Church Interior Design and Architecture

Interior Design for your Church

 

 

Exterior rendering for proposed elevation

Our interior designers and liturgical designers work with churches exclusively and are sensitive to all styles of worship. WHHA + Ionic DeZign Studios also offers Liturgical Interior Design as well as Church Decorating Services that focus on providing worship flexibility.

interior rendering - renovation

 

• Over 34 years experience in liturgical design
• Worship and Fellowship redesigns for flexibility
• Historical restorations
• High quality furnishings procurement
• Expansion and renovations
• 3D renderings and master planning

WHHA + Ionic DeZign Studios will bring in our architects and interior designers who will create sketches and drawings for review and approval by your building committee. After approval, our team will prepare a materials board which will coordinate colors and designs selected for the decorating of your church used during construction. We would prepare a comprehensive proposal. A detailed scope relating to the anticipated work would accompany the proposal. After contract award we would procure all materials and then schedule to contract the actual work in a condensed timeframe that would disrupt church services as little as possible.

completed fellowship hall

Contact us to assist in your project.

WHHA + Ionic Dezign Studio

Virginia Beach & Richmond offices

www.WHHAdezigns.com or www.ionicdezigns.com for full description of our services.

IMAGINATIVE MINDS WANTED!

 

IONIC is a rapidly-growing Virginia Beach-based architecture and interiors firm. We pride ourselves in giving employees the opportunity to take their careers in the direction of their dreams. We’re looking for creative people with initiative to work in our one of our offices (Virginia Beach or Richmond). We work on a variety of project types including retail spaces, restaurants, hospitality facilities, corporate offices, mixed-use and commercial buildings, financial institutions, municipality projects and religious architecture.

We are looking for applicants to fill the role of Junior Architect/Designer. This position will help with new construction and renovation projects.  Junior Architect/Designers responding must be capable of working on multiple projects in various phases simultaneously. Proficiency in Revit, AutoCAD for production of construction documents. 3D Max or other rendering software skills are helpful. Must work well with others for team collaboration. Please send your current resume and references to info@ionicdezigns.com

 

Problem Solving - Don't stick your head in the sand

Have you ever had one of those days wherever you turn you are faced with problems?

Areas you thought were 100% under control turned out to be in chaos? The world begins to spin and you cannot seem to grasp back onto solid ground?

Yeah....me too.

It can be normal everyday issues or even work related. Whatever comes up you need to not stick your head in the sand but rather resolve the issues. I know easier said than done. I have this often. I want to run away. I call it my hermit-idous......I'd rather be a hermit.

As a diabetic I've often been faced with imaginary issues that seem much more grand than they are in reality. Don't tell my brain that......it thinks they are real. Blood sugar controls so many things one of them being your emotions. You certainly could call it depression..... I'd rather call it emotional delusion. I know that it is just a chemical imbalance and I should try and work myself out of it. 

So how do you do that? Well I've gone through this enough times that I have learned a few lessons.

Lesson learned: 

1) Suck it up and walk it off.

Ok so that is harsh but I tend to be a bit tough on myself and really don't want to drown in my sorrows. I feel that the best medicine is to get up and keep moving. After all nobody ever drown by falling into water......they drowned by staying there.

2) There is no time for me to be off of my game. 

Have you ever went on vacation and then came back to a pile of work? Isn't it crazy how much builds up even over a short time. So think about that when you get overwhelmed and want to retreat. More than likely you are a person that is in need. Staff, Family, Friends.....try to stay on your game. Many people rely upon you but more importantly you rely upon yourself. Take a breath and get back in the game.

3) I realize that I need to more analytical and lesson emotional in my dealings.

Science! It will solve anything. Okay maybe not exactly. Try to flip the switch and pretend it is someone else's problems and you are asked to solve them. Would you jump up and down and freak out? Probably wouldn't help that individual much. Try to put it in the right perspective. There is some issue that needs to be addressed. Whether it is work related or any other issue look at it as a regular problem solving task. 

4) Write the issues down.

Whether they are real or imaginary....it doesn't matter. In your head they are real....or real enough to make you worry about them. Then after each one.....write a solution. Don't worry about how practical the solution is.....just write it down. It will start your brain thinking about various possibilities to resolve the issues. Sometimes by writing them down it will bring a bit of reality to the situation and you will realize that it wasn't that big of a deal after all. Sometimes FEAR freezes us and makes us IMMOBILE to any action.

5) Reengage.

Once you've gone through these tasks don't keep hibernating. Get out there and keep doing what you do. Re-engage with others and interact so that your brain gets back on track.

Diabetes is a real struggle as well as depression. Don't let it get out of hand. If you see yourself slipping further than don't be afraid to get some help. Sometimes just chatting with a friend can get you through some tough issues.

Even though it is so tempting.....try not to stick your head in the sand and hide. Work through the issues and be strong. 

