In one of its first major introductory events, Facet Architecture invited clients, colleagues, and the community to celebrate its finished space and learn more about the company at a recent open house event.
Emerging from a vision by Larson-Danielson's leadership, Facet Architecture was established to fulfill the need for an independent, full-service design firm within the century-old construction company.
“The idea was to open our doors and introduce Larson-Danielson’s clients and partners to the services that we're offering here at Facet Architecture,” said Director of Pre Construction Services Tony Oss. “We provide a full suite of architectural design services, significantly expanded in nature from what Larson-Danielson has previously offered.”
Robin Witte, lead architect for Facet Architecture, believes this event helped shine a light on Facet and its many services.
“We've been doing design/build projects for about 50 years as Larson-Danielson Construction. Initially, it was mainly engineering focused,” Witte said. “The purpose of our open house was to show people what we are capable of doing.”
Facet provides a comprehensive suite of services, including code review, architectural site and floor plans, 3D renderings, building information modeling, design and construction documents, interior design, and more.
“A lot of people know that Larson-Danielson does design,” Witte said. “But most don’t understand the full extent of our capabilities as Facet Architecture. At our open house, we offered the community a chance to see what kind of projects we do and show off our new space.”
Some of Facet’s most recent projects include Drift on Pine, a new restaurant in downtown La Porte, the new HealthLinc medical office building in Michigan City, and its own office buildout within Larson-Danielson’s building in La Porte. Each space was tailored to the client’s needs and wants.
“They take their time and learn about us as a client,” said Joan Bondi, CFO of HealthLinc said at the Facet open house. “They always want to know what we’re looking for. I've worked with [them] for 10 years now and it’s been amazing.”
Celina Weatherwax, president of the MAAC Foundation, is another long-time client of both Larson-Danielson and Facet who attended the open house.
“We’re really proud of the working relationship between the MAAC Foundation and [their] team,” Weatherwax said. “They are forward thinkers that help us process their ideas and recommendations that are shared with us.”
Kristina Fry, director of development for the MAAC Foundation, reiterates Weatherwax’s notion about their relationship over the years as a client.
“I think they're very cognizant of the fact that we are a non-profit organization,” Fry said. “They’re always mindful of developing plans that are for the best benefit in the future.”
The open house gave the Facet design team and their clients a valuable opportunity to network with each other and members of the community. It also allowed them to engage with them in a relaxed environment, outside of the usual project meetings.
“I absolutely love catching up with current and past clients, as well as meeting new faces who may not yet know about Facet and what we do,” Witte said. “Building deep connections with people helps me understand their needs better, enabling me to create more personalized designs.
Andrew Marich, architectural designer, and John Binkowski, design technician, were in attendance to represent and discuss more about the Facet Architecture team.
“We’re here to talk about the technical details with the projects we’ve had,” Marich said. “We try to push the boundaries with the technology and it’s pretty advantageous to meet so many clients to discuss it.”
The Facet Architecture team has various roles and responsibilities. Binkowski shares how these functions are important to ensure a seamless experience behind the scenes.
“We focus on design, development and documentation,” Binkowski said. “It’s our objective to try and find ways to get stuff done in the most efficient way possible.”
There’s a lot that goes into Facet Architecture that may be overlooked or unknown by many outsiders. Oss is confident that open house events like this serve as a great way for their team to move forward successfully, meet new faces and bring more attention to the specifics of Facet Architecture.
“This is an opportunity for people to come in and socialize in a more relaxed atmosphere,” Oss said. “People can put a face to the names that we often work with. Building relationships is important for any business, especially ours. It all ties together and helps us provide better services for our clients.”
For more information on Facet Architecture or Larson-Danielson Construction, you can visit their websites.
