North Dakota Supreme Court Pg. 03
Essentia Health Pg. 06
Biophilic Design Pg. 12
MODERN. SOPHISTICATED. HAND-CRAFTED.
Introducing: Walnut Grove from Stickley.
The Walnut Grove series combines flowing lines inspired by modern design with moments of sophisticated handwork that beautifully showcase the furniture-maker’s art. Each piece is crafted from solid American black walnut and hand-applied a transparent finish that reveals the grain in all its beauty and complexity.
In the spring of 2020, the uncharacteristically empty chambers of the Judicial Wing of the North Dakota State Capitol posed an opportunity for a muchneeded refresh to the state’s highest court.
The project was spearheaded by Lana Zimmerman, Administrative Assistant for the North Dakota Supreme Court.
“During the pandemic and end of the biennium, we couldn’t think of a better time to renovate the Supreme Court offices,” Zimmerman said.
It had been more than 20 years since the Court’s administrative and public spaces had experienced an upgrade. The dark, dated color palette and closed-off cubicles created an environment that felt unwelcoming for employees and the public alike.
“Our goal with this project was to make the cubicles private, yet accessible so the public felt welcome,” Zimmerman said.
“We decided it would be best to have a more professional and modern feel along with making our offices ergonomic.”
Determining the scope of the project proved to be an ongoing process; the first items to go were the decades-old floor and wall coverings.
“After wallpapering and laying carpet, the old furniture from the 1990s really was outdated and clashed with the new wall covering and carpet,” Zimmerman said.
Then it was time to replace the existing, outdated furniture with modern pieces that were also more ergonomic and compliant with ADA standards.
“This turned into a huge undertaking, as there was a lot to move and change,” Zimmerman said.
The Court sent out a bid for a partner to assist with the daunting task of selecting all-new furniture for such a large space. Impressed with both the quality of the furniture offered and the attitude of Workspace Expert Kyle Hellman, Zimmerman selected InterOffice to complete the job.
Over the course of the next year, Zimmerman and Hellman collaborated to select furnishings and decor for the Court’s public waiting area, conference rooms, administrative offices,
judge chamber offices, and clerk staff offices. Additionally, InterOffice assisted the Court with the construction of two new private offices using DIRTT Modular Walls
A Herman Miller Canvas office landscape was the product of choice for the administrative area. Light brown walnut wood trim and face tiles were chosen for the workspaces to match the prominent decor and existing wood trim of the Judicial Wing of the State Capitol.
“The goal was to have functional workstations with a rich wood look,” Hellman said. “Essentially, to not look like cubicles.”
In the conference rooms, Herman Miller Headway Tables and Exemplis Amplify Seating were selected to
create a more professional, yet comfortable environment for collaboration. Hellman chose vibrant blue Ideon Composium Bench Seating to match existing artwork in the front public waiting area and bring a much-needed pop of color to the space.
“My favorite thing about the new space is it is open and welcoming as well as professional feeling, as opposed to the institutional look from the past,” Zimmerman said.
In addition to aesthetic upgrades, improving ergonomic functionality was another priority for the Court. All workstations were equipped with electronic, ergonomic
It is open and welcoming as well as professional feeling, as opposed to the institutional look from the past. ” “
- Lana Zimmerman Administrative Assistant for the North Dakota Supreme Court
Herman Miller Motia Table Bases. InterOffice also provided height-adjustable desks from the JSI-Vision Series with Ergo Adjustments for the Court’s private offices.
From start to finish, the renovation of the North Dakota Supreme Court took nearly a full year. It was a long-overdue process, and well worth the time and effort. The end result is a revitalized space that feels warm, yet airy; modern, yet timeless.
“From painting walls to wallpaper, then finishing countertops and bathrooms, this was no small feat. Kyle truly was amazing in the effort of getting this all accomplished,” Zimmerman said. “I am so happy we chose InterOffice for our wants and needs!”
