• Featured,  Form

    Ecosystems of design

    A current marker of the advancements in sustainability and innovative thinking of modern architecture, the AIA’s COTE® Top Ten program entered its 25th year this year, with a slew of new awards for North America’s most ecologically groundbreaking works of architecture. Projects across typologies, from university libraries and the health sciences to commercial adaptive reuse and deep tech—such as Microsoft’s…

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    Tuscan-style villa

    Situated in a historic building in downtown Mishawaka, Indiana, Spalding Design Group LLC was founded in 1991 with a mission of capturing moments through design; the focus being the stylistic vision of the client. The firm’s multi-dimensional enthusiasm for personalized design is realized through its broad range of services and clientele. With three core service areas of architecture, interior design,…

  • Featured,  Form

    Design by tile

    Tiles as an interior finish can bring a distinct style to the built environment. Whether through the clean and contemporary aesthetic of lacquered subway tile or in a punch of vibrant color carried on through an untraditional pattern, there are nearly endless possibilities for crafting the personality of a residence using tile as a medium. At the Michigan Design Center…

  • Featured,  Form,  Travel

    Skydeck Chicago

    An almost quintessential Chicago experience, observing the Chicago skyline and neighborhoods from the Skydeck Chicago on Willis Tower’s 103rd floor is one of the unique travel opportunities held by the city. As the highest observation deck in the United States, the Skydeck and The Ledge—its transparent-floored enclosures—are suspended 1,353-feet above ground, enabling visitors to see across 50 miles and into…

  • Featured,  Form

    The lakefront perspective

    For the clients of this modern home on the shores of Lake Angelus in Oakland County, Michigan, the artful design began more than a decade ago when they fell in love with the property. With a desire to maximize the panoramic lakefront views, the homeowners looked to DesRosiers Architects, an award-winning architectural firm in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and a collaborative…

  • Featured,  Travel

    The people’s park

    Of Chicago’s many parks, Jackson Park, with its perforations of lagoon, harbor, and world-renowned institutions like the Museum of Science and Industry and the nearby University of Chicago, and the adjacent South Shore park area and its on-site cultural center, are two of the city’s oldest and most culturally significant parks by many standards. Jackson Park, a Chicago Landmark, was…

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    Coastal contemporary

    Gazing through a glass expanse in the dining area of a newly renovated home by Mathison | Mathison Architects of Michigan, one gets the sense of being perched in a bright, southern forest canopy, where vibrant green shades gently ricochet through a hot breeze, and somewhere nearby the ocean breathes. This image isn’t far off for the reconfigured residence in…

  • Featured,  Relish,  Travel

    MDRD in cityscape

    The skyline in Grand Rapids, Michigan could be considered one of the most changed in the Midwest, with development projects and creative moments of design found around most corners of the downtown core, which spreads along western Michigan’s Grand River. It is a burgeoning travel destination with a bent for hospitality, with several recent hotel projects hosted in hospitality families…

  • Creative Endeavors,  Featured

    Design Corner: Work Tents

    Steelcase Inc. recently introduced a new solution in flexibility and privacy, known as Steelcase Work Tents. The architectural space divider designed for the office environment delivers the comfort of the camping tent to the workplace. Created in collaboration with a world-class tent designer, Steelcase Work Tents are meant to bring a sense of spatial security and enclosure to commercial spaces,…