Healthcare, Community, Commercial

Insights and Inspiration: Our Five Most-Read Articles of 2020

Two years ago, we made a commitment to share more stories of the projects, experiences, and partnerships that happen every day at DesignGroup. We wanted to give our people a platform for their unique perspectives, and they did not disappoint. Last year alone, nearly a third of our staff shared their opinions, inspiration, and expertise.

And our followers really responded to it. How do we know? Like any business committed to continuous improvement, we looked at the data. Our 10 most popular articles alone were viewed nearly 3,000 times and made more 11,000 impressions on social media. The number of readers opening and viewing our email newsletter was, consistently, nearly double the industry average.

We’re proud to share the inner workings of our industry and inner thoughts of our associates. We’ll keep it going in the year ahead. This week, however, we’re looking back on our five most popular posts from 2020, in case you missed them the first time.

5. If All the World's a Stage, I Want Better Lighting

More than 40% of electricity used in healthcare facilities goes toward lighting, and yet too often thoughtful lighting designs are overlooked when a project is more focused on patient-centric care. Anastasia Markiw explains how she uses dynamic lighting to promote healing and comfort, assimilate elements found at home, and allow the staff to perform their jobs effectively.

4. The Grand Opening Blues: When a Project Team Moves On

The conclusion of an architecture project brings different emotions. For those who use the new space, it’s an exciting beginning. For the professionals who designed it, it’s the end of an intense and fruitful relationship. John Ryan reflects on the moment when client and team members go their separate ways.

3. The Power of BIM Partnership: A Conversation with the BIM Managers of the New OSUWMC Tower Project

Building information modeling, or BIM, provides powerful 3D design and review capabilities to any project. When the project is this big, though, it needs to be managed with extra care. In this deep-dive Q-and-A, BIM managers from DesignGroup and HDR describe their successful collaboration on a massive new OSU Wexner Medical Center project.

2. Returning to Work Soon? Make the Most of It

In a new world of Zoom, Teams, and Webex, collaborating with your coworkers can prove much harder than it used to be. In this article, Nikki Wildman gives five rules for engagement in a post-Covid workplace that mixes in-person with virtual collaboration. “Humanity is on our side!” Nikki writes. “Cherish the opportunity to work together; be patient and poke fun at the meetings in this strange, new normal.”

1. What’s Next for Workplace Design? Five Trends To Understand

Let’s hear it for Nikki, who wrote both of our top articles of 2020. In this one, from last August, she looks at the future of workplace design. As the world adjusts to work environments that balance work-from-home with in-office productivity, there are lessons to be learned. “Will the pendulum finally swing back from open-office to the private office?” she asks. “Or is the office itself a thing of the past?” Here are five design trends she says we should watch for.

Community

When a Project Changes You: Design for Those in Need

by Heather Clark

NCIDQ, EDAC, CHID

Senior Interior Designer

Giving back to the community is important to DesignGroup. So we were excited when Light of Life Rescue Mission asked us to join a design team working on its new multi-purpose building. Based in Pittsburgh’s historic Allegheny West neighborhood, Light of Life is an essential resource for the homeless. Since 1952, it has provided food, shelter, and hope for the area’s poor, addicted, needy and abused.

As we prepared to help design the interiors of their building, we learned about Light of Life’s mission and the selfless, essential work they do to help people through recovery programs, employment assistance, mental health help, and more. We also got to know other members on the Light of Light design team and loved hearing what this project meant to each of them. We realized we were contributing to something special, something important, something bigger than the sum of its parts.

It’s easy to forget how fortunate we are to simply have a roof over our heads. It can be hard to walk a mile in the shoes of someone living on the streets or struggling with addiction. This project reminded us of all that and more. It hit even closer to home for me, having lost a loved one to addiction four years ago.

So we set to work, a small part of a large team. The opportunity to use sensitive interior design to assist in Light of Life’s mission touched us deeply. We knew that, in the near future, people in need would consider this “home” while getting back on their feet. We knew our decisions truly mattered. I’ve had a passion for healthcare design for more than 20 years, and after all that time in the field, this project felt different. I realized just how vulnerable the users of this building would be, and how great an impact it could have on their lives. So when we asked our typical project questions, they took on deeper relevance: What is the feeling visitors should get when they walk inside the building? Does it put their minds at ease, make them feel welcome, and help them begin to heal?

Like all projects, we listened to and interpreted the owner’s desired aesthetic and atmosphere, cultivating a relationship to bring their vision to life. Seeing and feeling their emotions as they explained what the spaces mean to them, and helping them improve people’s lives through design, was an inspirational journey.

We know a building’s interior can have a profound impact on one’s well-being. We considered their reaction seeing the space for the first time, knowing it was created just for them. So many emotions came into play during these discussions.

In our final design, guests will enter a warm, welcoming lobby. Colors and finishes were selected to lift spirits and make them feel at home. Wayfinding accents provide a pop of color, both cheerful and comforting. Our work included a children’s playroom and a place for kids to do homework and hang out. A custom wallcovering was created with leaves to bring the nature and the feel of the outdoors in. The prayer room is a place for healing, comfort, and respite for the women. Soft, textured seating, Zen-inspired wallcovering, and indirect lighting give the space a sense of calm. It is the first time an emergency shelter is implemented, that women and children will be housed together in the shelter.

Working with the team, and hearing personal stories of how this building will change lives, changed me. Although our journey with the Light of Life team was brief, I will continue my involvement through volunteering. DesignGroup played a small part getting this building up and running, but it touched our hearts. We know it will make a difference.

DesignGroup’s Heather Clark sat down with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to discuss the interior design of the new shelter for Light of Life Rescue Mission. Read more about the inspiration behind the design choices.

