Approach

Mission:

We design transformative places that create lasting value for our clients and communities through thoughtful stewardship, purposeful innovation, and enduring design.

Design Philosophy:

Looking beyond conventional concerns with aesthetics and function, C & I Design, Inc. strives to refine our discipline to actually connect people to structure . . to landscape . . to environment . . to people. Our approach fosters collaboration of talents from traditional disciplines such as architecture, landscape architecture, graphic design, lighting design, acoustics, equipment planning, and environmental design. These disciplines are then merged with necessary influences of psychology, sociology, and economics for an approach that is dedicated to integrated design solutions that strive to exceed the project’s concrete goals. To exceed traditional project goals, we also encourage interaction with and study of other influences such as community, culture, art, history, and philosophy. This interaction can produce a sense of place that enhances healing, augments the financial value, builds the human spirit, and functions in harmony with the site.

Analyze the Context:

The first step in creating a place in unity with its natural environment is performing site analysis. This includes exploring the site and studying the context. On undeveloped sites, this includes walking the land to get a hands-on impression of the site and topography. Soil conditions, native vegetation, prevailing winds, and solar orientation are documented.

On developed sites, we walk the streets, sidewalks, and buildings, study the patterns created by buildings, walkways, streets, and parks. Existing textures, colors, and materials are noted. We strive to document every contextual element including shadow patterns at different times of day to help fully evaluate impact to potential solutions.

Other influences that we endeavor to analyze are the pace and patterns of movement on and around the site. We conduct random interviews to learn about the area’s unique history, what people like, and what people do not like about the area. We collect as much information as possible to determine what characteristics of a place make it special, and what things impede use.

Listen and Learn:

This step begins the DIALOGUE. Surpassing the typical, anticipated interaction with staff, administrators, doctors, etc., the key to total success is to involve all stakeholders: the individuals who live with and in our space on a daily basis; patients, visitors, nurses, maintenance staff, administrative assistants, technical staff, . . . We try to draw from the largest group cross-section that includes different insight from varying cultural, racial, gender, and age perspectives. This builds a sense of ownership in the plan and a team spirit of contribution.

Together, the staff and you become key players on the team. As a critical part of the design process, we ask you to create your own drawings, lists, diagrams, and layouts to show us what you want and need . . what works for the way you work. Working together in groups, this process allows us to see the vision of the place that will be your own.

These surveys are a critical part of the process, but they will never capture the passions that are revealed in our meetings and work sessions. Most already understand, but we reinforce the fact that this process will ultimately affect every level of your lives. By building a sense of commitment and team, the partners in this process put our hearts and souls into the task, and this allows us to connect with every aspect of the life of a community.

We listen to the group and then utilize our newly acquired knowledge of your political, social, and corporate objectives to connect basic needs and desires with the practicalities and requirements of business and community. The result is a co-authorship that joins everyone involved in the pursuit of a common goal.

Mold the Vision:

As the process progresses, a pattern begins to emerge . . . patterns seem to dictate one path, while desires indicate another. Where more traditional approaches view these differences as obstacles to overcome, we merge these paths into a single road (our project concept).

Rather than present pre-conceived solutions and concepts, C & I Design, Inc. pulls ideas from the people on the team and in the community. We never tell you what you should have . . you communicate your needs and wants to us. Our designs, therefore, are not imported, but drawn from and refined from a collective pool of ideas, needs, wants, and desires of the team.

Having collected your visions, we are ready to weave them into a fabric that includes our own knowledge and expertise. Now we compile existing space usage, space requirements, adjacency requirements, prepare sketches and present this information to the team in a flexible atmosphere that nurtures freedom of expression while maintaining structure and focus on the common goals. Concepts are tested on many different levels. Together, we discard faulty assumptions and ideas, search out new possibilities, and work out a plan.

Vision Becomes Reality:

Now there is a plan. A road map to drive our decisions related to developing a built environment that achieves the established mission and goals, promotes healing, builds a sense of community, and improves the quality of life. It is the time where ideas and practicalities are linked. Budgets are considered, blueprints and elevations are drawn, requirements and schedules are met, and a host of details are identified that must be addressed.

We simply do whatever it takes to bring it all into reality. We endeavor to work past the traditional development of ideas and processes, past the mere production of drawings; to build an environment and a community that has a long-term positive impact.

Attention to detail is paramount in the success of our relationship and projects. At every turn along the project road, the vision . . the concept . . the plan is the guide we use to direct the realities. Throughout the project process, we coordinate the details to insure a successful result. We have extensive healthcare, nursing, and assisted-living experience in facility programming, adaptive re-use and renovation, cost estimating, design, contract documents, and contract administration that will allow us to help you build your dream.

In our approach, the process is never fully complete because the life of a place is always evolving. For this reason, our commitment to implementation of your goals extends to preserving its usefulness and insuring its place as a community cornerstone in the future. C & I Design, Inc. will be here for you today . . . and tomorrow.

Life Begins:

The land has been carved, solid foundations have been formed, structures have been constructed, and the PEOPLE have come. Now, the real life of a built environment begins. The real vision is realized as time progresses, as human interaction gives identify to the space and softens the hard edges of structure, and as natural foliage grows to strengthen the impact of environmental therapy. OUR DREAM BECOMES REALITY . . . a timeless place where life and healing are nurtured.

Transformational, Servant Leadership:

The goal of transformational, servant leadership when applied to project leadership is to “transform” people in a literal sense in mind and heart; enlarge vision, insight, and understanding; clarify purposes; make behavior congruent with beliefs and values; and bring about personal development, solutions, and processes that are permanent, self-perpetuating, and momentum building. In addition to the traits listed above, developing into this type of project leader requires the following core characteristics:

Vision; Initiative; Patience; Respect; Persistence; Stewardship; Courage; and Faith.

We believe that creating a company focused on these personal axioms will allow us to achieve our universal mission …….. IMPROVE THE ECONOMIC WELL BEING AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF ALL STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED WITH OUR PROJECTS BY PROVIDING CREATIVE, RESPONSIVE, COLLABORATIVE DESIGN SOLUTIONS.