DETROIT, MI — TowerPinkster announces two projects have been named the best in the state by the Michigan Chapter of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA). The large corporate campus of a global Medical Technology Company won in the 10,000+ Square Foot category, while Aquinas College’s Albertus Magnus Hall of Science took home the top prize in the Education category. The awards were announced at the 2022 MiDesign Competition Awards Gala in Detroit.

• Location: Portage, Michigan
• Size: 485,000 square feet

TowerPinkster worked alongside design partner HOK in order to create this research and development facility located on 300 acres in Portage, Michigan. The new space will capitalize on-site views, daylighting, and natural ventilation which will contribute to workspaces that encourage collaboration and creativity. The facility will feature research and development space, multiple labs, and testing areas including a biomedical skills lab, and a customer engagement area with an Operating Room Showroom. There will be multiple gathering spaces including a cafe, a tiered lecture hall, fitness and wellbeing center, and a commercial kitchen.

The facility will focus on innovation and sustainability. The completed center will pursue LEED Silver Certification and will house more than 1,500 employees. The aim of the design is to create a forward-thinking environment that attracts talent through design, encourages collaboration and camaraderie among employees, and facilitates innovation and design through thoughtful workplace design.

• Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan
• Size: 85,400 square feet

TowerPinkster worked with Aquinas College to establish a new face for their science program. The team created a design concept for the future of the science building, which was completed in two phases. Redeveloped areas feature research space, classrooms, offices, and collaborative student areas. A sizable addition houses multiple new teaching labs and a lecture hall. Academic programs including biology, chemistry, geography, nursing, and physics reside in the new space, as does the college’s Institute for Economicology.

The new space features technology-rich simulation labs for nursing students. In a joint baccalaureate program with the University of Detroit Mercy, the nursing simulation lab allows nursing students to practice and hone their skills. Adjacent to the simulation clinics is a debriefing room equipped with the technology to replay the simulation and allow instructors and students to discuss the results.