkhead at Reception
Building of Ceiling Cloud in Board room
by Mary | Nov 23, 2015 | Construction, Design News, Interior Design, Meeting and Conference
Not that long ago, we showed up at the City of Grand Rapids building department offices and we were greeted by “What old building are you working on now?” How did we get that recognition?
Maybe its because we renovated a 110 year furniture manufacturing building for our own offices, or maybe it’s because we were the designers of the first loft style work environment on the West Side of Grand Rapids more than 20 years ago, “The Grand Rapids Furniture Campus”.
But more recently, the recognition may be for our work with JGR Real Estate and another 100 year old manufacturing company.
JGR Real Estate Offices
Julie Grevengoed, Owner and Broker of JGR Real Estate purchased an vacant store front on the corner of Bridge and Seward in the West Side of Grand Rapids. JGR had to renovate the entire interior and improve the exterior façade to meet her business needs as well as the requirements of the City of Grand Rapids. r.o.i. Design created the space plan, lighting plan and worked with Wolverine Building, Mike Kelly, to help turn this once pawn shop into a contemporary and inviting space.
Currently we are working on another “antique” owned by an international company who is converting an old manufacturing space into a meeting and conference area for their North American operations. Their teams will gather here for training and innovative collaboration on designing new products. Project is scheduled for January 2016 completion.
It is also possible we are known for the design and re-purposing of old spaces because we have been in the business of delivering a return on investment to our design customers for more than 20 years.
100 Year Old Manufacturing Space Before Renovation
Renovation in Process
Renovation in Process
by Mary | Oct 7, 2015 | Construction, Design News, Interior Design, Project Management
Where do you learn about drones, BIM, Design-Assist? Turns out at the Fall COAA Workshop in Novi, Michigan.
Over 75 construction and design professionals gathered for a day of learning and networking in September 2015. Mary Witte, from r.o.i. Design attended.
The second session of the day was a presentation by three members of COAA, an owner, an architect and an contractor. This was a candid discussion of the process of building the team that determines the design, the cost and the timeline for buildings.
For r.o.i. Design, their comments about pre-qualifying team members through a RFQ (Request for Qualification Process) made a lot of sense and we understand how this step potentially saves the owner/project a considerable amount in fees. The presenters suggested that a large RFP (Request for Proposal) process could involve over 10,000 hours in professional time and still doesn’t guarantee best outcomes. They asked they question, “What can we take from the interviewing and bidding process to add value to the job?” Owners are living with a project long after the architect and contractor are gone, the decision who is on the team has a legacy implication. Start with clear understanding of what is important to the owner and let that drive the process of assembling the best team for the job. (Presenters: Leisa Williams-Swedberg, construction Administrator, Michigan State University, Nick Salowich, Principal, Science & Technology Studio Leader, Smith GroupJJR, Robert LaLonde, LLED AP, Vice President Clark Construction).
r.o.i. Design Pre-Design Rendering
Target Value Design (IPD-Integrated Product Delivery) was the topic of the third session.
This group of presenters, again from different disciplines, highlighted a process that, in r.o.i. Design’s view, was advocating for integration of the builders & makers into the budget and design process much earlier than the traditional model. (That model being: Concept, Design, Develop Design, Schematic Design, Construction Documentation 75%, 90% etc. ). This group asks the question, why does there need to be value engineering, why not value designing-real time analysis that is meaningful.
Whether designing a building or a table, consider bringing in the makers early in the process. Custom conference table designed by r.o.i. Design.
This discussion raised our awareness that designers have an opportunity to serve our clients by promoting a new process: Create 3-D illustrations to describe design intent to such detail that all related trades can begin to work on documents that build the design in a collaborative and integrated way. This also raised the concern on how designers would be compensated for their ideas, which began a discussion on the true nature of team. (Presenters: Anthony Bango, Vie President Project Planning, The Christman Company; Matt Cramer, President, De Cramer Inc; Kevin Kershbaum, HGA Architects)
r.o.i. Design understands that designers bring the greatest value to owners in two ways- creativity and management. Clearly describe the concept that meets the expectations and needs of the customer, and then manage the process. That doesn’t mean making every decision, drawing every schematic or trying to be the expert.
The final presentation felt like a continuation of the previous discussion, but with more “math”.
Design-Assist is a method of design-to construction that also engages contractors early in the process of planning. The presenters introduced the idea of all participants in a project to consider themselves “partners”. That would mean share the savings, share the profits, and be transparent with the opportunity for improvements. Any conflict over who owns ideas and solutions has no room in a design-assist process. This discussion looked at the opportunity to avoid “waste”: duplication of services, postponing decisions or making half decisions on half the information. This discussion gave us insight into an opportunity to develop respect and trust among team members. We are all conditioned and comfortable with our process, change is hard, but the future of construction has to be LEAN. (Presenters: Victor Sanvido, Senior Vice President, Southland Industries; George Karidis, PE, LEED AP BC+C, vice President, Corprate Engineer for Scince & Technology, SmithGroup JJR)
GVSU Marketplace Mary Jane Caster, Mary Witte, (Designers) and Carol Cool (GVSU Project Manager)
From Mary Witte: Through the day, I reflected on the r.o.i. Design “Budget, Brand and Beauty” story and was excited that our choice of practice is on track with the trends in our industry. Start with the owners values and interpretation of quality, develop a team, share all the information with the team, create process and structures that are inclusive and helpful, trust your team and ask them to trust you.
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r.o.i. Design has been working with Grand Valley State University since 2009 and through that work we discovered COAA. We have been impressed with the people and the quality of the information presented by and to the membership. It is a national organization with State Chapters. The Michigan Chapter presents two workshops a year, promotes their national training programs and encourages its members to attend the National Convention. We are proud members of COAA. www.coaa.org
by Mary | Oct 7, 2015 | Design News, Designing for Kids, Designing Public Areas, Interior Design
Barb Ellis at a chilly ground breaking ceremony.
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:
Black River Public Schools
Holland Sentinel Article about Black River Elementary
by Mary | Oct 6, 2015 | Design News, Procurement and Purchasing
Traci Pelton, Customer Services and Procurement
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!
Welcome Traci to the 2015 r.o.i. Design Team.
L to R: Mary, Traci, Mary Jane, Ryan and Julie
Hospitality properties have guests who spend the holidays with them; sometimes by choice and sometimes not, sometimes in small groups and sometimes not. It is a time for properties to show what they are made of and fill in the gaps for holiday guests.