Every day, a team of expert doctors and nurses at Essentia Health’s Fargo OBGYN clinic seek to provide comfort, knowledge, and quality care. But according to Operations Manager Sara Lingwall, the clinic’s physical space has not always reflected the commitment of its providers.
With identical hard, sterile seats arranged in neat rows, Lingwall says the clinic’s waiting room felt more like an airport terminal than a place of refuge.
“It wasn’t welcoming. It wasn’t inviting,” Lingwall said. “We want to make sure that the entire patient experience aligns with Essentia’s mission, and at the time our clinic just didn’t align with our values.”
In 2019, Lingwall and her team decided it was time for a change. In order to provide a truly patient-centric experience, Essentia Health asked patients to provide feedback on the changes they would like to see within the
clinic. Ideas ranged from integrating a variety of comfortable seating options to adding a complimentary coffee bar.
When it was time to bring these ideas to life, Lingwall contacted InterOffice Workspace Expert Melissa LaBay.
“Having worked with Melissa several times on smaller projects here at Essentia, we were very comfortable taking on a larger renovation together,” Lingwall said. “We have built a trusting relationship. We knew that she would have our best interests in mind.”
Lingwall and LaBay engaged several other members of the Essentia team, including
We knew that Melissa would have our best interests in mind. ”
- Sara Lingwall Operations Manager at
Essentia Health’s OBGYN Clinic
Nursing Supervisor Christy Woodard, RN, to help select furniture, fabrics, and finishes for the space.
Together, InterOffice and Essentia Health have been able to transform the clinic into a warm, welcoming space that feels more like a living room than an airport terminal. The waiting room, which was the primary focus of the renovation, has been entirely overhauled. Now when patients enter, they have a variety of seating options to choose from, including Nemschoff Florabella lounge chairs, OFS Saven rocking chairs, and dining and counter height tables with OFS Bistro chairs.
These pieces are arranged in several seating areas of various sizes, rather than neat rows, to provide either
the privacy or community that a patient may desire.
High-top tables and stools sit next to the sixth-floor clinic’s expansive wall of windows, allowing ample light to flood the space and providing patients with an expansive view of south Fargo.
“As a designer, it is rewarding to see the clinic remodel that we completed in 2019 remain functional and beautiful through the events of the past couple years. Another bonus of this furniture variety was how it survived the unforeseen pandemic in 2020 with grace,” LaBay said. “There was no ‘graveyard’ of tandem chairs, no unsightly cautionary tape over seats warning users to space six feet apart, and no damaged upholstery like I saw in other waiting areas.”
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Warm wood accents, fluid curves, and floral-inspired patterns combine to create an environment that is modern, organic, and soothing (see page 12 for more on the benefits of biophilic design). An electric fireplace and the highly requested coffee bar bring an even greater sense of home and comfort to the waiting area.
“Hopefully, when patients come, being here reduces some anxiety before their appointment,” Woodard said.
LaBay and team took special care to incorporate these touches in both inpatient and outpatient spaces, creating a seamless experience for all patients. By applying complementary finishes and color palettes throughout the entire clinic, LaBay has been able to
extend feelings of comfort and warmth beyond the waiting room and into the exam rooms. This has proven especially beneficial for patients who visit the clinic for high-risk pregnancy consults.
With this newly renovated space, Essentia Health is able to provide a comfortable, quality experience on some of the most exciting–and most frightening–days of their patients’ lives.
“We want to make all of our patients feel comfortable coming here,” Woodard said. “Having this comfortable, inviting space translates to the fact that we care about them.”
Upright, this fascinating piece looks like a sculptural vessel. But when leaned on its side, it forms a comfortable, functional chair that lets you rock side to side or spin around. Thomas Heatherwick worked with Magis to create Spun using a rotational molding method and materials that make it durable for outdoor use.
The iconic Spun chair can be spotted in courtyards across Fargo, Moorhead, and West Fargo. Take it for a spin and tag InterOffice in your photos on social media!
