Introducing...Angela Mulder

Indianapolis-born Angela Mulder juggles a diverse range of responsibilities at Visbeen Associates. Her titles include Sales and Marketing Manager, along with Executive Assistant to the President. After studying Communications at Calvin College and graduating in 2001, Angela worked in hospitality, event planning, and office management for two years before accepting a position with VAI in 2003. For the past seven years she has managed scheduling and client relations for the firm. As her job has evolved, she has taken on sales and marketing, award entry management, and all that comes with organizing the life of the leading architect and company president. Angela’s strong organizational skills and energetic personality make her a vital part of the team.

Angela is 31 years old, and married with two children. Her husband Jonathan and their children Isaac and Charlotte live in Grand Rapids. Angela is an avid runner, and loves to travel and shop.

Introducing...David Lorenz

Senior Designer David Lorenz has been part of the VAI team since September of 2000. Originally from Union, Missouri, Lorenz went on to study at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. He graduated with Bachelor of Architecture, and is now in charge of design, drafting, drawing, and rendering in watercolor for Visbeen Associates. His world-class illustrations beautifully depict projects completed by the firm, and have transformed the office into an art gallery.

Lorenz, age 39, has been married to his wife Emily for six years. They have three children, Eli, Elena and Anastasia. David is a gardener, and also collects industrial furniture. He enjoys painting in his free time.

2010 Best in American Living Award Winners!

The Best in American Living Awards (BALA) has been a competition recognizing design excellence in the building industry for over 25 years. At the BALA awards ceremony this year (during the NAHB International Builders' Show), 59 winners were honored for their innovation and creativity in 28 different categories, ranging from best custom and spec homes to best remodel and community designs. Visbeen Associates received six BALAs, including the prestigious Best in the Midwest Region, which we have been awarded four out of the last five years of this competition!

Best in Midwest Region: East 8th Street

Builder: Bouwkamp Builders • Interiors: Cyndy Schurman

1st Place - Remodel Specialty Project: East 8th Street

Builder: Bouwkamp Builders • Interiors: Cyndy Schurman

1st Place - Single-family Detached Home (2,001-3,000 sq ft): Clareville

Builder: Jeff Segard • Interiors: Julie Holmes

1st Place - Single-family Detached Home (over 4,001 sq ft): Avonlea

Builder: Jeff Segard • Interiors: Julie Holmes

3rd Place - One-of-a-kind Spec Home (up to 4,000 sq ft): Sunsweet Hill

Builder: Distinctive Homes • Interiors: Kim Waltman

3rd Place - One-of-a-kind Spec Home (4,001-6,500 sq ft): Kearney Hill

Builder: Insignia Homes • Interiors: Julie Holmes

For more photos of these award winning homes, please visit our website.

Architectural Tutorial: Stairs

“There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs.”

-anonymous

(http://thinkexist.com/search/searchquotation.asp?search=stairs&page=3)

But which type of stairs lead to success? In today's architectural tutorial, we will be outlining the various types with pictorial examples from Visbeen Associates' home designs so you can judge for yourself!

1. Straight Run Stairs: have no turns, as the name implies. (http://www.build-home-building-house.com/stair_types.html)

The Sinclaire's straight run stair with open tread

2. L Stairs: has one landing at some point along the flight of steps.

(http://www.build-home-building-house.com/stair_types.html)

The Westchester's L stair

3. U Stairs: may be constructed either as wide U or narrow U stairs. Both have two flights of steps parallel to each other with a landing between. (http://www.build-home-building-house.com/stair_types.html)

The Amblewood's U stair with some great details

The Blaine's U stair with a built-in booth on the landing - a detail like this really sets a common type of stair apart

4. Spiral Stairs: wind around a central pole. They typically do not have an inner handrail, just the central pole. (http://www.allwords.com/word-spiral+staircase.html)

The Pentwater's spiral stair with open tread

The Leland's spiral stair with open tread - what a great way to get up to the tower level!

5. Circular Stairs: do not have a central pole and there is a handrail on both sides. These have the advantage of a more uniform tread width when compared to the spiral staircase.

(http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Stairs)

Torrey Pines' circular stair makes for a grand entrance

The Pinehurst's circular stair takes you from the basement all the way to the upper level

Two Creeks' stair circles around a fantastic chandelier in the entry

Wilcox Gardens: Chapter Six

Learn all about the quaint city of East Grand Rapids as the Wilcox Gardens story continues in Grand Rapids Magazine's January issue. Check it out below or click here to read the full article!

Best of GR!

We can't think of a better way to bring in the new year than to celebrate being voted as the Best Architecture Firm by the readers of Grand Rapids Magazine! Thank you very much for the votes and we look forward to making 2011 another great year in architecture!

Introducing...Paul Fikse

Paul Fikse is a licensed residential builder and the Vice President of Visbeen Associates. Raised in Illinois, Fikse studied architecture at Iowa State before attaining a degree in Business from Hope College in Holland, Michigan. He made West Michigan his permanent home after college, and has been an integral part of VAI’s development since 1993. As Vice President, Fikse’s responsibilities are widespread, but he spends the majority of his time focused on Design Development and Project Management. He and the staff complete precise drawings for each design job, and Fikse personally reviews all construction documents before they are submitted to the builder. His architectural training and practical building experience, combined with exceptional drafting skills, ensure that every Visbeen design is beautiful and functional.

Paul, age 47, and his wife Karla have three children, Emma, Sara and Ethan. The Fikse family loves horseback riding, and spends a lot of time at the barn grooming and riding their five trail horses.