Heather Clark

NCIDQ, EDAC, CHID

Senior Interior Designer

More about Heather

Education, Community

Concrete Exposed!

by Robert Stroup

AIA, WELL AP, CDT, NCARB, LEED AP

Project Architect

When establishing the groundwork for impressionism, Claude Monet famously said “my garden is my most beautiful masterpiece.” Monet recognized that humans are drawn to what is naturally cultivated. In the architectural study of wellness, this relationship to the healing power of nature is known as biophilia.

As architects, we often aspire to design interior spaces that feel almost organic, born from necessity. The same should be true for the exteriors, as well. The cladding of a building can achieve some of the same biophilic appeal.

The genius loci (the pervading “spirit of place”) should not be lost when building in any environment. To achieve harmonious integration into the broader landscape, architects and owners often seek cladding materials that are functional and regional. Here in the Midwest, this typically means the use of brick, metal, concrete, or wood. Brick and metal are safe bets because of established standards laid out by manufacturers. The use of wood is less common; limited to fire retardant treated lumber for healthcare occupancies, it is rarely employed as cladding for larger scale projects. Concrete is mostly misunderstood as a cladding material, and that’s a shame because it offers real possibilities.

Throughout the 20th century, reinforced concrete was generally seen as utilitarian “man-made rock” and employed mainly for structural integrity in parking garages, foundations, and elevated building construction. Yet the aesthetic potential of concrete has largely been missed in commercial construction until recently. Owners looking to distinguish their brands with exterior cladding should consider the possibilities of concrete beyond typical assumptions about the material.

More Than Pure Function — Indoors and Out

Concrete has a unique duality: while functional for weatherproofing and support, it also offers a natural aesthetic with comparable prices to interior and exterior products. Though it’s often concealed, concrete that’s architecturally exposed can create highly refined, minimalist interior spaces. When properly executed, poured concrete countertops and millwork offer endless possibilities. With advances in formwork and construction techniques, architecturally exposed concrete can also bring a humble aesthetic to building facades and reduce the need for additional trades.

Two methods are typically employed to achieve a heightened level of design with exterior concrete: pre-cast and cast-in-place construction. Pre-cast concrete panels, which are molded and then cured in a controlled environment, are durable, clean, noncombustible and can be unitized, eliminating the need for onsite formwork. Panels can be designed as either structural tilt-up walls or as cladding. Cast-in-place concrete, conversely, is constructed on site and is mostly structural in nature; this form of construction has advantages where strength and higher levels or insulation are required.

It’s important to engage a construction manager who understands the nuances of the material. The workforce, unfortunately, has limited tradesmen with the necessary expertise, so it is vital for architects to provide insights as early in preconstruction phases of design as possible while setting reasonable benchmarks for the material. Providing intuitive performance specifications can better address appropriate concrete mixes, aggregates, and enhanced sustainability targets while achieving the envisioned form.

Architectural considerations for formed concrete include:

Method of construction (concrete is built twice, once as formwork/mold and once as concrete)
Construction and site-related logistics
Color and texture of concrete
Treatment of joint locations
Chemical composition of concrete

Most critically, if cast-in-place, the formwork itself should be well understood by the contractor. Architects have multiple design choices: using the form itself to imprint into the concrete or casting it through the removal of the cement paste skin. These options are more commonly known as board-formed concrete and exposed aggregate concrete. A third option in precast panels presents itself when more versatility, quality-control and time-efficiency is sought on a project.

Board-Formed Concrete

Board-forming concrete is a cast-in-place process of imprinting that leaves a wood grain pattern on the finished face of concrete. It can visually soften and warm concrete’s somewhat cooler appearance while still allowing concrete to express construction technique. Prior to casting, formwork is built on site to hold wet concrete in place until it hardens. A layer of selected wood is added to the inside face of the plywood formwork, which allows the cast concrete to take on the pattern of wood’s surface. The wet concrete will take on the grain structure of the dimensional lumber. The contractor responsible for pouring should keep dendrochronology in mind; the difference between winter and summer tree rings will show in the patterning on board-formed concrete.

In DesignGroup’s collaboration with Allied Works Architecture on the National Veterans’ Memorial and Museum in Franklinton, Ohio, during the construction administration phase, two wood-imprint options were explored: a board-formed finish or a smooth as-cast finish (in which form liners are placed on plywood to secure a sought texture). For the board-formed finish, a narrow 4” width for boards was specified. Reveal lines, tie holes, and joints were located per architectural drawings and approved in shop drawings. For the smooth as-cast finish, joints were spaced to reflect the actual panels of plywood, which were sloped to address the required exterior wall curvature. Form material was specified as either MDO, HDO or phenolic surface film plywood. In both forming techniques, a uniform high quality of finish was sought to obtain a consistent surface texture, color, and porosity. Boards were tightly connected, and precautions were employed to stop grout loss between boards. Most importantly, objectives were clearly stated to meet concrete surface category CSC4 as defined in ACI 347.3R-13, meeting industry-wide standard expectations for exposed concrete in museum construction. Ultimately, after reviewing mockups, the smooth as-cast finish was chosen as it proved more capable of addressing overall design needs while addressing the project’s budgetary and scheduling parameters.

nighttime exterior view of Veterans Memorial

This is a caveat to board-forming: if a project is not rectilinear in design or has a highly irregular exterior surface, a smooth as-cast finish may prove a more economical and effective option. While the cost to detail varies by region, on average the process of board-formed concrete is around $30 to $50 per square foot. In addition to the cost of the concrete there will also be the expense of securing wood, ripping it in half, sandblasting the surface to enhance texture, and then applying it to the interior faces of the plywood formwork.

