CONTENTS DESIGN CORNER 17 Concrete Pig | a design-build furniture studio pushing the envelope of the expected through sculptural and often gravity-defying work in concrete and in wood 18 Encaustic | the investigative painter and sculptor who welcomes the unpredictable entropy of wax and mixed metals 19 Alt Pen | the minimalist ball point pen designed as a precision tool kit by a product design firm in Chicago DESIGN SPOTLIGHT 38 Catalyst for innovation | a Wisconsin-based biotechnology leader’s latest facility is a celebration of scientific discovery as it seeks to capture the spirit of collaboration and innovation 75 The Mill | the transformation of a manufacturing complex in Bloomington, Indiana reimagines the spaces as an innovation hub and…
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Recycled Modern
Since the first drawing in prehistoric times, art and creating have been forms of self-expression and storytelling for people that cross multiple mediums and industries. Almost everything human-made has been designed with a purpose and tells a story—whether that story is the initial creator’s intention, or the history of the piece’s previous owners and travels. Shari Currie, owner of Recycled Modern LLC, an urban vintage, upcycled, and handcrafted home décor shop in Chicago’s Lakeview and Lincoln Park neighborhoods, fills her store with furniture that tells the story of past owners, and home décor pieces upcycled or handcrafted locally, designed to tell stories of their own. “Upon buying a home, I…
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Detroit style
Between the mass production of accessible, timeless car designs, and the artistic innovation that pushed the automotive industry into each new age, Detroit’s influence on American car design, technology, and manufacturing has remained since the turn of the 20th century when Henry Ford touched down his Detroit Automobile Company and Charles Brady King test drove the first self-propelled carriage along Woodward Avenue, reaching speeds up to five miles per hour. In homage to this remarkable past, the Detroit Institute of Arts Museum, or DIA, is unveiling a special exhibition, “Detroit Style: Car Design in the Motor City, 1950-2020,” which will capture groundbreaking, artistic, and transitional moments in Detroit car design…
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Artful tile
Since its founding in 1992, Ann Arbor, Michigan-based firm Motawi Tileworks has been redefining the role of tile installations in residential and commercial spaces with its artful, handcrafted tile designs. Depictions of a snowscape at dawn, Amaryllis in bloom, and indigo tulip buds are only some of the designs offered through its extensive art tile collection, which is also highly influenced by Mid-Century artistic figures like Frank Lloyd Wright and the illustrator and conservationist Charley Harper. It is also an installation tile collection that includes intricate relief tiles, moldings, and liners. Late June 2020, Motawi Tileworks released two new vibrant art tiles inspired by Charley Harper and the studio’s existing,…
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Thread in transit
The multi-modal transit system is intended to support the urban core—not unlike a buttress to a wall—and the dynamic economic, cultural, and social activities that take place there. It interacts with the complex spatial structure of larger cities, ultimately becoming inherently entwined with the day-to-day operations and life in the diverse tapestry of its built landscape. In Chicago, the transit-intensive city has become not only multi-modal in nature, but also inter-modal as many of its residents, visitors, and working populations leverage more than one mode of transportation for a single journey—bicycle, pedestrian, bus, train, automotive, and waterway, to name a few. Perhaps its most iconic infrastructure though is known simply…
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Mask makers
In this unprecedented time, major players and smaller participants in a variety of Midwest industries have set their attention on an invaluable product: the face masks with which many are protecting themselves against COVID-19. Brands, from General Motors to the Milwaukee Bucks, have launched mask-making initiatives to supply the consumer market that continues to grow in need, nearly as quickly as it is satiated. Alongside national corporations, volunteer efforts among local sewing enthusiasts and crafters have also amassed into a sweeping grassroots effort to provide friends, families, communities, and those on the frontlines of the pandemic with the personal protective equipment they need. Many of these efforts also come with…
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Dream makers
Since 2009, the Grand Rapids, Michigan-based interior design firm of Deidre Interiors has crafted distinctive spaces for the high-end residential market, and has become largely known for a rich mixing of the bespoke, sophisticated, and comfortable. The firm, founded by Principal and Interior Designer Deidre Remtema, ASID—a long-time city resident—works on everything from downtown condos and lakeshore properties to multi-generational homesteads—largely spaces of renewal that sculpt everyday life. With business accelerating the past few years, Deidre Remtema sought to add architectural services to her growing team to move her firm into fully inclusive, turnkey territory. Luckily, her husband, Jeff Remtema, AIA, proved to be a perfect fit for the job. …
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Oji Masanori x Mjölk
Solid brass and soft light are the main ingredients in this delicate light fixture created by the Japanese industrial designer Oji Masanori. The Diamond Pendant lamp was conceived for the Toronto-based lifestyle shop and gallery, Mjölk, as part of an exclusive collection, and it was handcrafted by artisans in the city. Fundamentally, the pendant recalls Masanori’s careful attention to form, proportion, and even utility in housewares design. A solid brass pulley and counterweight matching the light’s conic cover plate allows the nine-foot cord to be moved and adjusted vertically, and the fogged casing emits a diffused, calming glow. Masanori, who is CEO of the studio Oji & Design, is largely…
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Movement evolution
Following the landmark merger of the YMCA of Metropolitan Minneapolis and the YMCA of Greater St. Paul in 2012, and creation of the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities, the Minnesota-based, nonprofit organization looked to move its headquarters to a new location. The site, positioned in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, would not only serve to accommodate its larger staff, membership, and programmatic needs, but also reflect its founding mission, enduring identity, and intentional thought of tomorrow. “We sought to relocate our downtown Minneapolis facility, along with our corporate office, as the next step in our legacy and to gain greater exposure by making sure the Y, [or YMCA], is…
