Happy Memorial Day

On this Memorial Day, we remember our servicemen - those currently serving, those who have served in days and wars past and most of all, those who have given their life in our nation's service. You are not forgotten and we thank you for defending the freedoms that we enjoy every day.Have a blessed Memorial D...

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The Duneside in the Spring Parade of Homes

Take a trip to Michigan’s coast and see our masterpiece showcased in the HBA of Greater Grand Rapids' Spring Parade of Homes, which opens tomorrow! Classic 19th-century Shingle-style cottages provided the inspiration for this surprisingly spacious design. Outside, wood siding, transom windows and a hipped roof add cottage charm. Inside, more than 2,500 square feet on the main floor, including an unusually shaped living room and a large, open-plan kitchen that looks out over an outdoor deck, provide plenty of room to relax. Nearby, a large master bedroom, office and study provide privacy when desired....

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Great Lake Story: Chapter One

Michigan Blue Magazine's Great Lake Story is back! This year's story takes place in the neighborhood called The Fairways at Harbor Shores in St. Joseph, MI. Read Chapter One for an introduction to this delightful tale of home design and the good life - stay tuned as this story unfolds to see Visbeen Associates' designs for Habor Shores!For ease of reading, visit www.visbeen.biz to view the full sto...

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Architectural Tutorial: Victorian Style

The Victorian Style is defined as "a style of architecture used in Britain during the reign of Queen Victoria from roughly 1840 to 1900, characterized by massive construction and elaborate ornamentation." The architecture of this era was considered to be a new kind of modernism, which is why it had such instant popularity. People were tired of simplistic residential designs of the past, so the highly decorative features of this era fulfilled their new found love for exquisite design.This style is a complex topic because it includes several styles, each with their own distinctive characteristics....

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Professional Builder Magazine Cover

One of Visbeen Associates' designs, the Hampshire, made the cover of Professional Builder Magazine last month. Check out the cover photo of the Hampshire's beautiful kitchen! To see more photos of this home design, visit the gallery of our website (www.visbeen.biz) > Residential Projects > American Neighborhood > Hampshire....

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Become a Blog Follower/Subscriber!

If you haven't done so already, we encourage you to follow/subscribe to our blog by submitting your email address in the space just to the right of this post. You will be kept up to date on anything new we post here on our blog with a simple email.Why subscribe, you ask? Here are a few reasons...1. All things VAI: you will be kept up to date on all things related to our firm - where you will find us when we are in the news, trade shows where we will have a booth, our award winning designs, the social side of our firm (we have one, we promise!), any happenings with our staff members as well as...

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Licensed in 6 States

Did you know that Wayne Visbeen is a licensed architect in 6 states? Michigan, Florida, Wisconsin, New York, New Jersey and, most recently, Illinois. We regularly work with clients on projects out of state and have never found distance to be an issue during the design process. One of our out of state clients recently said, "The high level of accuracy and detail in the project documents avoided many of the issues that often raise questions, cause delays and result in extras. When questions did arise, Paul Fikse and the rest of Wayne’s team presented solutions that met the design intent, supported...

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So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Adieu!

Our controller for many years, Marcy Stellin, recently left her position at Visbeen Associates for another great career opportunity. So we bid farewell to Marcy in true VAI style this week - with a party! Here are some photos from our little get-together at Brewery Vivant.Marcy - so long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu! We wish you the best in your future endeavors and thank you for your many years of faithful service here at VAI!Party just getting startedGetting ready to try some of Brewery Vivant's fantastic brews Our venue for the party, Brewery Vivant, a new pub/brewery located in an old...

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2 East Fulton Design Concepts

What used to be the Junior Achievement Building on the corner of Fulton and Division in downtown Grand Rapids has been purchased by Locus Development with plans to fully renovate the property. Visbeen Associates is the design architect working with Locus and Tower Pinkster (architect of record) on the design of this project - check out these conceptual watercolors recently rendered by the talented David Lorenz. We are very excited about the project and the potential for this downtown diamond-in-the-rou...

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