Exposed-Aggregate Concrete

Exposing aggregate is another method to enhance concrete’s visual appeal. This technique is akin to polishing marble or granite; an unremarkable skin is stripped away to expose the underlying beauty of the utilitarian material. This beauty comes in the form of a decorative aggregate.

This process has been around since the early 1900s, before stenciling, stamping and overlays became popular. Because of its innate durability and traction, exposed aggregate concrete can be used for sidewalks, driveways, patios, plazas, and other walking surfaces. It can also be used where rougher appearances are desired, such as in retaining walls or building facades, and can be a feature of either pre-cast or cast-in-place construction. It is also typically used in conjunction with regularly placed concrete to achieve a desired aesthetic, and little maintenance is required other than sealing and periodic cleaning.

Pre-Cast Panels

With an old-world meets new-world appeal, pre-cast concrete panels can elevate both classical and contemporary designs. Offering a wide variety of finishes and sizes, pre-cast construction offers the client a traditional aesthetic that is best employed either throughout a façade or at the lower levels of a building.

Typical rules of thumb for precast construction:

Textured surfaces provide more uniformity than smooth surfaces due to the natural variations in aggregates
The maximum height of loads is typically around 13’ 6” (including trailer and shipping frame height)
The maximum width without permit is roughly 8’ 6” and the maximum load without permit is 48,000 lbs
Ensure proper crane access and swing space from truck to building placement
In general, work to avoid precast placement under soffits

At the Columbus Spanish Immersion K-8 School, DesignGroup worked with Integrated Precast Solutions in the design of a precast sandwich panel exterior that provided a durable exterior with peak thermal performance. Panels were 12” thick overall, with a 3” thick exterior panel and 6” interior panel sandwiching a 3” rigid insulation panel.

Children playing on the playground outside the Columbus Spanish Immersion Academy — Columbus City Schools Spanish Immersion Academy

Caps were provided at exposed ends matching the exterior finish with steel plates and studs welded to the interior panels allowing for easy anchorage to the building’s primary structure. Thicker panels and an attention to detail in avoiding tight and mitered corners mitigated the potential for chipping. This direction in design led to a flexible panelized solution which met the aesthetic and sustainable needs for the project simultaneously, resulting in LEED Silver certification.

Revealing Concrete's Inner Beauty

When casting in place, there are generally three ways to achieve compelling architecturally exposed concrete aesthetics.

Brushing/washing is the oldest method and the easiest because no chemical retarders are involved. The thin layer of surface mortar covering the aggregate is simply washed away by spraying water and scrubbing the surface with a broom to the desired depth. Timing is critical for this approach, so it is typically used for smaller jobs where there is more control over the final product.
A surface retarder can also be used immediately after placing and finishing. This application delays setting and allows for flexibility in removing cement paste 24 to 48 hours after placement. Scrubbing and pressure washing are two effective means to remove the paste. This application is typically used for larger projects with summer-long project schedules.
Finally, abrasive blasting is most often achieved by sandblasting or shot blasting. The primary disadvantage to this approach is that it can fracture aggregate and dull the surface quality of the concrete. This approach should be avoided, if possible, when the best possible aesthetic for a concrete wall is desired.

Other Options

In addition to pouring and exposure methods, other ways to alter the appearance of architecturally exposed concrete include the following:

Use contrasting aggregate (sizes, textures)
Color the concrete in a shade that complements the aggregate
Use chemical stains to highlight patterns
Place exposed aggregate in bands/fields separated by joints or divider strips
Vary the degree of aggregate exposure from light to heavy; contrasting different exposure levels next to one another can add a unique effect and highlight certain areas of concrete

Sustainability Considerations

A typical mistake in concrete construction is to add unnecessary prescriptive requirements that may contradict provisions from the American Concrete Institute’s Specifications for Concrete (ACI 301). Limits on supplementary cementitious materials, maximum water to cementitious materials ratios, and grading of aggregates can severely impact the carbon footprints inherent in concrete, regardless of form. Instead, designers and providers should seek to specify performance requirements outlined in ASTM 595 (for blended cements) and ASTM C1157 (for performance cements). These standards will result in concrete construction with Type IL and pozzolan-blended low-alkali cements that reduce the use of natural resources while meeting strength performance targets for the project overall.

Code Considerations

To ensure the best outcome for concrete construction, a design must also consider all structural and code-related implications. The American Concrete Institute (ACI) publishes standards for cover, shrinkage, temperature reinforcement, and typical deflection limitations; for cast-in-place construction, the structural engineer-of-record should be aware that these guidelines are not conservative enough for the demands of exposed concrete. Serviceability issues should also be considered; joints should be placed properly to prevent cracking in undesirable locations. Developed mock-ups and repair details can help control the cost and finish before moving forward with construction. If provided in pre-construction phases, long-term costs can be offset by assuring limited defects will occur in concrete placement.

The ideal convergence of architectural and structural considerations can be found in one document: ACI 303R-12. This reference, provided by the American Concrete Institute, is a guide to cast-in-place concrete that provides helpful tools for understanding the intricacies in finishing concrete. With a thorough understanding, proper reinforcement, time and temperature for placement and crack control can be properly specified. All qualified professionals should address this provision when designing architecturally exposed concrete for commercial construction.

Precast structural walls conversely are required to meet Chapter 14, Section 2 of ASCE 7-16 for loading and serviceability requirements. When architectural finishes are provided for walls, the Precast Concrete Institute offers specifications to achieve desired finishes. Similarly, to achieve the proper finish, it is recommended for non-load bearing precast panels used for cladding to meet the Precast Concrete Institute’s architectural certifications (the PCI has released specifications for 5 levels of surface quality).

