Chris VanOverbeke

/in /by
  1. Tell me an interesting fact about yourself.
    • My friends and I have a challenge to each a whole 30 oz roll of cookie dough in one sitting, we have tried multiple times but never completed.
  2. Why did you go into your profession?
    • I started at IDS after being heavily influenced to go into the big three, University of Detroit Mercy sort of guides each mechanical engineering student to that lifestyle since automotive has such a big impact. But I wanted to do something different. Through school I determined I love to learn about the flow of systems, such as aerodynamics or the effect of dropping a rock in a river, and now learning about the flow of air through a duct or water through a pipe has peaked my interest and kept me learning on that path.
  3. What is your greatest strength?
    • I find my greatest strength is the desire to understand as much as I can and keep learning about different systems and how they work.
  4. What is your greatest personal achievement (not related to work)
    • My greatest personal achievement outside of work was working on my senior design project in college to help a disabled veteran walk better.
  5. What is your greatest professional achievement? (related to IDS)
    1. My greatest professional achievement was designing University of Michigan Fire protection system during my first year of work! It was interesting for a young professional in the industry.
  6. What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
    1. Outside of work, I like hanging out with my two dogs, going mountain biking, and relaxing at home. Through the pandemic, I have gotten really into Formula 1 racing as well.
  7. What motivates you?
    1. I would like to say coffee in the morning, but generally I just want to do a good job for the company, while also making the clients/owners happy with our work.
  8. What is your #1 professional goal?
    1. My professional goal is to design and model an entire mechanical room for one of the universities that we work with.

“You don’t expect to be at the top of the mountain the day you start climbing.” – Ron Dennis

Career Milestone Achieved IDS Has Two New Licensed Architects

/in , /by

We want to give a big congratulations to Kyle DiMaggio and Craig Sykes for achieving the career milestone of passing the architectural licensing exams. Becoming a licensed architect is a challenging journey requiring dedication to complete the multiple parts of the test, but these two pushed through and completed them all. Please join us in congratulating Kyle DiMaggio and Craig Sykes!

 

More about our new licensed Architects:

Kyle DiMaggio, RA, NCARB

From a young age, Kyle wanted to become an architect; he made sure to take an interest in anything he could that would assist him in becoming an architect. His love for drawing, creating, disassembling, and reassembling things to see how they worked helped him choose to become an architect. As Kyle got older, he found a deep-seated interest in understanding the environments, and the physical and mental relationships between them and ourselves, in addition to the effects of altering one to affect the other.

When Kyle attended the university, he sought out varied experiences and topics and engaged with as many professionals that he could to better understand his career choice. This time he spent engaging others ultimately led him to pick up a second Masters in Urban Design. After school, he took a year off before pursuing his licensing exam to get as much experience as possible before sitting for the tests. Now, after a year of lockdown, studying, and test-taking, Kyle is an officially licensed architect.

Kyle started at IDS as an intern in 2017 until he finished getting his degree and then joined the IDS team full time in 2019. Since this time, he has worked on a few different projects. One of the most enjoyable projects he is currently working on is the South Lyon Community Schools projects, where he is getting involved in aspects of the project he has not been able to work on before, like designing firewalls and working on natatoriums.

 

Craig Sykes, AIA, NCARB

As a kid, Craig enjoyed working on projects around the house with his dad, and when they finished the project, he always felt a sense of accomplishment. When Craig grew up, he knew he wanted to pursue a career in the building industry, allowing him to be a part of something grander. The path of architecture would allow him to work on exciting projects while also giving him the same sense of accomplishment he enjoyed growing up.

Craig’s path to becoming a licensed architect was a long and windy one. After passing his first exam, he proposed to his wife. After a year, Craig decided it was time to go back after his license.  After passing a few more exams, buying and renovating a house, and his wife expecting their first child, Craig finished his exams just in time to welcome their new baby boy.

Throughout Craig’s time at IDS, he has worked on many projects, but a couple of his favorites are the University of Michigan Union Renovation and Michigan State University S.T.E.M. Building. Both of the projects taught him different skills. The Union showed him that every project is unique, and working on historic buildings takes patience and hours of fieldwork. MSU S.T.E.M. Craig dove deeper into the building envelope and gained more of an understanding of how different building systems come together and how minor details are crucial to a building’s performance.

Jack Potterack

/in /by

Jack Potterack added his degree in Architecture from Lawrence Tech University after earning a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering at MSU. That is not the most remarkable thing about him, though; Jack once was on an airplane with Juliette Lewis. Wonder if he could get us all an autograph?

