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.
Four years ago, First Companies introduced us to Dr. Ryan Freeland as he was planning his practice, Wolverine Dermatology. It was clear from the start that he intended to grow his practice by bringing aboard new doctors and offering a greater range of services.
Anticipating this expansion of services, an unfinished portion of the building was built-out to create four additional exam rooms, a doctor’s office, and a med-team open office. Maintaining the finishes from our original design, we planned and documented finishes for the expanded space.
We also provided the custom Med Team Desk, a “landing pad” for information that includes electrical and data accessories, allowing the busy open office area to operate efficiently.
And of course, like before, the Maize and Blue were honored throughout.
Modern medical and surgical environments are recognizing the value of open team areas where physicians and providers huddle to exchange information, order meds, and supplies and update charts before returning to patients. This reduces the need for more offices and facilitates greater communication.
r.o.i. Design has designed many of these open team areas and, eventually, we created a custom desk to fit the needs of these spaces. Working with qualified media furniture makers in Michigan, we have engineered this desk and are now making it available throughout the state.
The desk is a custom product and can be sized to fit your office. Several standard features are included:
Two fixed-height surfaces, seated and standing
Built-in data, power, and USB receptacles
Complete wire management
Powder-coated legs and hardware
Standard laminates available for top and front panels
Top edges are finished with PVC and radius corners
Optional, removable partitions to mitigate the spread of bacteria and viruses while working in close quarters
Up to 144” in length
Prices start at $3,500, depending on size, power accessories, and installation conditions. (taxes excluded). We will custom design your desks for free, including coordinating power accessories with your technical needs.
r.o.i. Design has worked with contractors and realtors to transform some not-so-great spaces into spaces that create a WOW factor for occupants and visitors. Here are some before and after stories that we hope inspire our readers to imagine how their spaces could look.
Creston Heights 1960’s Office Building
United Commercial Services had a vision for a forgotten building that, many years ago, was a funeral home. The demo revealed layers of wall covering, antique utilities, and a hint of a ghost. But the transformation from a variety of cavernous rooms to a spacious office paid off for UCS. Thanks, Pinnacle Construction for making this happen!
Before Photos (click on thumbnail to enlarge)
After Photos (click on thumbnail to enlarge)
Downtown Dental Office Building
Complete Health Dentistry was already in an urban setting but moved even closer to the downtown area in Grand Rapids on a highly visible corner on the Medical Mile. They trusted r.o.i. Design and First Companies to come up with an interior that would transform this 1980’s space into something that their patients would find appealing. The change was amazing, and the result feels like it is how the space should have always looked.
After Photos (click on thumbnail to enlarge)
South East Grand Rapids Office Building
This property was seeing major transitions in their tenant population and was looking to find an anchor tenant to occupy most of the building. Originally the building was a single-user and the entryway was a reception desk. As more businesses moved into the building, it became obsolete.
N.A.I. Wisinski organized a design competition to show the owners what their entry could look like, and r.o.i. Design was selected to design the reimagined space. Removing walls and adding a floating ceiling, along with new finishes, lighting, and furnishings transformed the space. Within nine months, the building gained a major new tenant.
Before Photos (click on thumbnail to enlarge)
After Photos (click on thumbnail to enlarge)
Downtown Grand Rapids Office Building
This historic property has been a desired address for many years, but it had been more than 20 years since the lobby and public restroom were addressed. Tours by potential new tenants were resulting in some negative comments about how the spaces looked. By addressing lighting, flooring, finishes, and furnishings, the natural beauty of the spaces began to shine again.
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.
Doctors Meghan Condit and Christine Vollmar have a heart for kids, and as mothers themselves, they understand the importance of personalized care. That focus and vision was a key ingredient in their decision to establish Grand River Pediatric Dentistry.
Newly opened in February, Meghan and Christine are
celebrating a more-than-two-year journey in planning, and they couldn’t be
happier with their new home in Jenison.
r.o.i. Design was introduced to Grand River Pediatric
Dentistry by Todd Schaal of Estes Group. We worked with them to create a
friendly and calming environment that includes touches of kid-like whimsy while
remaining a total reflection of their brand. Once again, we joined the design
team that included First Companies and Dixon Architecture.
Jenison is close to the Grand River, a symbol of local pride
in the Greater Grand Rapids Area, and drawing from the river imagery, the
interior of the new space is dappled with blues and sandy neutrals. Borrowing
from West Michigan cottages, r.o.i. Design included shiplap and beams in the
space. Additionally, we selected and provided lobby furniture that boasted
patterns and shapes that support the sailboat theme of their logo. Like other
pediatric spaces, we relied on large ottomans as benches to provide a mobile
and kid-friendly seating option.
For more about Grand River Pediatric Dentistry and Drs. Condit and Vollmar, please visit their website.