Choose Wisely

It should be noted that architecturally exposed concrete is not for every project. Certain processes, such as board-formed concrete, come with a higher premium upfront for the formwork alone. Exposing aggregate can cost up to $2.50 per square foot and decorative touches can roughly add $0.50 per square foot (without considering taxes or fees associated for purchase). Precast panels also have higher upfront costs associated with them and, although versatile, require consistency in exterior wall assembly construction throughout the building perimeter to prove cost effective. Material choice, erection details, and access conditions additionally can impact a cladding budget as well. Yet, while exposed concrete is often costlier at the start of construction, it can provide significant return on investment thanks to the requirements for its design and better durability. It requires lower maintenance, is easily cleaned, and is structurally resilient and aesthetically pleasing. When thoroughly understood, concrete can be elevated from stolid to striking.

Robert Stroup

AIA, WELL AP, CDT, NCARB, LEED AP

Project Architect

With a diverse technical background, Bob has contributed to a vast array of large-scale projects from design through construction. Having worked as an engineer and being a Registered Architect, Bob brings a strong technical skillset and has earned an understanding of what clients and consultants look for from an architect. He excels in product selection, understanding constructibility, implementing sustainable practices and most importantly, working with the client and consultants to deliver the best building possible.

Healthcare, Education, Community, Science & Technology, Commercial

The Beauty of Renovation

by Elliot Bonnie

AIA, LEED AP, BD+C

Principal, Designer

I felt compelled to share my thoughts on Hugh Hardy’s new book, The Theater of Architecture, as he discusses buildings in relation to what they do, how they do it, and how their context inevitably influences the results. This is not a cut and dry architecture book with explanations of design solutions, it’s about all the elements and people that affected the building examples. His stories are supported by commentary from the project’s prime clients. I particularly enjoyed the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Harvey Theater in Brooklyn, New York. Formally known as the Majestic Theater, it had long since closed its doors and sat in ruin. The theater was chosen as the stage for the production of the “Mahabharata”, a nine-hour epic, creating the need to renovate the space.

During the course of construction, the designers made an unusual discovery – that they preferred the way it looked in this semi-unfinished state. While a theater with a somewhat natural character had been desired, it was never intended to be this radical. It wasn’t an easy sell to the city fathers and the code officials, but the producers prevailed. “Such a premise was completely unheard of in New York, where restoration was long assumed to mean returning a building to a simulation of its original appearance as close as physically possible”. The results are extraordinary! Hugh takes the reader on a journey along the spectrum of renovation from the recreation of the original design for Radio City Music Hall to the rebirth of New York City’s 42nd Street and Broadway Theater District in the 1980’s. All are noteworthy examples of the social and political forces influencing their design solutions. In Hugh’s words, “The assumption that restoration involves reproducing the original does not always apply. Interpreting the past is sometimes preferable to attempting to re-create it”.

When a building has a valued, historical past, it is not an easy decision to alter its original appearance. But for a building to remain relevant, it must serve its function properly and accommodate today’s new technologies. As natural resources diminish, and our energy sources are at a premium, we are learning to recycle and reuse much of our existing products, including our buildings. An inevitable question that surfaces during a building renovation is, do we restore a building to its original state, or alter it somewhat, or maybe repurpose it to something different, or all the above? Knowledge of theater can help inform creation of buildings – not through imitating the illusions of painted scenery, but through understanding how buildings are discovered and experienced by the public. What excites me about my profession is that architecture is defined by the human spirit. And all of us, as individuals, affect our built environment more than we realize.

Elliot Bonnie

AIA, LEED AP, BD+C

Principal, Designer

Healthcare, Education, Community

Reflections on 2023

One of the things we love about the Big Ideas articles on our website: It allows our people to show another side of themselves. Writing is never easy and yet, year in and year out, our people share their expertise, their interests, and their heart. These articles often show just how personal the work we do can be.

In that spirit, our final post of 2023 is a little different. Instead of a single writer, we asked several of DesignGroup’s leaders to share their thoughts on anything from the past year, from project work to individual interests. We’re proud of what they have to say—and proud to work with them every day.

“As we wrap up 2023, one shining moment stands out—the launch of DG's Mentorship Program. Imagine a world still spinning in the VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) environment, with remote work throwing curveballs, and yet there we were, seeking our footing amid uncertainty. In the face of these changes, our innate human craving for connection and community not only persisted but intensified. The Mentorship Program wasn't just a program; it was a lifeline. Acknowledging its pilot status, we knew adjustments would be necessary, and kudos to our leadership for investing time and resources into its success.

"As we delve into survey data bidding adieu to 2023, the triumph isn't merely in the numbers. It's in the vibrant hum of conversations echoing through virtual spaces and hallways, the unexpected connections blossoming between offices, and the sheer joy of generations and cultures converging, creating an environment rich in belonging and learning. The data doesn't just confirm a successful mentorship program; it validates a vibe, a community in the making.

"So let's raise a toast to the Mentorship Program—the unsung hero that transformed the year into an epic tale of connection, inclusivity, and the cultivation of a robust sense of community within our organization. Here's to more in 2024!"

Veneetha Jose, SPHR, PHR
Director of Human Resources

Group of people sitting around a table discussing architectural plans.

“This year I focused on integrating ‘Slow Living’ principles into my work life. As DesignGroup’s Education Market Leader, I travel quite a bit, and this year one trip took me to Bradford, PA. While the work we did with our client there was itself invigorating, the five-hour drives to get there were not always so. However, each trip to Bradford offered the opportunity to explore the natural beauty of the Allegheny Forest region in which Bradford is nestled. I relished these moments and protected the time to slow down and connect to nature in my travels, a practice that exposed me to new places like the Marilla Reservoir and the North Country Trail, and even yielded a close encounter with a giant golden eagle! This act of slowing down not only allowed me to create a deeper connection with myself and with nature, but also yielded a more impactful relationship with my clients.”

