As lead designer for AECIX, I had been working on the U of M campus for nearly 4 years when we were given the great opportunity to refinish and furnish the Board of Regents Office. We were invited to compete for the project by Capital Planning and Project Management, their internal construction group, since we had a proven track record of delivering superior design solutions for many other offices and environments across the University. After a successful presentation and interviews, our proposal was selected for this uniquely high-profile renovation at the college. Ann Ceislak, the Executive Director & Corporate Secretary for the Board of Regents, who was the client lead on the project, had a vision to completely transform the space to better represent the importance and significance of the Board and their Chambers. When the space originally had been designed there was little money left for elevated finishes, décor, or furniture due to the overall cost of the McNamara Alumni Center building project. Ann felt that the environment was dull except for the views of the new football stadium being built across the street and the fine art collection on display. She wanted the design of the space to be emblematic of the prestigious organization which was, according to their website, “Established in 1851 at the founding of the University of Minnesota, the Board of Regents is the University’s governing board. Regents articulate a vision for the University and work to ensure the University of Minnesota fulfills its mission of education, research, and outreach for the benefit of the people of Minnesota, the nation, and the world.”
There was a budget of course, so we had to be creative in how we expended the funds while curating an appropriate image for the highly visible offices of the Board and University. To achieve this, I developed a finish and color scheme that references the college colors, but with muted and more sophisticated applications, having a focus on pattern and texture as well as volume. The existing architecture in the suite, like the rest of the building, was very contemporary and offered some unique features to work with like the canted wall leading from the pre-function space into the formal offices. Here we applied a shimmering mica wallcovering with a faint maroon undertone. The field carpet outside of the chambers, the heart of the space, has a darker maroon background and a repeating medallion pattern that references the Regents Stamp. The existing glass version of this logo, mounted behind the reception desk in the original design, was not clear or prominent on a bland cream wall, so we used a deep maroon paint and additional accent lighting to create a more pronounced feature. We appointed the environment with an eclectic variety of furnishings, with a mix of plush and intricately patterned fabrics, to round out the refined design. The result provided a fresh, inviting, and more functional space to support the work and events held there.
When the project was complete the board members, staff, and building administrators were overjoyed with the result. This led Ann to provide an excellent letter of recommendation for AECIX and me. In it she wrote, “It is a pleasure to provide a reference for Mr. Shaheen as his work was excellent and the rejuvenated spaces have received wide acclaim.” She goes on to write, “The project had many facets, including over 20 rooms, with public meeting spaces, private offices, a small kitchen, lighting, furniture, paint and wall coverings, and a number of design challenges. There were both budget and time constraints. Mr. Shaheen listened to our needs, incorporated our ideas, found creative solutions, and developed the spaces both as a whole and tailored to specific needs. The project was completed on time and under budget. I highly recommend Mr. Shaheen's work. His design skills, his ability to solve problems and to work well with my staff and contractors led to a magnificent redesign, which both serves our needs and expresses the culture and values of the office.”
