Story

The site of this remodeling project was the H.H. Cutler Building built in the 1930’s in downtown Grand Rapids. The multi-story, brick masonry building utilizes steel columns and timber beams supporting wood plank floors. Underlying the day to day business activities of the Client was their desire to have a space that created a relaxed and contemporary atmosphere. The design solution “must not compete with the refurbished building shell materials but provide a pleasing balance of new and old.” Private offices were located along the street side of the building, which gave each office an entire wall of glass. Natural light was introduced into the administration area with clerestory windows above the office walls. To enhance privacy and control the scale of the high space, horizontal elements were incorporated above the administrative workstations and sloped, corrugated metal deck panels were placed at each office entrance. Indirect lighting softened the ambiance of the administrative area while highlighting the rustic wood beams and deck above. "Having trust in the people you work with is essential in any business relationship. I had full confidence in JTAI throughout the entire remodeling project. All concerns and suggestions were taken seriously and addressed with professionalism. The flexibility to expand work areas within our office has been huge. In less than two years we have effectively doubled our personnel without feeling crowded into a space meant to accommodate fewer people." Robert Dolsen (Creative Director)