Ben Niebauer, RA, LEED AP BD+C
Associate Principal + Education Market Leader

“As I stop for a moment to reflect on 2023, it feels like the year flew by in a blur and I am surprised that it’s almost over, wondering where the time went! When I close my eyes in concentration to shut out the noise, certain moments start to come into focus… and then several more spring to life, bursting like popcorn.

"There are images of my kitties cuddled together or next to me, their little bellies to the sky in total trust and comfort, one paw covering their face. Walks on the beach with my husband or through the woods with my friends and family on weekend getaways. Project openings like the OSUWMC James Outpatient Care and the Directions for Youth and Families Crittenton Community Center filled me with awe and wonder for the impact they’ll have on our community and for the people I worked with throughout the process doing that amazing work. Laughter, joy, loss, and moments of sadness come along with this reflection. Yet what rises to the top as I open my eyes: curiosity and feelings of hope for what 2024 brings. I smile thinking back and looking forward to all that touched my life and heart—and am excited for those encounters and adventures yet to come!"

Alana Haslow, LEED AP ID+C
Principal, Senior Interior Designer

Exterior view of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center James Outpatient Care. — The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center James Outpatient Care

“If 2023 were a movie (and because it’s celebrating its 20th anniversary), it was a little like “Love Actually”—a year filled with a plethora of successes and challenges alike. From big project wins to some difficult losses, we saw our people recognized on a regional and national level for their talents and gritty determination. Through each of those situations, we grew and became a stronger team. We used the challenges we faced as learning and growing opportunities to be stronger, to build new relationships and new friends, and find new pathways for success. As the movie says, love is all around us as we rededicate ourselves to our craft and the typology of healthcare for 2024.”

Christopher Haedt, AIA, NCARB, ACHA, LEED AP BD+C
Principal, Columbus Healthcare Practice Group Leader

“What I love most about being an architect is delivering projects that influence lives. Two experiences from 2023 struck this chord in me, filled me with joy, and made me so proud of the thoughtful work of my talented colleagues.

“The new facility for Directions for Youth and Families rooted a place in the hearts of many of my DesignGroup colleagues. Although I was not on the project team, touring the building felt like living the promise of our profession. In particular, the two art installations created under the direction of Alana Haslow are stand-out pieces that bring added life to the spaces in which they reside, evoke feelings of overwhelming positivity, and reflect the love and care that define Alana and the core values of DG.

“The other experience I want to share is watching the James Outpatient Care Center become populated with staff and patients. We don’t often get as close a look of how a building transforms from a construction site to beautiful space as I was afforded. I was witness to the vitally important patient experience, from being greeted in a sun-filled lobby by warm wood tones and smiling faces, to an infusion treatment in a room with a view. The facility reflected the promise of world-class healthcare. It really did work as a place to get and be well."

Jennifer Son, AIA
Associate Principal, Project Architect

Exterior view of the Directions for Youth and Families Crittenton Community Center during autumn. — Directions for Youth and Families Crittenton Community Center

“The highlight for me this year was seeing the Directions for Youth and Families Crittenton Community Center open its doors. The project is so meaningful for the community; it serves and represents a decade of focused hard work by the organization’s amazing leadership. And it was an incredibly rewarding experience to design it. Working on that project also highlighted a broader theme for the year—how nice it is to work every day with smart, passionate people who truly want to do great things for the people and communities we serve. The Crittenton Community Center team exemplified this, but I had the privilege of working with so many great teams around the office, across markets and practice groups, throughout the year.”

Joseph Mayer, AIA, NCARB, WELL AP
Principal, Senior Designer

“When I look back at 2023, I am so proud of the collaboration with our clients, engineering, and construction partners. It has been a pleasure navigating challenges together, learning from each other, and achieving common goals. Clients in all markets have felt the competitive pressures of people and resources in 2023. As architects we play a role in helping our clients make the right strategic investment of their always-limited capital.

“I’m especially proud of the diversity of DG associates that have presented at national conferences, a testament to their leadership, foresight, and passion. In addition, we celebrated the 11th year of hosting a national think tank for healthcare space in our offices to inform and challenge our clients and team.

“As a fourth-generation leader within such a respected firm, I’ve been reflecting on a special event earlier this year, when DesignGroup’s founding principals visited the job site of what is now the largest project our company has been a part of—the new OSU Wexner Medical Center Inpatient Hospital. We have come full circle to see their foresight continuing to influence us as we evolve with an ever-changing business landscape, while staying true to our core values and aspirations.”

Jennifer Horvath
President + Managing Principal

Exterior view of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Inpatient Hospital. — The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Inpatient Hospital

“This is the perfect moment to reflect on my first full calendar year at DG, and there is so much to be thankful for. First, to my PG4 team: I am so proud of the work you’ve all done, stretching yourselves, pushing and supporting each other, exploring new professional territory and roles, and for your guidance to help me understand and reflect DG in the initiatives we accept together. To the DG leadership team, thank you for making such a safe and welcoming space to learn about the firm, gain comfort with our systems and for openly receiving my thoughts and ideas with genuine interest.

“On a more personal note, it’s been such a powerful and vulnerable journey to pivot my career to DesignGroup after the continuity and momentum of more than 25 years with a global design firm. To decouple my professional brand from the past and reassemble and reestablish a refreshed career with all of you. As you might imagine, it's exciting, rewarding, and energizing, while at the same time, unsettling, challenging, and at times uncertain. What I’ve gained most this year is the deepest respect for each of our staff and a desire to continue the journey together. I look forward to our growth and success in the years to come!”

Alan Schlossberg, AIA LEED AP
Principal + Regional Practice Leader

“The most gratifying aspect of the year was the opportunity to work with such a talented, committed, and diverse team. From engagement with leadership and staff alike, our team members brought thoughtful insight and a genuine interest to decisions that strengthened our futures together, both personally and professionally.

