Designing Public Areas - ROIDESIGN

Monroe Community Church Starts a New Chapter

by Ryan | Sep 22, 2021 | Church Design, Design News, Designing for Kids, Designing Public Areas, Interior Design

When architect and church leader Steve Fridsma of Elevate Studio asked r.o.i. Design to collaborate on the interior design of their new church space, we knew from the start it was going to look more like an art gallery than a church.

The project converted a former manufacturing warehouse space into a place of worship, learning, and love. Engaging a variety of people, Monroe Community Church had planning and design committees composed of church members, Elevate Studio, GDK Construction, and r.o.i. Design for the interiors.

The entrance of the building opens into the Gallery, which is the largest space of the facility. It holds a prayer shelter, a café, lounge seating, and a play area just outside of the kid’s ministry rooms. It has maple plywood walls, open ceilings, concrete floors, and lots of light walls and windows.

The Worship Space is open to the Gallery but in contrast to that room, is focused on a darker wall with theatrical lighting used during services and presentations. It has a calming presence.

Kids areas use more color and the committee agreed to use graphic stripes in subtle ways to create interest and indicate different age groups.

The project’s budget was challenging and while compromises were made, the outcome was not compromised.

Monroe Community Church has a tradition of loving art and the urban community they serve. Their ministry is celebrated in part by their engagement with the city of Grand Rapids as being a venue for ArtPrize. In the fall of 2021, they opened their new facility, welcomed members and guests to their new space the same week that ArtPrize opened. The church, filled with art, met its design and community goals.

Hundreds of people will visit Monroe Community Church and get a glimpse of how they Love God, Love People, Love the City, and Love Art.

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Offering Contract Furniture Solutions 

by Ryan | Aug 25, 2021 | Designing Public Areas, Hospitality Design, Interior Design, Medical Design, Procurement and Purchasing, Restaurant Design, Uncategorized

r.o.i. Design makes most of its revenue from selling time through managed agreements. Did you know we also sell custom furnishings for waiting areas, lobbies, breakrooms, and more? We do this competitively by utilizing a group of manufacturers who offer us wholesale pricing.

Most of our vendors allow us to create custom furniture for our clients. They offer standard frames and styles, and we select the fabrics and finishes to suit your space.

We are pleased to work with several American and Michigan-based manufacturers.

The furnishings we offer include: 

Upholstered Seating 
Occasional Tables 
Break Room and Meeting Room Seating & Tables
Med Team Desk – Customizable Teaming Workstation with Power & Data
Solar Shade Window Coverings 
Custom Wall Art
Signage and Wayfinding
Lamps, Rugs, and Accessories

Click on the thumbnails below to enlarge images.

Forest Glen Apartments

by Ryan | Jul 14, 2021 | Design News, Designing Public Areas, Hospitality Design, Interior Design, Procurement and Purchasing

This four-year project in Chantilly, Virginia was a partnership with Hooker DeJong Architects and Engineers and Eagle Point Companies. Forest Glen was completed in the spring of 2021. Six years ago, we had designed this property as a remodel, but a fire destroyed the original building, and the project needed to be rebuilt.

Keeping with much of the original concept, r.o.i. Design was able to enhance many aspects of the communal areas to include more wood, stone, and some decorative acrylic panels. Wallcovering in the corridor, while helping with maintenance, also helps create a more resort-like feel. In general, the new building offers many amenities to tenants that the original building could not.

Eagle Point engaged us to also provide public area furnishings. We selected furniture, customized finishes, purchased the products, and then managed delivery and installation. We also provided custom artwork that was reflective of the area. Located close to Washington D.C. and many historical sites in Virginia, we used images of historic buildings, national landmarks, and regional nature to help give Forest Glen its sense of place.

Thank you to Jason Barnes of Eagle Point for the opportunity to help rebuild Forest Glen.

Darley Village Active Senior Living 

by Ryan | Jun 15, 2021 | Designing for Kids, Designing Public Areas, Hospitality Design, Interior Design, Medical Design, Procurement and Purchasing

Returning customer Denis Johnson, of Johnson Newhof & Associates, reached out to r.o.i. Design for support with the final phase of design of their multifamily project, Darley Village, a full-service senior living community in Muskegon, adjacent to Chestnut Hills Retirement Community. 

Denis was looking for a fresh eye on finishes and assistance procuring common area furnishings. 

The call came in March 2020, at the beginning of the COVID pandemic, so we carefully engaged to review finishes and furniture. We ended up with a neutral palette that is warm and respectful of being close to Lake Michigan. We spiced it up with flooring options that create more of a high-end hospitality look without the cost. 

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100 Grandville Improves Their Lobby

by Ryan | Sep 16, 2020 | Design News, Designing Public Areas, Interior Design, Procurement and Purchasing, Workplace Design

Long-time friends and business professionals Hillary and Doug Taatjes of NAI Wisinski of West Michigan contacted r.o.i. Design regarding the building lobby of their corporate office. It’s located at 100 Grandville Ave. in downtown Grand Rapids.

In 2018, we carried out the first phase of this conversion by painting wood panels, changing out light fixtures, and lightening up the space overall. We have helped several of NAI’s clients with lobby upgrades in order to attract new tenants and keep current ones happy by adding new furnishings. The Taatjes’ saw the opportunity to update 100 Grandville with similar goals in mind.

Our clients sought to make the existing lobby feel less like a mechanical room. The existing series of panels in the lobby that monitored the elevator, as well as other electrical panels, needed to remain accessible. We presented options for covering the panels and made recommendations for furnishings to complete the upgrade.

The final product resulted in hanging dimensional panels that could be manipulated with window covering hardware to allow the wall to open up. With the addition of a rug, bar table with stools, and foliage accents – voila! – no more mechanical room.

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100 Grandville Lobby Before

Before Photo

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Sneak Peek: Darley Village and the Midwest Miniatures Museum

by Ryan | Jul 15, 2020 | Design News, Designing Public Areas, Exhibit Design, Hospitality Design, Interior Design

At this moment, r.o.i. Design has many projects that are in process. Here are two we would like to share with our fans. These are good examples of our diverse talents and experience.

Darley Village

Darley Village is an active senior complex with new apartments being built in Muskegon, Michigan. Our main contact, Denis Johnson of JNA Group, has been a longtime associate of r.o.i. Design. We have collaborated on both hospitality and public space designs. Denis is a partner in, and the project lead for, this development.

This project pushes the finishes beyond the competitive offering and hints at a level of sophistication and “fun”, making it attractive to the discerning tenant.

Midwest Miniatures Museum

Midwest Miniatures Museum has made a bold move to purchase the historical Robbins House in Grand Haven, moving from their previous location in Hickory Corners, Michigan. r.o.i. Design has been engaged in the exhibit and related environmental design.

The project is a perfect fit between content and venue, and we are so excited to be on this team. Thank you to our friend and museum consultant, Timothy Chester, who referred us to the Midwest Miniatures Museum.

The Robbins House was built in 1899. Except for a brief time as a law office, the structure has been in continuous use as a private residence. This unique home is on the National Register of Historic Places and those familiar with the building are excited to see its new life as a museum. This conversion from home to the museum will take place in three phases; initially, the museum will re-open with first floor exhibits and a gift shop.