M/I Homes was gaining market share in the Twin Cities metro and needed to make themselves more accessible to the western and southern suburbs. Their existing office and design studio were in a hard to find and dated building in Fridley, which was not very appetizing for their target clientele. They had set their sights on West End in Saint Louis Park but had not yet singed the lease. They invited our team to visit the desired suite at 5354 Parkdale Drive and validate their decision. Having worked in the building we understood the challenges from the construction side but assured them that we knew we could create a perfect space to support and elevate their business.
At the entry we utilized the existing architectural symmetry to provide a dynamic presentation from the entry lobby. Incoming clientele would walk past the glass front design studio first to get them excited. We worked with the M/I Home design consultants to develop a finish scheme utilizing materials that are available in their homes. The light fixtures over the reception desk are available, as well as the surface materials on the desk. They wanted to leverage their vendor pricing, so we identified commercially appropriate flooring & lighting from their catalogs. In the entry corridor and lobby, we implemented a faux stone façade available on homes and the color pallet comes directly from one of their most popular models. Being on ground level we suggested a ceramic tile that would hold up in Minnesota winters for the lobby space.
The existing brick building was built in 1978, but the client wanted a contemporary space with an open to deck ceiling in the open office. To accentuate the volume, we removed the existing acoustical ceiling, painted the deck and structure white, and utilized direct-indirect lighting to create depth and shadow. To manage costs, we maintained many of the existing offices, but created an opening to the exterior perimeter to bring natural light into the open office area. Glass facades were incorporated into the private office fronts to bring in additional light.
Gary White, M/I Homes Area President, says that that they love the space and it truly supports their business.