“With the guidance of Veneetha Jose, in 2023 we embarked on two critical initiatives in support of firm growth: our Mentorship Program and EDI Committee formalization. These initiatives exemplify the commitment to our firm growth, the support and respect we encourage to each of our fellow team members, and the reliance of all team members to serve as integral components of this growth. It is extremely satisfying that our path forward together has never been as supportive or inclusive for all of our team members.”

Tom Chidlow, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Managing Principal, Pittsburgh Healthcare Practice Group Leader

“2023 saw a few of our projects through to construction completion, as well as the start of several new planning studies for our institutional partners. There’s a poignancy in the balance of wrapping one thing up while, at the same, envisioning a new future space for another project and partner. This year was also my presidency year for AIA Pittsburgh, providing new professional challenges for me and opening many new doors. This chapter is coming to a close, but there is still more I want to do in this effort of community building. There will be more opportunities to come.”

John Ryan, AIA, LEED AP
Associate Principal, Project Manager

View through a doorway in the University of Pittsburgh University Club Housing. — University of Pittsburgh University Club Housing

“2023 allowed for the continued development of client relationships that have been so important to our Pittsburgh Office. But if I had to single out one thing that allowed for my personal development, it would be the work on the Project Manager Role clarity, specifically the PM Clarity tool Mike Forejt and I have been developing over the course of 2023. This exercise afforded us an opportunity to dig deeper into the Project Manager Role and truly appreciate the depths that our position requires. Work like this isn’t the highest-profile thing we do at DesignGroup, but it’s essential to our client success. And that’s always what’s most important.”

Thomas Stanko, AIA, ACHA
Associate Principal, Project Manager

“Last year was DesignGroup’s 50th Anniversary. This year was my 25th working at DesignGroup. I’ve done a lot of reflecting in the past two years, and my brain and my heart are full of so much gratitude, pride, memories of extraordinary accomplishments, and work yet to be done. For brevity, however, I would summarize all these thoughts this way: Even better days are in front of us. I am fortunate to work with the most talented professionals in the business and a team of leaders that has the creativity, passion, skill, and ambition to take DG exactly where we want to go. In the spirit of the season, cheers to a future that is merry and bright!”

Sherm Moreland, AIA, ACHA, LEED AP BD+C
CEO

Healthcare, Education, Community, Science & Technology, Commercial

Prefab Construction: A Time-Tested Technique with New Innovations

by Jamie Oxier

NCARB

Senior Project Architect

For many architects, our first love of design and building manifested through our childhood play with LEGOs. There is something about the quickness of completion that I still love today. (In fact, I just completed the LEGO London Architecture Skyline set.)

I sometimes wonder if LEGO building systems inspired the increasingly popular use of modular, or prefab, building construction. We’ve seen a rise in these types of applications over multiple market sectors in recent years. While modular and prefab terminology is often used interchangeably, the Modular Building Institute (MBI) defines PMC (permanent modular construction) and RB (relocatable buildings) more as complete “boxes” or pieces that are dropped on site and assembled [3]. Prefabrication is understood more as components either volumetric or panelized that can be installed on site as either interior to the structure or as part of the building enclosure. Both involve the process in which components of a building are manufactured off-site in a controlled facility, then transported to the site for installation.

No matter how these techniques are defined and differentiated, they’ve proven to be a durable solution that can, potentially, speed up construction, lower cost, and reduce waste (among other advantages). Prefabrication is time-tested – you might be surprised how long it’s been in practice. Here’s a closer look at what it is, how it came to be, and how it might help (or not be suitable for) your next project.

Prefabrication is hundreds of years old

In his book Prefab Architecture, Ryan Smith discusses this method of building in the West as far back as British colonization efforts, with the earliest recorded case being a shipment of houses from England in 1624 to the village of Cape Anne, now a city in Massachusetts. It was a way to rapidly extend their influence into regions of unknown building materials, labor, and construction methods [1].

Through the years we’ve seen great design minds reinvent prefabrication, mostly in the housing market. Two noteworthy projects, both of which I’ve visited in person, are Buckminster Fuller’s Dymaxion House (1930) at the Henry Ford in Detroit, Michigan, and Carl Strandlund’s Lustron House (1947) in Columbus, Ohio. Other examples include Moshe Safdie’s Habitat 67 in Montreal, Canada, and The House by Handel Architects Cornell Tech on Roosevelt Island in NY (2017).

Typically, prefabricated components are broken down into two categories: volumetric and panelized [2]. All these assemblies consist of multiple layers of material that are fabricated off site in a factory and then trucked to the construction site.

Ohio State University inpatient tower in process of construction from afar during the day — The new OSU Inpatient Tower in construction

How DesignGroup is using prefab

We’re currently part of the design team working on the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s 820-bed Inpatient Hospital Tower here in Columbus. Developed in collaboration with architecture and engineering firm HDR, this $2.3 billion, 2 million sf, 26-story project is using prefabrication in the design and construction process.

An example of volumetric prefab on the Inpatient Hospital Tower are patient room toilet pods. This application is, essentially a “room in a box” (similar to Habitat 67’s “apartment in a box”). Our temporary office space on the project is in prefab trailers, too, delivered adjacent to the job site. Examples of panelized prefab in the Inpatient Tower are unitized curtain walls and brick-faced precast cladding. This is an increasingly common application for building enclosure (especially for large scale projects like this). There are also panelized prefabricated headwalls for the interior fit out of the patient rooms.

Another important category of prefabrication, which was used on this project, was MEP off-site fabrication. For example, 30-foot sections of plumbing pipe racks/support, sections of duct risers/support, mobile temporary power carts, subgrade conduit runs, and cable-ready electrical assemblies were all delivered to the site manufactured and pre-assembled. Some structural steel, such as the bridge that connects the primary tower to the parking garage, was prefabbed in large, complete sections off site, while others (such as trusses) were fabricated on the ground of the site prior to being lifted into place.

Outdoor during the day of a flatbed truck with patient toilet rooms on the flatbed — Volumetric Prefabrication - Patient Toilet Rooms

Close up of exterior of a building's paneled windows and wall in construction — Panelized Prefabrication - Unitized Curtain Wall

Is this approach right for your project? Key benefits and cautions

There are many factors when considering prefabrication for your next project. At DesignGroup, we start with the project’s scale, size, schedule, and context.

Let’s explore some of the benefits of this approach – and some of the reasons it may not be right for your needs.

Benefits:

Increased productivity
Consistent quality
Schedule certainty
Cost predictability (Research on cost savings is still lacking; cost is very much dependent on the quantity)
Improved safety (controlled environment)
Compensates for lack of on-site labor/skilled trades
More comprehensive warranties on systems, not just components
Improved sustainability by reducing materials and waste
Offsite AHJ inspections

Cautions:

Decisions must be made early (important to understand the manufacturer’s process)
High level of design / construction coordination (especially if the walls are not decoupled)
Tolerances and scheduling become critical
Compliance and inspection processes
Various trades and planning scope of work bidding
Shipping costs, constraints, and logistics
Different costs and site logistics with the different delivery methods (could require a crane and construction loading platform or a palette jack and buck hoist)

Current research confirms the overall benefits in terms of quality and waste reduction. Some analysis shows that for high-rise scale projects, a waste reduction of more than 15% is achievable [4].

There is a lot to discuss and consider in deciding if this approach is right for your project. Learning about the benefits as well as the cautions is critical to success of the owner’s project. Understanding the scope and scale of the project early on is the first step to making the decision.

Woman, Jamie Oxier, on a construction site wearing safety gear — Jamie Oxier on site of the new OSU Inpatient Tower

Sources:

Smith, Ryan E. “Prefab Architecture A guide to modular design and construction: 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ince, New Jersey
Design for modular construction: An introduction for architects, AIA and NIBS, AIA-NIBS Modular and Off-Site Construction Guide
Modular Building Institute, Research, Whitepapers, & Studies - Modular Building Institute: PrefabModularSmartMarketReport2020.pdf (azureedge.net)
Lu, Lee, Xue, Xu (2021) Revisiting the effects of prefabrication on construction waste minimization, a qualitative study using bigger data.

Jamie Oxier

NCARB

Senior Project Architect

More about Jamie

Healthcare, Community

Staying Connected: Expanding a Hospital, Maintaining Community

by Joe Mayer

AIA, NCARB, WELL AP

Principal, Designer

When a hospital aspires to provide expanded, advanced care to a community, among the countless upsides is one risk that’s easy to overlook: losing the comfortable, familiar bond between the facility and the community. That hard-earned trust and connection is a very real consideration we discuss with every project. How do we balance hospital mission and community impact? By never losing sight of the people in that community: how they perceive the project, understanding their needs, and paying attention to the myriad details that affect both.

It’s fair (in fact, a duty) for any growing community healthcare facility to ask serious questions of their design partners. Here are several common ones we hear, and our answers for putting client communities at ease.

Exterior dusk of an inpatient hospital entrance and parking lot — Norton Brownsboro Inpatient Bed Tower

How can design influence the “message" an expanded facility sends to its community?

Design should focus on people and their experiences first – patients, staff, visitors, suppliers – and the nuances of each occupant’s needs. No matter the scale of the project, we establish foundational tenets of desired experiences and then balance all other design decisions on that foundation.

Whether the project is multiple buildings or a renovation of one, we clarify if the objective is to change an experience that is not working or if the existing experience is working well and should be maintained. Confirming and respecting this direction is crucial if the existing experience is seen as important and positive to a community. For example, an existing facility may be considered inviting, warm, and comfortable because it has a relatable scale for the community. If that facility is then expanded, special care must be taken to ensure it maintains the ease of experience, inviting design, and human touch points that make the existing environment so welcoming.

Do community members have a role in influencing the building design?

Yes – they should feel valued and heard! Staff, stakeholders, donors, patients, and more have a role in the design process. There are times where this influence can be direct, through participation in design focus groups and community meetings. Indirect sharing can also be valuable, via customer satisfaction surveys, brand/marketing research, and other outreach. No project can reflect every demand of every stakeholder, of course, but this only underscores the need for the design process to build consensus around priorities for the project and clearly communicate how design drivers lead to experiential decisions.

Is it important to explain the need that drives expansion?

Yes, and as early as possible. It’s important to explain why the expense and short-term inconvenience of construction is an investment in serving that community. Take time to explain how the project will reduce the need for local patients to transfer to another facility, allowing them to receive a greater breadth of care in the community-focused hospital they know and love.

In many cases, expansion is being driven by an increased need for inpatient capacity (inpatient beds) and an increased need to serve a higher acuity local population. A more contemporary and expanded ICU, for example, allows backfilling the existing ICU with additional med surg inpatient beds. Additional beds can help meet increasing demand for labor, delivery, and postpartum resources, allowing growing local population to stay closer to home, in a local hospital that’s familiar and comfortable.

What hospital expansions has DesignGroup overseen in recent years?

We’ve worked on hospital expansion projects since the earliest days of our firm 52 years ago. A terrific recent example is the Norton Brownsboro inpatient bed tower, which included a new emergency department and addition of surgery and inpatient beds. Adena Regional Medical Center included multiple expansions designed to maintain continuity of the campus as a familiar destination. And the OSU inpatient tower – included an expansion of James Cancer Center programming – was designed to maintain the familiar trusted brand of the James and provide a consistent, positive experience for patients and staff.

Interior of a modern waiting room in a hospital with floor to ceiling windows — View of the Adena Health Emergency Department Entrance, illustrating consistent brand experience

Aerial view of Ohio State University's inpatient tower space — Aerial view of the new OSU Inpatient Tower

What hospital expansions has DesignGroup overseen in recent years?

Joe Mayer

AIA, NCARB, WELL AP

Principal, Designer

More about Joe

Healthcare, Education, Community, Science & Technology, Commercial

Grounded in Mission. Driven by Impact.

by Joe Mayer

AIA, NCARB, WELL AP

Principal, Designer

As designers we are often asked, “what is your design process?” It can be tempting to try to answer this with step-by-step specifics or a cleverly alliterative flow diagram. But these approaches can belie the inherent complexity of putting a building together, the wide variation in specific goals of different projects, and the nuances of working in multiple geographic markets and building types. We want to foster broad, rigorous, and thoughtful application of expertise regardless of the project’s unique characteristics. We define a philosophy about design itself rather than a prescriptive process for achieving it.

We see Design as a translation from Mission (how the project is grounded in the client) to Impact (the unique aspirational objectives for the project).

Mission

Mission represents who, at their core, the client is. It’s what makes them tick. It’s how they see their place in the community, their public perception, and their objectives for the future. It’s their brand image, their customer/patient/user/resident/tenant/student profile, and their business case for the project. Every design must be grounded in a deep understanding that the client’s mission is both unique and dynamic. To achieve this, it takes empathy on the part of the design team and a true desire to listen.

Nikki Wildman taking a client through a persona exercise. — Associate Principal and Project Manager, Nikki Wildman, taking a client through a persona exercise.

Grounding a project in mission requires up-front work. Great design doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Grounding a project in mission isn’t just understanding the personal likes and dislikes of the people on the other side of the table. It’s understanding what made them take those seats in the first place, and what their dreams for their projects can mean.

A solid foundation in the client’s mission allows for an objective baseline for project decisions, while at the same time allowing, or maybe even promoting, the validity of disparate definitions of beauty. In other words, good design, grounded in mission, allows people to find beauty in different ways rather than trying to conform to a single style. There is no such thing as timeless style, but this degree of objectivity does allow for timeless design. A quick note on beauty: yes, we want to create buildings that are beautiful, and as architects and designers, of course we still care about proportion, scale, hierarchy, etc. – the foundational tenets of form making. Beauty makes us happy after all, but beauty is subjective.

Impact

Impact is achieving of the unique aspirational objectives for the project. It’s how the project has affected change, spurred growth, or created meaningful experiences. These objectives require thinking beyond who the client already is, as that is the mission in which the project is already grounded. These goals are how we take the client to places above expectations and beyond the status quo. We help lead the client to these goals through a series of up-front visioning exercises that are customized to the unique needs of the project. The goal is to work toward an understanding of not just what the project looks like, but what it means.

A successful project asks how the environment is affected, both in terms of initial resource expenditure and long-term resource investment. It seeks to understand how the project advances health and wellness – of staff, of users, and of the larger community.

Design translation from mission to impact creates not just growth, but strategic advancement, whether personal, professional, or institutional. This process is a mechanism for establishing and furthering brand identity, creating competitive advantages, or capturing market share. It can improve staff retention, attract new students, and enhance customer satisfaction. It can foster innovation, empower learning, and instill confidence.

Sherm Moreland performing a simulation experience with a group of people seated at a table. — CEO and Healthcare Planner, Sherm Moreland, performing a simulation experience.

Impact is so much more than appearance. It is what it feels like when the client first walks into the building when it opens. It’s how the building creates a calm environment for a patient’s anxious family member, or energizes an employee, or feels safe for a new student. This creates a conscious relationship with the community: an understanding of how the project shapes the community, and how the community in turn shapes the project once the doors are opened. Impact is how the project connects to a network beyond the project itself, such as a health system, campus, or neighborhood.

By seeing design as a translation from mission to impact, these pursuits are not simply theoretical – they are real, measurable, and specifically relevant to each client. The building is not just a representation of a moment in time, but an investment in the future.

Design

We like to think of design as a verb, rather than as a noun – that is, we see design as action, an application of lenses, a layering of meaning. The building is then neither the simple replication of a client wish list nor the manifestation of any one designer’s personal style.

Design thought of as a noun can be a trap, as it produces a product that tends to overrepresent mission or impact alone rather than navigate the complex but meaningful path between the two. Mission without impact is a representation of who the client already is, regardless of capital investment – perhaps familiar, but without an eye to progress. It is what clients already know, see, and understand. Design should advance understanding and add value. Impact without mission may lead to interesting form and space, but miss foundational financial, operational, or functional objectives that are required by the client.

Person sharing recent design work on a board to a group of people in the DesignGroup office. — DesignGroup meets monthly for a Studio Crawl to share projects they're working on inside and outside the office.

A focus on design as a translative act (verb) and not as an object (noun) allows us to create an objective framework for establishing priorities and making project decisions focused on quality, outcomes, and meaning. In other words, the project is driven by decisions that clearly draw a line between who the client is and a larger aim for the project.

Good design should not be about “meeting in the middle.” Questions of value should not be approached with an either/or mentality. Good design takes a both/and approach to problem solving, just as good design, with respect and empathy, actively navigates between relevance and aspiration rather than putting them at odds with each other. By actively focusing on design as the translation from mission to impact, the process is smoother, decision making is more efficient, and the outcomes are ultimately more meaningful – to the client, to the building’s users, and to the community.