Design News - ROIDESIGN

Introducing Rayanne Broadway, Our Studio Administrator

by Ryan | Mar 30, 2022 | Design News

Rayanne joined the r.o.i. Design team in October of 2021 and has been making us look good ever since! Her typical day includes a variety of activities as she supports all aspects of our business.

She supports interior designers with materials requests and colorboards. She maintains job binders and helps us organize our design filing.

Rayanne hosts our weekly meetings and documents progress.

She is very involved in our procurement process, supporting Ronda Geyer, our Procurement Manager, by writing POs, managing job costs, receiving and delivering products.

Working with Julie Kleinjans, Finance, Rayanne closes out jobs, enters payables, receivables, and makes sure all our vendors and suppliers get paid.

We love that she keeps the snack drawer full, and there is always coffee and water for all of us.

She comes to us with experience in customer service and hospitality. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from the College of Business at Ferris State University.

Originally from Coldwater, Michigan, Rayanne now lives in Grand Rapids with her fiancé, Clayton, and their happy dog, Ronnie. She enjoys her plants, her family, and walking through nature.

Welcome, Rayanne!

Greenland Advanced Oral Care Brings Their Specialty Dental Services to West Michigan

by Ryan | Feb 23, 2022 | Design News, Interior Design, Medical Design

Dr. R. Graham Greenland, a Prosthodontist, is passionate about caring for his patients. He brings to West Michigan training and a caring disposition to help patients that need advanced dental care, based on a variety of health issues that may include rebuilding the dental structure.

r.o.i. Design met Dr. Greenland and Practice Manager Laura Greenland through our relationship with First Companies. Greenland Advanced Oral Care is renting a suite at 1179 East Paris SE and it needed some “TLC” to bring the space up to today’s standards for functional finishes and to represent their brand.

Sensitive to the fact that this is a “startup business”, we made recommendations that could be staged over time. The first phase of changes included flooring, painting, countertops, and upgraded lighting.

This project resonates with our company’s vision that we are committed to designing to build our customers’ business and create a lasting experience.

We anticipate knowing the Greenlands for a long time and look forward to watching the practice soar.

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Animal Emergency Hospital Opens Second Location in Grand Rapids

by Ryan | Feb 23, 2022 | Design News, Interior Design, Medical Design, Procurement and Purchasing

Animal Emergency Hospital (AEH) was busting out of their Plainfield location. With an increase in pet and animal owners in West Michigan and a need for more animal care, they set their eyes on a new and larger location.

Working with First Companies, they selected a family convenient location near the intersection of 68th Street and US-131, where they planned for a 12,000 square foot building. Architect Michael Belisle from The Design Forum envisioned a contemporary building with a large clerestory waiting area, allowing in natural light and giving patients and their owners some space. The plan also included outdoor spaces for staff and patients in a well-appointed patio area.

AEH asked that their new facility replicate another animal hospital that they visited in Wichita, Kansas. While the exterior of the building looks very different the use of space and interior finishes on the inside are similar.

r.o.i. Design was asked by Dr. Marilyn Brink, head of staff and chief veterinarian, to look at the Wichita facility and convert the “look and feel” to the 68th Street facility, along with her personal vision for her hospital’s space.

That “look and feel” included:

Light and bright finishes in white and gray with black trim accents
Large black and white graphics of animals.
Distinctive and clear signage.
Highly maintainable finishes.
Unlike Wichita, the lobby incorporates ceiling clouds and decorative lighting to soften the clerestory experience.

The r.o.i. Design team loves animals and most of us have pets. This project was heartfelt as we go home to our pets Holly, Chica, Layla, Moe, Dottie, Bob, Ronnie, and Charlie!

Notions Marketing is Working Smart

by Ryan | Jan 25, 2022 | Design News, Interior Design, Workplace Design

Notions Marketing is the World’s Largest Creative Arts Distributor.

Creative customers understand innovation, and Notions Marketing inspired r.o.i. Design. We worked with them to create new administration offices within an existing distribution center. When the Notions Administration team began working from home in April 2020, Notions leaders saw an opportunity to achieve a long-term goal to bring all employees together to a single campus. The relocation of the Admin team also opened new opportunities for the broadening of cross-functional team collaboration and value creation.

The vintage warehouse selected for the new office area had wood ceilings and joists, concrete floors as well as all exposed sprinkling, plumbing pipes, and electrical conduit. Working with Architectural Concepts, the space was planned for closed and open offices, as well as an area to receive vendors and customers.