Green workspaces in particular can reap benefits such as productivity and environmental sustainability. ” “
If there is such a thing as a silver lining to a global pandemic, then one positive outcome from COVID-19 could be our rekindled connection to the outside world. When we grew tired of staring at our screens, we took up the practice of daily walks. When we could not dine in our favorite restaurants, we hosted picnics and socially distanced barbecues.
Many of us also found ourselves embracing nature through an abundance of houseplants. 71 percent of North American greenhouses saw an increase in plant sales in 2020, according to Greenhouse Management magazine’s 2020 State of the Industry report. Meanwhile, houseplant hobbyists took to social media to show off their collections: the hashtags #plantmom and #plantsofinstagram have accrued 3.3 million and 14 million posts, respectively.
The term biophilia stems from the Greek words for “life” and “love or affection,” making its literal translation “love of life.” Therefore, biophilic design seeks to satisfy humanity’s inherent need to connect with nature through our modern built environments. The concept dates back to the early 1980s, when the biologist Edward O. Wilson hypothesized that humans have an innate, biological affinity for the natural world.
In our increasingly urbanized society, creating these connections is more important than ever before. And true biophilic design is about more than just stocking our shelves with snake plants or getting our hands on a coveted monstera; it’s a mindset, rooted in a belief that interior design can serve as a means to improve our mental and physical wellbeing.
It should come as no surprise, then, that biophilic design has also experienced a renaissance over the past two years.
One of 2022’s blossoming design trends, biophilic design goes beyond aesthetics to provide mental, physical, and environmental benefits
Whether at home or in the workplace, incorporating elements of biophilic design has physical, psychological, and environmental benefits. Because vegetation absorbs pollutants, toxins, and airborne microbes, introducing a wide variety of plants can improve the overall air quality of a space.
Biophilic design has also been proven to improve mood and cognitive function. One landmark study in 2019 found that children who had been exposed to greenery had 55 percent less mental health problems later in life compared to those who weren’t exposed to nature.
Green workspaces in particular can reap benefits such as productivity and environmental sustainability. Incorporating elements of biophilia can also help businesses attain both LEED and WELL certifications. Another study, published in the journal Sustainability in 2021, identified a significant increase in sustained and selective attention and work memory when students were exposed to greenery in the classroom. These findings support the Attention Restoration Theory developed by psychologists Rachel and Stephen Kaplan in the late 20th century, which posits that nature is a restorative environment and has the capacity to renew our attention after exerting mental energy.
The benefits of biophilic design are abundant, and so are the opportunities to incorporate this concept in your home or workplace.
There are three categories under the canopy of biophilic design. The first, Nature in the Space, refers to the literal presence of nature in the form of plants, animals, water, scents, light, and other natural elements. Popular biophilic products on the market today, such as potted plants, live plant walls, and dormant moss walls, can transform an office space into an oasis.
And you don’t have to be a certified #plantmom to bring biophilic design to your home or workplace; faux plants can achieve similar results to live plants by integrating color or texture into the space.
The second category of biophilic design is Natural Analogues. This refers to the representational presence of natural materials, patterns, objects, colors, and shapes. Designers such as Herman Miller and OFS have found ways to mimic natural elements in the built environment, utilizing natural color schemes, embracing both curves and rough edges, and integrating natural wood in several of their pieces.
The final category of biophilic design, Nature of the Space, harnesses our physiological response to space planning and architectural design. Reproducing the layout of natural environments–like building ample windows to provide expansive views, or offering a dark and quiet room to mimic a cave–can evoke similar feelings to those we experience while exploring nature.
The resurgence of biophilic design is one unexpected outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic that we hope continues for years to come. Whether you want to incorporate a few organic elements or build an urban oasis, InterOffice can help you plant the seeds of biophilia in your home or workspace. Visit our showrooms or website to learn more.
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