Strategic Insights
- Expertise
- Architecture
- Design Build
- Engineering
- Interior Design & Procurement
- Landscape Architecture
- Planning & Consulting
- Universal Design
- Water Resources
- Environments
- Community
- Healthcare
- Housing
- Industrial
- Learning
- Retail
- Senior Living
- Workplace
- Worship
- Progressive AE
- Cleanrooms
- Community
- Company News
- Design
- Engineering
- Healthcare
- Housing
- Industrial
- Interior Design
- Learning
- Mixed Use
- Retail
- Senior Living
- Sustainable Design
- Universal Design
- Water Resources
- Workplace
Design Trends: NeoCon 2017
As another NeoCon comes and goes, we take note of some of the top trends for 2017.
Can People See In? Why Visibility Matters for Places of Worship
What effect do visibility and the ability to see inside have on places of worship? For Brightmoor Christian Church, the change has been incredible and helped reintroduce the church to the community.
Transforming Spaces for Advanced Manufacturing Education
After a period of under-investment in technical training, community colleges and universities are now creating teaching environments that prepare their students for successful careers in today’s manufacturing workplace.
The Future of Workplace
What does the future hold for trends in the workplace, and what have been the long-term effects of past trends?
The Impact of Local Culture on Workplace Design
Sharing “aha moments” from our work with MLive Media Group and the national roll-out with parent company, Advance Publications.
Progressive AE Named One of The Healthiest Places to Work in Michigan
Our Grand Rapids office earned a 2017 Governor’s Fitness Award for “Healthy Workplace.”
Worship Facility Discernment Toolkit
How do you know if it’s better to build new or expand your current facility?
Key Takeaways: PivotPoint Manufacturing Event
This past March we hosted an event for manufacturers featuring presentations from key leaders and professionals.
Seven Universal Design Changes You Can Make Today
There is no such thing as “one-size fits all” when it comes to humans. According to the Centers for Disease […]
Master Planning: Unlocking Campus Performance
Campus master planning is a methodical process that includes analysis, benchmarking, visioning and aligning the institution’s stakeholders.
Etiquette in the Age of the Open Office
By Melissa Powell Sheppard The first widely distributed reference on etiquette was written in 1922 when Emily Post authored “Etiquette […]
Redefining Technical Education
The design of the Hanson Technology Center celebrates the way technology and design can pair with precision manufacturing to create dynamic spaces that are environmentally and financially efficient.
St. Mary Magdalen Church Wins National Solomon Award
By John Van Houten and Jamie Benvenuto We are thrilled to share that St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church has been […]
Not Your Parent’s Dining Experience
Trends in On-Campus Dining
University dining halls have changed drastically over the past few decades, and the gap between them continues to widen. It’s amazing just how much it’s changed over the years.
Progressive AE Takes Home AIA Grand Rapids Awards
Three projects, St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church, Mary Free Bed YMCA and Mercy Health St. Mary’s Cafeteria, brought home awards from AIA Grand Rapids.
Getting the Most Out of Your Facility Assessment
Is your worship facility working for you? Will it still be working 20 years from now? Planning ahead can help […]
Competitive On-Campus Housing Solutions
According to “The American Freshman: National Norms Fall 2015,” an annual survey put out by UCLA, nearly 80 percent of incoming freshman lived in on-campus student housing last fall. And more than 40 percent of those same students said they chose their college…
Planning for Student Diversity
How do you create spaces that meet both the needs of the programs and the needs of those using them?
Choosing Furniture and Fixtures in Memory Care
When choosing furniture for memory care facilities, special attention must be paid to the fabric, cushion and design of the piece. Choosing the correct furniture can help make daily life easier for both residents and staff.
Neocon 2016: Cue the Hollywood Music (and the line for the elevator)
By Jessica Griffis I first started attending NeoCon while in design school and quickly became enamored with what is arguably […]
Building for Transformation – DeVos Family Center for Scouting Renovation
The local Grand Rapids Boy Scouts chapter recently launched a campaign titled “Build Character Today, Lead Tomorrow” to expand the DeVos Family Center for Scouting.
More than Attraction: What Makes Employees Stay?
Employers are scrambling to identify the best ways to bring talent in and keep them engaged.
A Learning Facility’s Influence on Outcomes: Have You Assessed Yours Lately?
With shrinking resources and budget limitations, it is critical to understand the utilization and condition of your current facilities and infrastructure.
The Downtown Market: Earning Awards and National Recognition
Kudos to our community leaders who had the foresight to understand all great cities have a downtown urban market.
How Unique Spaces Are Helping Churches Reach New People
This is the second part of a three-part blog series focused around unique ways that worship facilities can work to attract new members.
The Secret World of Engineering
The world of a structural engineer tends to be one of quiet, focused work. We are the ones after all who are responsible for the integrity of entire systems, including the building where you currently sit.
Applying Universal Design to Aquatic Environments
Taking the time to step back and look at how the space will be used, and who it will used by, can help determine the overall layout and degree of flexibility required for the space.
Tri County Area Schools Break Ground on Building Updates
School safety has become an important topic over the past several years. According to the National Center for Education […]
Designing Interiors That Work for Memory Care Residents
Throughout my career I’ve come to learn one very important thing: in order to create a space for someone, […]
A Lesson in Employee Satisfaction: What Healthcare Can Learn From Traditional Offices
Workplace studies have shown that engaged employees are more productive. Even a slight increase in staff performance can cover the initial cost of a better work environment.
Building Culture through Community
This year marks Progressive AE’s 10th consecutive year on the 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For list.
Why Lighting Is So Important When Designing for Dementia Patients
Good lighting can help dementia patients by allowing them to easily see what is around them.
Interior Design or Decorating?
An interior design solution is functional, improves the quality of life, culture, health, safety and wellbeing of its occupants
The Great Commission – Fishing is More Than a Weekend Hobby
The most successful church expansions are ones that support specific ministry goals. Unique ways that worship facilities can work to attract new members. This is part one of a three-part blog series focused around unique ways that worship facilities can work to attract new members.
Developing (or Updating) Your Primary Care Master Plan
The importance of a health system’s primary care network has become increasingly important, especially when you consider the idea of […]
Building an Affordable City
When communities support the development of affordable housing, it spurs economic development and ensures people and families of all income levels have a place to live. That push for affordable housing in Grand Rapids is a major goal of the City’s new master plan.