Working with their CEO and Dustin Brown, Director of Facilities & Risk Management, r.o.i. Design knew that the character and brand of this vibrant company had to be incorporated into the space. Elements that assisted with that look include Herman Miller mid-century pendant lights that were reclaimed from the former building, painting the existing wood ceiling, using linear lighting within the wood joists, adding white wood baffles under an accented blue ceiling, accenting walls with bold colors from their brand, and the reuse of some classic occasional furniture from their former offices. To help manage acoustics and to add to the overall interest, carpet tile patterns were added along with the use of reclaimed concrete floors.

“r.o.i. was an excellent partner for Notions through this process. Projects involving old buildings are never easy and r.o.i. continued to impress as they turned limitations to spot-on solutions. We are so excited to welcome our team back to this high-energy environment. As the how and where of work continues to evolve, we know we have a space and a partner in r.o.i. that will continue to adapt to what the business needs”, said Bobbie Medema, Notions’ CEO.

Notions owns a variety of art, collected over the years, that will also be used in this new space as a reminder of their foundation and love of the creative process. Notions also enlisted the help of talented internal creative team members to create a 22-foot-wide mural for the lobby that celebrates their neighborhood, their products, and their legacy.

Longtime friend and furniture vendor West Michigan Office Interiors worked with Notions to create furniture solutions for sales, finance, HR, merchandising, and creative team members. The new open office furnishings use several of their brand’s colors as accents in the systems.

With the oversite of Vander Kodde Construction, the project was completed in the Fall of 2021. We are pleased to have been on this notable team for this innovative customer.

Wilkast Moves into Its New Building

by Ryan | Jan 25, 2022 | Design News, Interior Design, Meeting and Conference, Workplace Design

This world-class die casting company has created parts for the automotive and motorcycle industries since 1979. Tom and Kurt Wilkerson are the second generation of Wilkast owners and they saw the need for facility and tooling expansion to meet the growing demand for their services.

First Companies introduced r.o.i. Design to the Wilkersons, and along with Dixon Architecture we were engaged to design a new building that would house the corporate office and expanded plant.

Like most manufacturers, their processes create dust and debris, so the offices had to be planned using materials that were durable and cleanable. To aid in the effort, the Wilkersons decided to borrow from a ranch-lodge style using rustic woods and natural stone throughout. The floors are all concrete and the corridors and conference rooms have wood panels. An elkhorn chandelier greets you in the lobby. The overall feel is very welcoming, and the shiny Harley Davidson in the vestibule is a nice touch.

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A New Home for the Midwest Miniatures Museum

by Ryan | Nov 17, 2021 | Design News, Designing Public Areas, Exhibit Design, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Lighting Design, Project Management

The Midwest Miniatures Museum held its Grand Re-Opening on Nov. 6th, 2021, in Grand Haven, Michigan.

Formerly located at Hickory Corners on the grounds of the Gilmore Car Museum, the Museum had been looking for a new location that was much more accessible and fitting in aesthetic to display their miniatures collections. After an extensive search, they were finally able to acquire the historic Nathaniel and Esther Robbins House in downtown Grand Haven.

r.o.i. Design was referred to the museum by independent museum consultant, Timothy J. Chester, and we were engaged in 2019 by the Museum’s director, Ina Whitney, to assist in the design of the first-floor exhibit. We visited the Hickory Corner location along with Ina and the Museum’s administrator, Hanna Steinman. We selected the items to be displayed and began the process of designing the exhibit.

We designed new display cases and fixtures for the exhibits in a style imitating the interior trim of the home. In addition to supporting the curation of the exhibit, we also managed the execution. We engaged Bluewater Studio to create the exhibit fixtures, and their attention to detail and care for the artifacts made the project a success. We also added new gallery lighting to the historic home and worked with contractors on interior upgrades as needed.

The initial display shows some of the best of their collection from miniature rooms, complete miniature structures, a silver collection, miniature art, textiles, as well as displays of miniature toys, tableware, and so much more.

The museum is now planning for future phases and is engaged in fundraising to add an elevator and create more exhibits on the home’s 2nd and 3rd floors.

If you are in the Grand Haven area, you should plan a visit to the Midwest Miniatures Museum to see this unique collection.

Click on the thumbnails below to view larger images.