Eugene Thompson
Ionic DeZign Studios
President + Founder

IONIC Named Preferred Building Partner with Wendy's Restaurant

Ionic DeZign Studios was invited to participate in planning session in Columbus Ohio, home of the famous Wendy's Restaurant brand this week. A select number of architects and builders were gathered to brainstorm the collective process and  numerous challenges involved in renovating or building a new Wendy's Restaurant. 

The two day seminar brought parties together from all over the US including Canada.  We reviewed the past and then discussed growth plans through 2020. It was a great team building experience that allowed us to CONNECT, LEARN and GROW by sharing best practices in the architecture and construction industries. 

Dahlia White, Director of Restaurant Architecture for IONIC has managed the design of more than 150 different stores since we were first began working with the hamburger giant and assisting in their rebranding exercise in 2011. We were asked at that time to assist in their rebranding exercise. Dahlia continues to build relationships with Wendy’s while managing their current projects. She was excited to finally meet face-to-face with many project members that so often are only a voice on the phone or a name on the email. It felt like coming together for a Wendy’s family reunion!

During the conference, both Dahlia, along with  Eugene Thompson, Founder + President of IONIC participated in a quick design charette study for a non-traditional location in downtown Philadelphia. It was a corner spot that previously housed a two-story historic bank structure clad in white stone. This was a fun opportunity for us all to collaborate to come up with possible solutions for a unique design challenge. There will be more locations like this in the coming years as it is anticipated that about 30% of future Wendy’s projects will be non-traditional in nature.

It was an excellent experience and an opportunity for IONIC to continue to grow throughout the country. Our firm hopes to continue assisting corporate and franchise owners with their redevelopment work. TEAM IONIC is also looking to work with owners and contractors who share our desire to produce quality work for all.

We don't cut corners!

Let us help with your Wendy's or other restaurant project. Please feel free to give us a call to discuss how we can help and serve you.

D. Eugene Thompson, AIA

Founder + President

www.ionicdezigns.com

www.WHHAdezigns.com

Creating places and spaces that enrich the lives of those who use them.

Welcome to the Team

We welcome Michael Peterson to our family at IONIC. Michael comes to us from The University of Virginia with his B.S. in Architecture and minors in Architectural History as well as Global Sustainability. A well rounded designer with skills in all the typical computer modeling and digital construction documentation. Michael also provides a wealth of information and collaboration in the lighting industry having worked alongside our friends at Lighting Virginia every summer while in school.

a world traveler and accomplished photographer, Michael will help out our office including the office in Richmond in the near future. We welcome Michael to our group of designers.

We have attached a few images from his work in work for your review.

Eugene Thompson, AIA
Founder + President
www.ionicdezigns.com
www.WHHAdezigns.com

Great Things at IONIC

We are really excited to announce the promotion of a few family members at Ionic DeZign Studios to leadership roles. It is with great pride we celebrate the following promotions:

Matthew Mazzoni, AIA, LEED AP, CCCA has been promoted to Director of Architecture for all of Ionic DeZign Studios. Matt has been with IONIC for five years and has excelled. He brings the best efficiency and productivity to our team. Matt will lead the firm's production into the future while continuing to focus on building client relationships and exceeding their expectations. He handles many of our financial institutional projects locally and in other areas including Florida, Texas, Rhode Island and Maryland. We look forward to his guidance.

Dahlia White, Assoc. AIA has been promoted to Director of Restaurant Architecture for the firm. Dahlia has been with IONIC for over nine years and has handled a myriad of different projects during that time. She has excelled in project management while working on many of our restaurant projects. Dahlia has managed more than 150 Wendy's Restaurants for corporate and franchise owners. Her relationship with owners and contractors has allowed IONIC continued and expansion in the restaurant industry.

Joy Thorpe, Assoc. AIA has been promoted to Director of Interior Architecture for the firm. Joy has been with IONIC three years. She came to us with experience of running her own design firm for many years prior. Her background and attention to detail has allowed her to grow our interiors department while also managing many of the residential and multi-family projects. Her knowledge of furniture specification has provided IONIC the ability to offer furniture procurement services to our clients as well.

We all welcome the growth and progression of our family into leadership roles and look forward to what the future holds for us all. Congratulations.

D. Eugene Thompson, AIA

Founder + President

www.ionicdezigns.com

www.WHHAdezigns.com

Where Art and Architecture Come Together

 

Watch us Grow - WHHA + IONIC

The IONIC family welcomes a new member to it's Richmond office. Aaron Payne joins us from Virginia Tech and will help us manage the large work load of churches and other projects that we are tackling in the Richmond Market.

Aaron will be adding to the team skills in Revit, Rhino, 3D Max as well has other architectural related software programs. With an eagerness to learn and while in college, he became deeply convicted that architecture was all about finding a better setting for life. He is passionately interested in doing that by closely observing and then responding to the constantly evolving economic and cultural changes that have occurred during the last 20 years.

We have included a few of his school projects.

We all welcome Aaron to the fun world of architecture.

Eugene Thompson, AIA
Founder + President
www.ionicdezigns.com
www.WHHAdezigns.com