Seeing design issues and details from all angles and considering every impact that can result from a decision helps Jack become a better architect. He believes the coordination required between the disciplines makes projects successful and appreciates how his colleagues do this as a team. An architect provides advice and designs on built objects, both public and private landscapes. Jack knew he wanted to be creative, but he has grown to enjoy problem-solving; being able to do both of these things helps him grow as an architect.

Not only is Jack a talented architect, but he is a remarkable husband to his beautiful wife; he says marrying her was his highest personal triumph. Being an MSU football fan, Jack was elated to be part of the MSU Skandalaris Center and Player’s Lounge Renovation. It was early in his career and continues to still one of his highlights. Motivated by the rewarding feeling you get when you witness users function in and show appreciation for a space you’ve worked on, is why his passion for architecture grows every day.

When not helping to create and design impressive buildings and landscapes, Jack enjoys going to the movie theaters and watching Jeopardy with his wife. Spending time with family and friends on a deck, by a lake, near a campfire, or even standing around a kitchen late at night, is something he also takes pleasure in.

“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing” – Socrates

Jacob Klee

/in , /by

Jacob’s passion for architecture developed from being exposed at a young age to his family’s involvement in the construction industry and woodworking.  Going on home tours, like the Parade of Homes in Grand Rapids, further sparked his interest. During these tours, he met numerous architects that encouraged his intrigue in architecture. His passion continued to develop as his love for researching new design trends and drawing buildings grew, and this lead to Jacob deciding to become an architect.

Before his 25th birthday, Jacob got his architecture license; he did not initially plan to take the exams so soon, but he was inspired after having great conversations with some senior IDS members during a retreat up north. While studying for the exams, Jacob’s colleagues were very supportive, and helped him stay motivated. There are so many opportunities to expand your knowledge as you encounter new architecture designs, so having the strength and drive to learn new things is why Jacob will continue to grow into a fantastic architect.

Outside of work, Jacob enjoys traveling, be it road trips around the states, studying abroad in Europe, or visiting friends in Mexico. It gives him the opportunities to see how other people live, work, and play in different cultures. Jacob can also say that he has friends across the world. His sense of adventure continues to grow as he goes camping and explores Detroit. Jacob also has a fondness for playing volleyball; though he has yet to spike the ball, it is one of his goals, so if you are playing with him watch out, or his first spike might just be on you.

Continuing towards his goal of designing spaces that make life better, Jacob stays motivated by curiosity and learning from other people’s experiences. Jacob feels that through the design process, you can empower people to make a positive change in their environment. In the end, he says it is inspiring and fulfilling to see clients and users appreciate their spaces.

“The main tenet of design thinking is empathy for the people you’re designing for.” – David Kelley, Founder of IDEO

Randi Paananen

/in /by

Judging from the fact that she jumped out of an airplane, you might think of Randi as a bit of a thrill-seeker. But these days, her passion is helping people with her work. Randi gets the most satisfaction when a client is pleased with the level of care that she puts into her electrical engineering projects. A recent highlight for her was designing the electrical systems for the MSU STEM Teaching Facility and working with its unique mass timber structure. She enjoyed designing the electrical systems but said the challenging part was when construction started while the designs were still being developed. This made her and the design team prioritize and be flexible.

Randi entered the engineering field hoping to help reduce the consumption of fossil fuels. She started out by studying renewable energy sources before deciding she might have a greater impact by focusing on improving energy efficiency. One of Randi’s top achievements was passing her Professional Engineering license exam two weeks before her first child was born.

Randi’s professional goal is to ensure that clients know they can always trust IDS with their projects. This holds true whether she is the lead designer or is helping her teammates. In her personal time, Randi loves to take vacations with her family, preferring to use airplanes as transportation instead of jumping out of them.

Stacy Marra

/in /by

When Stacy was a student at CMU, she worked with the facilities department, where her boss showed her that the engineering field is a way to use her technical skills. This would give her the ability to help people as a result of working in the profession. Stacy is motivated by being able to help people solve their problems. She enjoyed working on the Caro Center; she believes that this project would help many people. Stacy has had many outstanding achievements, but her biggest ones were moving to Grand Rapids and receiving her Engineering degree from Centra Michigan University.  

On top of assisting people, Stacy wants to make her clients satisfied and happy. She wants them to not only be happy but to enjoy working with IDS. Making clients happy and seeing to it that they enjoy working with IDS can be easier when you are strong with communication. Stacy believes that communication is vital because it makes people feel heard and listened to. She strives to continue improving and advancing her communication skills, resulting in a better and more creative product. 

Stacy, like any other pet owner, treats their pets like children. However, Stacy’s cat Lou is a sassy one who she treats like a child. In Stacy’s spare time, she likes to spend time with her sassy cat, friends, and family. 

