“Our mission statement is to build better lives for our clients and our employees. I think the construction industry as a whole is uniquely positioned and I think our segment of the market is different in that we don’t build speculatively, we don’t go buy land and make you build with us, we are very much custom and clients choose us for that reason. While we deal with sticks and bricks and we build beautiful things, there is a level of service and design that is truly custom to each of our clients and to be chosen for that is really important,” said Lisa Pickell, president of Orren Pickell Building…
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For the joy of baking
By definition, baking is the preparation, process, or activity of cooking through the use of heat. From bread and cakes to pastries and cookies, baked goods in all of its iterations across the globe often linger in the minds of those who have savored them, where creativity and heat transform simple ingredients into something more. It is often an art and craft of inspired cultural tradition, bringing people together through story and nourishment. For Annie Paul, owner and executive pastry chef of AP Baked Goods LLC in Zeeland, Michigan, baking is a passion and a therapeutic practice, and one that at its heart is extremely gratifying when it is able…
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A culinary tradition
Today, many Americans have easy access to pre-prepared food—whether it be slabs of meat packaged at the grocery store or a ready-to-eat meal from a fast-food chain, acquired from just five minutes spent in a drive-through line—and the life cycle of each plant or animal behind the meal is often not thoroughly considered. With an outlook inspired from more than 20 years of working in the culinary industry, as well as experiencing fare and culinary preparatory practices from around the world, Karen Bell, owner and operator of Bavette La Boucherie, has a deep-rooted interest in where food comes from and how it gets to consumers’ plates—a passion that has shaped…
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Invisible, by design
Though the portfolio of the design-driven, multidisciplinary firm of M1DTW Architects in Detroit, Michigan reflects a distinct breadth of commissioned works from the design of objects, artifacts, identities, and spaces, there is a commonality to the principles and tenets woven throughout each project. There is a sensitivity to resource and material, an intentionality to use and reuse, and a drive to push the boundaries of its creative practice to ultimately deliver spaces, objects, and materials that are nuanced, minimalist, and dynamic. “We think a lot about the role that design can play in people’s lives. I think while it is front-of-mind for me and it is the thing we work…
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Chicago celebrates DESIGNNIGHT 2022
AIA Chicago, the second largest chapter of the American Institute of Architects, kicked off its new DESIGNNIGHT 2022 on September 12th, 2022 in Chicago’s famed Millennium Park at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. The night comprised a free public awards event and overall celebration honoring the numerous design achievements of Chicago’s diverse and internationally renowned architectural community. Included in the celebration were the inaugural Lerch Bates People’s Choice Award—presented in collaboration with the Chicago Architecture Center—the AIA Chicago Lifetime Achievement Award, the chapter’s new Decarbonization Award, the Roberta Feldman Architecture for Social Justice Award, and the Design Excellence Awards, which were restructured to recognize projects of all scales, from small- to…
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Designed for flight
In 1986, WACO Aircraft Corporation’s first WACO YMF Classic biplane rolled off the assembly line complete with two open cockpits, stacked wings, radial engine, and handcrafted design in faithful homage to a golden age of flight. Based on the design of the popular 1930s biplane and crafted using techniques from the 1920s and 1930s, WACO Aircraft Corporation’s WACO YMF Classic was not a rebuild or a build kit of the vintage aircraft, but rather a modern production with the latest avionics under the original WACO-type certificate, certified by the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA. WACO Aircraft Corporation, which was founded in 1983 in Lansing before relocating to Battle Creek, Michigan,…
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Humboldt GMT
Designed for the everyday adventurer, the Humboldt GMT is the latest release in Oak & Oscar LLC’s line of Humboldt watches. Its slick design, highly adjustable bracelet, and advanced technology makes this watch a fit for multiple lifestyles and settings. An elevated take on the Humboldt 12-hour, this watch features a GMT complication and 24-hour bezel, allowing its user to keep track of three time zones at once. Incorporating a new anti-shock and anti-magnetic enclosure, and internal systems like a Faraday cage and rubber stabilizer, the Humboldt GMT is designed to neutralize the electromagnetic fields people regularly encounter, as well as reduce the rate of impact and rebound from bumps…
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Art in ceramics
In April 2022, Motawi Tileworks welcomed the spring season with their 4-by-4-inch art tile known as 4×4 Flower Buds, which in a design inspired by an early 1900s art nouveau tile by H. & R. Johnson, Ltd., embraces the delicate nature of a flower. Defined by its ornamental style of art, Art Nouveau rose in popularity throughout Europe and the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, inspiring creatives in architecture, glasswork, posters, illustration, and jewelry, among other fields. Flower Buds is available in five different colorways with some featuring the airy pastels of the warmer season, while others present contrast in brighter tones: Grey Blue, Indigo,…
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Great Lakes By Design: Ergonomics
CONTENTS DESIGN CORNER 16 Pergola | the freestanding architectural workspace solution that also functions as an office space divider by Haworth Inc. 19 Prospect | the one-of-a-kind coffee table featuring the unique shapes and grain patterns of harvested Ash trees presented by Room & Board Inc. DESIGN SPOTLIGHT 22 Elevated design | the innovative company leveraging its elevator interiors to create workspace design solutions for the modern office environment 32 The Caterpillar | the multi-unit residential project redefining urbanism and development through the innovative use of material and intentional use of space, light, and landscape FORM 44 Art work | the penthouse designed by dSPACE Studio Ltd. and PROjECT. Interiors Inc. is a dramatic composition of art, design,…
