“I have always had a love affair with architecture and woodworking,” said Jason Sharp, founder and craftsman of Terroir Wood Studio in Boyne City, Michigan. Named after the French term ‘terroir,’ which loosely translates to “a sense of place” and often referenced in relation to the natural environment from which a wine is produced, Terroir Wood Studio is an independent…
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Catalyst for innovation
In 1956, Arthur Kornberg, American biochemist, realized a pursuit in biochemistry that forever changed the landscape and nature of biology. Kornberg’s discovery of DNA polymerase I not only led to the 1959 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine—shared with Severo Ochoa for his discovery of RNA polymerase—but also served as a catalyst for a biotechnology revolution. Kornberg’s exploration in enzymes…
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Choreographed by design
From within the renovated walls of a landmark-designated site in the Traverse City State Hospital Historic District, a husband-and-wife-led team of kitchen designers, project managers, interior designers, and craftspeople are continuing a mission established long before relocating their design studio to the former Steward Residence on South Division in Traverse City, Michigan. Initially founded in 2003 as a cabinet supplier…
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Great Lakes By Design: Raising the Bar
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…
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Virginia Tile opens in Troy
Since 1928, Virginia Tile Company has become a leading tile distributor in the Midwest, serving 14 states with its two distribution hubs in Livonia, Michigan, and Kansas City, Kansas and network of showrooms. Fulfilling the needs of residential and commercial building industry customers, the company is a provider of porcelain, ceramic, stone, glass, metal, and mosaic design solutions, with select…
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Inland Seas
Containing approximately 90 percent of the United States’ freshwater supply, and about 20 percent of the world’s freshwater supply, the Great Lakes—Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie, and Ontario—are a vital natural resource. Aside from providing many Americans and Canadians with clean drinking water, the Great Lakes also contribute to the region’s economy through the creation of jobs, goods, and services. Since…
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Vintage curation
“If I am offering design as a service to someone else, I can solve problems that maybe the client did not even know they had or make their space more functional, but more importantly, more enjoyable. Good design truly does bring joy to people,” said Kim Tanner, owner of Strangelovely in Godfrey, Illinois. Strangelovely is a classic vintage furniture and…
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Enriched space
Communities are defined by a set of unspoken social and cultural norms, strengthened by shared beliefs and often united by similar factors such as inclusion, safety, education, engagement, and sustainability. While each is unique, there is a common potential and ability for fostering healthy, supportive environments for the people who make up that community. In Toronto, Ontario, ZAS Architects +…
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Waterfront glassworks
“To me, architectural design is the culmination of so many things—art, sculpture, engineering, mechanics, ecology—and the concept of taking a client’s dream, turning that into lines on paper, and then transforming it into a massive piece of engineered art that someone lives inside of for years is extremely gratifying,” said Kevin Akey, owner of AZD Associates Architects Inc. in Bloomfield…