 “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” – Albert Einstein 

Nancy Hooker

/in /by

Motivated by the desire to do better and to help others achieve their goals, Nancy followed in her family’s footsteps after admiring what they had accomplished.  She strives thoroughly in everything she does professionally and personally. Nancy has raised two children who are also going to school, both studying in the Engineering field. Her daughter will be graduating from Michigan Tech, and her son is a first-year student at Iowa State.  

Nancy strives daily to be a team player; she wants to help assure that the projects she works on run smoothly and gives the client the highest quality product they deserve. Nancy was a part of the Caro Center Psychiatric Hospital team, which she helped complete the construction documents. Nancy said, “This project was challenging due to all the anti-ligature requirements that needed to be met to provide the end-user with the safest possible facility.”  

When Nancy is not working, she enjoys snowmobiling, skiing, and spending time with her friends. Nancy also likes to spend time with her family, including her twin sister, who lives in Reno, Nevada. 

  “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela 

Katy Litwin

/in /by

Drawing, imagining, and designing buildings, spaces or objects has been a part of Katy’s creative outlet for as long as she can remember.  Katy was always drawn to the architectural profession. As she learned more about it, she was inspired by how spaces can impact people, culture, and society in diverse and meaningful ways.  As she learned more about an architect’s work, which extends beyond the process of designing physical spaces to involve research, collaboration, and ideation about how that physical space will function today and, in the future, she knew this is was the right career for her. Projects that promote more significant opportunities for their occupants to engage and be inspired have always motivated Katy.  Whether Katy is at work or home, her passion for design never stops. The opportunity, big or small, gives her the chance to imagine something new and think creatively.

Katy’s passion for design translates into her ability to mentor and lead others in the design field.  Katy wants to positively impact the people she works with and the projects she is a part of. She is motivated by designing spaces that inspire, engage, and support the communities for which they are built. Katy’s commitment to the profession was recognized in 2018 when she received the AIA Michigan Young Architect award.

When asked about her biggest strength, Katy said, “She believes it is her ability to understand and share the feelings of others through her work.” Katy continued to say, “As experts in the design role, we bring a lot of knowledge to the projects in which we engage, however without empathy and an understanding of our client’s needs and goals, these projects are not complete.”

 “To create, one must first question everything.” – Eileen Gray, Architect and Designer

Aubree Robichaud

/in /by

As a kid Aubree always enjoyed the creative process, art, drawing, lego-building, you name it.  She is detail-oriented and was curious to understand how buildings were made.  In High School, she took a drafting class and had the opportunity to learn about building and construction, and she was instantly hooked.  Working in this profession has allowed her to blend those interests in a delightful and rewarding way. She strives to continually evolve and improve upon her professional abilities to provide successful project-specific solutions that will leave meaningful impressions on the built environment.

Aubree continuously seeks the new and unique design challenges that come with each project. ; it motivates her to approach each day as a problem solver and always remain inquisitive. But being able to adapt to any situation is Aubree’s biggest strength. She has been with IDS for almost nine years; she has worked on multiple projects at that time. Becoming a licensed architect and an Associate at IDS has been her most outstanding achievement thus far. She believes, however, that there are still many exciting milestones ahead of her.

When Aubree isn’t working on all of the fantastic projects at IDS, she enjoys being outdoors whenever possible. She also enjoys playing piano and spending time with her family.

“Use your fear; it can take you to the place where you store your courage.” – Amelia Earhart

Taylor Easthope

/in /by

Taylor has always been obsessed with the idea of potential. Whether it is of things, people, objects, or spaces, she believes that Interior Design lets her develop the possibility of a client’s current space or creates an opportunity to develop a brand new one. Interior Design allows Taylor to do something different each day, and as much as she does not want to admit it, she secretly enjoys multi-tasking. One of her greatest strengths is being organized and a fantastic planner. Not only does Taylor enjoy the potential of things, but she also enjoys cooking with her husband. She says that he likes to go rogue in the kitchen, where Taylor herself likes to follow the recipe.

One of Taylor’s most significant professional achievements was receiving her NCIDQ. Since then, she has learned so much, paving the way to become a better presenter to clients, both in-person and virtually. But in the past year, Taylor has been investing in her mental health, making her a better friend, wife, daughter, and sister. Taylor feels the best space to be in professionally is one that allows her to learn and grow. She finds motivation in being able to make an impact or difference in a space, on a process, or with a person.

When not working on designing new spaces or cooking with her husband, Taylor enjoys vintage hunting; she has found some of her favorite items by going to estate sales and shopping on the Facebook marketplace.

“The role of the designer is that of a very good, thoughtful host, anticipating the needs of his guests.” – Charles Eames