Design Collaborative has been asked to design a 35,000-sq. ft. addition to Burman Residence Hall at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan.
The 5-story, 94-bed addition will house graduate students in single and shared suites. Each floor will feature a large common space with a view of the campus. Construction on the $5.8 million residence hall addition is set for completion in May 2011. CSM Group of Kalamazoo, Michigan is the Construction Manager on the project.
Four of our (nerdiest) associates competed in the Fort Wayne Center for Learning’s 5th annual Brain Game trivia contest on Saturday, February 27. Although they didn’t bring home the “coveted traveling trophy”, they did enjoy an entertaining evening, helped raise funds for a great cause and even learned a few new trivia facts! All-in-all, we consider it a success and look forward to next year’s event!
After three weeks of fun and excitement, the 2010 DC Wii Olympics came to an end last Friday. Participants competed in the final three events – Wii Sports Resort canoeing, cycling and bowling – although we were all left wondering when Wii will add the newest Olympic craze of curling to their repertoire. We’ll be ready!
The final day found the country of Fartopia expanding their lead in the medals race and claiming Olympic superiority over their counterparts from other nations. The final standings are as follows:
Country _________ Gold/Silver/Bronze/Participation – Overall Points
Fartopia 5/2/1/1 – 29
Koomlerbul-Termanstinople 0/5/3/1 - 22
Jolly Rogers 2/1/4/2 – 21
Papagianninonymous Islands 2/1/1/5 – 18
DC has been retained to renovate the League for the Blind & Disabled facility on South Anthony Blvd. and Paulding Rd. in Fort Wayne.
The first phase of the renovation includes the creation of additional offices and office upgrades to accommodate the League’s growing staff and services. The League for the Blind & Disabled, Inc. is a Center for Independent Living that serves people with disabilities and communities in a primary target area that encompasses eleven counties in Northeast Indiana.
Design Collaborative was recently voted one of the Best Places to Work in Indiana for 2010. This is the second year we have received the honor. The ratings are based on a two-part process consisting of an employer questionnaire and an employee satisfaction survey.
We agree that DC is a great place to work, not only because of events like the DC Wii Olympics (which doesn’t hurt!), but also because everyone here works together toward our mission of improving people’s worlds.
Although we couldn’t get the fire marshal to approve the lighting of a torch inside our office, nor did we have a famous athlete at our disposal to light a torch even if we could have one, Opening Ceremonies for the Design Collaborative Wii Olympics were held Friday, February 12. Teams were responsible for making up their own country names and creating a flag for their made-up motherland.
After two weeks of events, consisting of Wii Sports Resort wakeboarding, frisbee, archery, swordplay, basketball and power cruising, the country of Fartopia has a commanding lead in the medals race. The standings are as follows:
Country Gold / Silver / Bronze / Participation – Overall Points
Fartopia 4 / 2 / 0 / 0 – 22
Jolly Rogers 1 / 1 / 2 / 2 – 13
Koomlerbul-Termanstinople 0 / 2 / 3 / 1 – 13
Papagianninonymous Islands 1 / 1 / 1 / 3 – 12
Events will conclude this Friday, complete with (most of) the pomp and circumstance of a true Olympic Closing Ceremony.
Architectural Intern Matt Elliott and Electrical Engineering Intern Chris Hughes are the most recent additions to the DC team. Matt is a graduate of Ball State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Architecture and is currently finishing his Master’s Degree in Architecture at BSU. Chris is a graduate of Indiana Tech with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering.
The Friday prior to this year’s Super Bowl was known as Super Fan Day at Design Collaborative. Everyone was encouraged to come to work decked out in their favorite team’s gear (not limited to just Colts and Saints fans), showing why they deserve the title of Super Fan. Efforts did not stop at the usual team t-shirts and hats. Instead, associates got creative and brought in objects from their personal memorabilia collections at home…blankets, flags, posters, masks, bobbleheads, engraved bricks…you name it, we had it here! At the end of the day, Kim Hyland won the title of (Detroit Lions) Super Fan (although wearing a mask and being a Lions fan, I’m not sure she wanted her name announced!). Congratulations, Kim!
Also on Friday, we held a chili cook-off for those fans who wanted to show off their game-day cooking skills. Those of us that can’t even make Jell-O successfully sat back and enjoyed the festivities by agreeing to be taste-testers and judges. After all ballots were counted, Jamie Inskeep’s batch of chili took first place. While her secret ingredients still remain a secret, we’re sure glad she decided to share the final product. Great job, Chef Jamie!
Design Collaborative’s mission is to “Improve People’s Worlds”.
In 2009, DC associates gave time and resources to the following community organizations:
