Style Guide: Cottage

A term that originated from the Middle Ages, a "cottage" referred to the dwellings of agricultural workers, or cotters, and their friends a family.  Cottages were smaller peasant units, usually on the property of larger plantations or estates.  Today, cottages most often refer to buildings used as second homes or weekend getaways for city dwellers.  The architectural style aspects of cottages were inspired by medieval styles of the English countryside and became popular with American architects in the 1920s and 1930s.

Although not required characteristics, the common features of a cottage style home may include...

• Steep roof pitches, often gable or gambrel with cross gables
• Arched doors
• Casement windows with small panes
• Brick, stone, stucco, or natural shake siding

The look of a cottage can vary greatly, since a variety of styles can fit into the "cottage" category.  The local vernacular often determines which materials and style features are emphasized, so location can have a look of it's own:

1.  Nantucket: Rustic meets elegant in Nantucket style cottages.  Utilizing mostly natural architectural elements on their exterior, their natural colors of greys, whites and blues make a striking statement against the bright blue sky, lush green landscape and white-capped waters of the surrounding ocean.

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2.  The South:  The image that the words "Southern cottage" calls to mind is one of a wrap-around or double stacked porch.  Often called Low-country, a major influence on this this style is the hot and humid weather of the Carolinas and deep South.  These cottages often have a raised first floor to accommodate floodwaters and to allow breezes to circulate throughout the home.  Architectural elements like louvered shutters and metal roofs are also indicative of this style.

Our low country cottage design, the Laurel

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3.  Michigan:  For us Michiganders, a cottage usually is a summer residence up north near or on a lake.    This is a style for which we here at Visbeen are very familiar, since it is a good portion of our custom residential business.  We combine a variety of styles to create our Michigan cottages, from Shingle and Victorian, to Arts and Crafts and Bungalow.

Here are a few products that we often use in cottage-style residences...

Roofing:  GAF Roofing has a great product called Camelot II Lifetime Designer Shingles, which add a luxury look to a cottage style residence for only pennies-a-day more than standard architectural shingles.

Retractable Screens:  Nothing ruins a summer night like mesquites here in Michigan.  We would all love to sit on open porches overlooking a sunset on the water, but sometimes that is not possible.  And then there are some evening that are perfect for it.  Great solution for this debacle? Retractable screens.  They turn an open porch into an enclosed screened porch in moments.  Companies like Phantom Screens make the top of the line in retractable screen products.

Kearney Hill has a great example of Phantom Screens in use.


Movable glass doors:  On that same note, movable glass doors are another great way of turning a cottage into an open air oasis.  A company called Solar Innovations makes high-quality folding glass walls at a fraction of the cost of some of the other big name companies making similar products.

Sources:
http://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/exteriors/curb-appeal/house-styles/#page=8
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cottage
http://www.ehow.com/about_6371669_cottage-style-architecture_.html

Runway for Charity

A.K. Rikk's, Design 1 Salon Spa, Aura Cosmetics, The Matthew Agency and our firm, Visbeen Architects, are bringing Grand Rapids the must see fashion show of the summer, called Runway for Charity.  

All proceeds from the event benefit the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.  The last event in 2011 (formerly known as the Design 1 Fashion Event), had over 500 attendees and raised upwards of $25,000 for Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.  But they have upped the ante this year.  The goal is to raise $100,000, so the event is going to be bigger and better than all the previous years combined!  It will be held on Saturday, May 11 7:00pm - 10:30pm at A.K. Rikk's beautiful new location (6303 28th Street SE, Grand Rapids).  To purchase tickets to the event, please visit Helen DeVos Children's Hospital website.

And one of the best parts of this event?  An AMAZING "LIFE IS SWEET" raffle where ONE winner will take home a prize package valued at over $100,000!  What fantastic prizes are a part of this prize package?  Glad you asked...

• Case of Barons wine
• Watercolor of your home from Visbeen Architects
• Two watches from Juhas & Sullivan Jewelry
• Scott Group Custom Carpet rug
• Embellished mirror from award-winning interior designer Jeffery Roberts
• One-week stay in the Bahamas at a private residence (designed by Visbeen Architects, of course!)
• Rare Howard Miller clock
• A one-year Thousand Oaks golf membership as well as dinner & golf for a party of 8
• $2800 Bengtson Center for Aesthetics and Plastic Surgery Beauty Package: can be used toward Ultherapy, Cool Sculpting, Laser and Skin Case treatments
• Bekins leather theatre chair
• Two-year car lease from Todd Wenzel Automotive
• Broadway of Grand Rapids package
• Ruth's Chris dinner for eight
• Brioni men's wear jacket
• Founder's private beer tasting event with tour for 30 people
• Hudsonville Ice Cream party for 100 and 2 scrounds per person (what is a scround?  It is a container of ice cream that sort of round, sort of square.  Thus, scround :)
• Salvatore Ferragamo leather bag
• Two pairs of glasses (one prescription, one sunglasses) and an eye exam from Sight Optical
• Two Belstaff leather jackets
• Landscape Maintenance from GreenMeadow Group
• Haworth Furniture
• One-week stay in a villa in the Turks & Caicos
• An estate queen-sized mattress from Spring Air, Grand Rapids Bedding Co.
• $20,000 CASH
• Gift Certificates...
   - $5,000 to A.K. Rikk's
   - $2,500 to Design 1 Salon Spa
   - $2,500 to 4GR8 Food restaurants (The Omlette Shoppe, Sundance Grille, The Bagel Beanery, & more)
   - $2,500 to ShoreMate for a docking system
   - $2,500 to Accent Hardwood Flooring for hardwood floor restoration

Do we have your attention now??  The raffle tickets are $100 per ticket with only 1,500 tickets available.  You do not have to be present on May 11 to win and tickets are already on sale, so please contact Angela in our office as soon as possible if you are interested in purchasing one or more (616-481-0424 or angela@visbeen.biz).  They are going fast!

Remember, the $100 per ticket is tax deductible as a donation to Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, so please help us make this a successful event in raising $100,000 for such a worthy organization!!

For more information on this event, please visit Runway for Charity's website or facebook page.  We will also be posting information to our facebook page, so stay tuned!

Jandernoa Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program Looking for Next Class

As you may or may not have known, Wayne is a part of the first class graduating from the Jandernoa Entrepreneurial Mentoring (JEM) Program.  It offers small business leaders / entrepreneurs in West Michigan the opportunity to be mentored by other successful business and community leaders to enhance their businesses.  In a recent article on MLive.com, Wayne was interviewed about the process and his experience as a mentee, as the program is opening for the next class of mentors / mentees.

The image gallery of the article also gives a sneak peak at JEM's office, which just happened to be designed by Visbeen Architects.
{ Stay tuned for more final photos of this beautiful downtown space - coming soon! }

Mike Jandernoa’s business mentoring program looking for next class of entrepreneurs

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By Shandra Martinez | smartinez@mlive.com 
on April 16, 2013 at 11:30 AM, updated April 16, 2013 at 1:32 PM

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EnlargeCory Morse | cmorse1@mlive.comMike Jandernoa, former CEO of Perrigo Company, and Wayne Visbeen talk inside the Jandernoa Entrepreneurial Mentoring office in downtown Grand Rapids Monday, March 25, 2013. Jandernoa mentors Visbeen through through the program. (Cory Morse | MLive.com)Jandernoa Entrepreneurial Mentoring in Grand Rapids gallery (4 photos)

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GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- When Wayne Visbeen asked about joining Jandernoa Entrepreneurial Mentoring, founder Mike Jandernoa asked him if he was interested in a mentor role.

But the successful architect felt there was a lot he could still learn from the former Perrigo CEO and other business executives.

“I thought I could get into a program with Mike leading it, and get advice from business people of his caliber for virtually no cost,” said Visbeen, who designed the high-end retailer A.K. Rikk’s store and has a national reputation for his residential designs.

“When you think of what kind of business savvy they are offering to a firm like mine. Not only Mike but nine other mentors at the same time. People from banking, manufacturing, corporations. To have all that brainpower, brain trust offering us advice.”

Visbeen is part of the first class that will graduate from the program at the end of the summer. Now, JEM is looking for a new set of mentors and mentees for the next class.
Launched in 2009 by Jandernoa, JEM pairs former or current CEOs with younger leaders of smaller companies to provide a listening ear and business counsel.

“There’s an opportunity to deliver a lot without a big expense because the mentors are working and committing their time for free,” said Jandernoa, who came up with the idea five years ago. “That’s the value-added.”

He said 10 mentors who are finishing up their three-year commitment enjoyed the experience so much, they now want to mentor someone else.

Jandernoa ultimately sees the program as a way to build a stronger West Michigan economy by helping businesses grow and create more jobs.

Visbeen said he felt especially lucky when he was paired with Jandernoa, his former neighbor, as his mentor.

He needed advice in succession planning for his architecture firm, and Jandernoa recommended selling the business. Under his deal with Holland-based GMB Architecture, Visbeen stays on for 10 years focusing on the design aspect of the 10-person firm instead of the business side.

Jandernoa says Visbeen’s listening skills made him a good mentee.

“A key aspect of the mentee-mentor relationship is having good communication on both sides,” said Jandernoa, adding that a mentee has to be willing to be open about their business, communicate what is going well and what is not.

Visbeen gave Jandernoa and the group access to his financials and other operational details.


“It’s like having a board of directors of A players,” said Visbeen, adding "The time they have given has been really amazing gift to my company.”
Visbeen and other participants pay $3,500 a year, which covers the expenses of the program.

Like Visbeen, other mentees are looking at accelerating their growth patterns. Expertise provided through JEM helps them do that with a little less risk, says Jandernoa, adding that increases the businesses’ odds of doing well.

“That’s one of the areas the mentors can be very clear about helping the mentees think through,” Jandernoa said.

Greg Tusch credits JEM with strengthening his 6-year-old business, Compass Point Labor Management, which helps military veterans transition into civil careers.
His mentor, Kim Horn, is helping him develop new markets.

“She has been very helpful functioning as a sound board as I plan,” said Tusch of the health care executive who helmed Priority Health as the CEO, and now serves as president of the Mid-Atlantic region for Kaiser Permanente.

Horn has also connected him with experts, from finance to marketing. That's the kind of guidance he needs to grow his 14-person staff, which currently has sales of more than $1 million annually,  he said.

“It’s really quite unique, “ said Tusch. “I haven’t seen anything like it anywhere. It gives companies like us an opportunity to tap some some high-level local executives who have a wealth of experience.”

The three-year commitment requires mentors to connect with the mentee in person or by phone a few times a month.

“Most of the people work in a small business but they don’t have the resources we had,” said Horn. “It’s a great program. I’m really excited to be involved.”

JEM has proven to be just as valuable for mentors like herself who are looking for ways to give back to the community.

“This is something you do throughout your career,” said Horn. “It’s part of the obligation of being a leader – that you develop a new generation.”

Email Shandra Martinez or follow her on Twitter

A.K. Rikk's Takes Home an ARE Award for Outstanding Merit

On April 16, 2013, the Association for Retail Environments (A.R.E) Design Awards were given out at a ceremony in Downtown Chicago at the Hard Rock Cafe.  The 72 winners were awarded for excellence in all aspects of retail design from 51 projects all over the world.  With a record breaking 2,000+ entries, the prestigious winners had to beat out the highest number of entries ever to take home awards in 23 categories.

One of the most significant design projects in our recent history, A.K. Rikk's, was recognized for Outstanding Merit in the Specialty Store over 25,000 square feet category.  What an honor it was for us to be set apart amongst the highest caliber retail projects in the industry!

About A.R.E: The Association for Retail Environments (A.R.E.) is an international non-profit trade association advancing the retail environments industry.  Members are leaders in the international retail environments industry, including store fixture suppliers, retail design firms, suppliers of visual merchandising products, suppliers of materials and equipment for the industry, and service providers. 

The winners were featured in an April 2013 issue of Retail Environments Magazine.  

For ease of reading, please click here to view the full article on our website.

Project Team:
Architect/Design: Visbeen Architects, LLC
Audiovisual: Bekins
Interior Design: Jeffery Roberts Design
Electrical/Lighting: High Point Electric
Engineering: JDH Engineering
Engineering: Landmark Design Group PC
Exterior Signage: Conduit Studio
Flooring: Grand River Interiors
General Contracting: Lamar Construction Co.
HVAC: Quality Air
Lighting: Carlson Design LLC
Lighting Design: Crites Tidey
Millwork: Benchmark Wood Studio
Plumbing/Electrical Engineering: Byron Plumbing Inc.
Project Management: NextWork
Retailer: A.K. Rikk's
Stone/Tile: Hard Topix LLC
Stone/Tile: Top of the World Granite
Technology: Crestron 

The Blaine with a little Sweet Southern Comfort

The Blaine has a new look!  One of our classic designs, the Blaine, was just built on the beautiful Lake Lanier in Georgia with a little different, "Sweet Southern Comfort" flavor.  Check it out!

What fun seeing our work going up across the country!

Cabin Life: Dreams on Paper: Northwest Cabin

The May issue of Cabin Life Magazine is out and includes a unique, contemporary little cabin we designed called the Northwest Cabin.  This modest lodge, at just over 500 square feet, uses simple forms to create a cabin that lives large despite it's petite size.

For ease of reading, click here to view the full article on our website.

Building Less Than Meets the Eye

Wait...less, you say?  That's right.

In Builder Magazine's Business Update last week, they included an interview with Wayne discussing the design of the Warren Residence, an infill home and winner of the Best in the Midwest from the Best in American Living Awards, which offers eye-popping aesthetics while staying simple -- and affordable -- to build.

Grand Rapids Magazine Design Home 2013: First a house then a home

"Long before it can become a cherished home, it all starts with a superbly built house."

The story of the Heartsworth continues in April's issue of Grand Rapids Magazine.  The "bones" of the home are described in this chapter - selections of the lumber, foundation walls, siding, stone and roof shingles.  See what foundational elements are going to make this house the canvas for a truly magnificent home.

For ease of reading, please click here to view the article on our website.

Architectural Tutorial: Timber Frame

A residential construction method used commonly in the 17th and 18th century, timber framing did more than just create sturdy structures.  It has impacted design elements and details that have been incorporated into architectural styles for years beyond.  Today, we most commonly see elements of timber framing in mountain, lodge and adirondack style homes.  Originally, it was a form of carpentry that involved taking large pieces of wood and joining them together with woodworking joints.  Wooden pegs, braces and trusses were employed.  In modern construction, these elements can still be seen but often are more ornamental rather than structural.  

Visbeen Architects incorporates timber framing details in a variety of style homes.  It can add a thread of rustic to a contemporary or formal style of architecture or solidify the lodge-esque feel.  Here are a few examples...

In mountain, adirondack, lodge and timber frame homes, there are a number of products that can help achieve the overall look.

1.  Roofing:  GAF Roofing has an impact resistant line of shingles called Grand Sequoia that are meant to give a rugged wood-shake look at a fraction of the cost of traditional state, wood shakes or expensive metal roofs.

2.  Hardware: Rocky Mountain Hardware makes hinges, door and cabinet hardware, faucets, sinks and more that give a rustic, yet refine feel.  Their products can be seen in such places as Idaho's State Capitol, Pelican Hill Resort near Newport Beach, California and Sun Valley Resort, in the rocky mountains of Central Idaho.

3. Lighting:  Old California Lantern Company creates high-quality lighting fixtures inspired by California history and architecture, offering handmade products in Bungalow, Cottage and Western Style. 

4.  Windows:  Pella Windows create standard and custom windows for a variety of architectural styles, but in addition to their traditional hardware collection, Pella offers Rocky Mountain Hardware.  Each piece is handcrafted in solid bronze and available in a diverse palette of hand-applied finishes for those who want their windows to make a personal, enduring style statement.

Sources:

http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/100_tim.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timber_framing