Inside IONIC
IONIC is Hiring!
About Ionic DeZign Studios
Ionic DeZign Studios is a fast-paced architectural firm based in Virginia Beach, VA with twenty-one years of experience creating spaces that enrich the lives of those who use them. We provide site and space planning, complete permit and construction documents and ultimately, construction contract administration to bring our client’s visions to life.
We promote a team environment where designers and architects work closely to support a value system where client relationships are paramount. IONIC’s core values guide every decision: Innovation, Creativity, Teamwork, Respect, Problem Solving and Family. Now, with an influx of projects, we are seeking the right candidate(s) to help continue our growth.
Open Roles
We are accepting candidates for the following positions. Richmond, VA based candidates preferred, but fully remote candidates are encouraged to apply.
Project Architect
- Registered Architect preferred
- Minimum 5 years of experience
- Proficient in Revit and AutoCAD
- Knowledge of Lumion or Enscape preferred
- Responsibilities include production of conceptual designs and construction documents for a variety of project types. Coordination with team and consultants.
- Full Time. Salary + Benefits Package.
Interior Designer
- Minimum 5 years of experience
- Proficient in Revit and AutoCAD
- Knowledge of Lumion or Enscape preferred
- Responsibilities include selection and specification of colors/materials/finishes for a variety of project types in cooperation with the Project Architect. Assist in the production of conceptual designs and construction documents. Coordination with team and consultants.
- Full Time. Salary + Benefits Package.
If you have experience in one or both of these positions, Visit our careers page for more information.
No RSVP Needed: IONIC Open House
February is typically our favorite month of the year because it’s when we host our annual Open House. We invite friends, family and clients to celebrate another year around the sun at both IONIC locations, while showcasing past and future projects, and the team’s exceptional party-planning abilities. From “Brats + Hardhats” to “DeZignosaurus Rex” we enjoy outdoing ourselves by taking the theme a little too far. Some may say that’s the IONIC way!
We aren’t able to gather under the guise of a zany theme this year, but trust us – we’re still celebrating. Our 20th year was one for the history books and we look forward to keeping the momentum going. We will have a lot to celebrate the next time our Open House comes around, but until then, please enjoy these fun moments and favorite captures from years past!
the IONIC Masterplan with Grace Bible Church
For most of us, the new year is a time of reflection. A moment to consider the last twelve months and start planning for the future. Even if you do it every year of your life (or the life of your business), it never gets easier. That’s because, where you will be in the next five, ten or fifteen years is a difficult question to answer. Harder still if the future includes planning for a new building, renovation or move.
With IONIC, it’s easier. Not only have we helped countless businesses plan new spaces and renovations that include any potential future, but we do it every day. We call our process the IONIC Masterplan.
the IONIC Masterplan is about more than the spaces we plan. We apply decades of specialized industry experience to understand our clients and make sure their current and future needs are accounted for. Often, we know what they need more than they do, because we do this work every day.
That was the case with Grace Bible Church. They were ready to accommodate a growing congregation with a second location – a new campus in Norfolk, VA – but wanted to do so within specific budget restrictions. IONIC went to work, strategically planning for their evolving and future needs with their current constraints, and developing a conceptual design for the new building.
Ultimately, IONIC assisted Grace Bible Church in repurposing a 21,000 square-foot office building into their new worship location. The design mimics the contemporary feel of the primary location in Virginia Beach while utilizing the existing office space’s footprint to create a beautiful worship space with room for growth. All while staying within budget. IONIC partnered with Hoy Construction who helped from the very beginning to develop the budgets and goals for the team.
#LunchtimeLive with Array Digital and D. Eugene Thompson
IONIC’s founder and Entrepreneurial Excellence Award winner, D. Eugene Thompson, recently sat down with Array Digital to participate in their Lunchtime Live series to talk about what it means to be an entrepreneur.
From speaking about the challenges he faced as a new business owner, to gaining the traction that got IONIC to where it is today, a lot is packed in the thirty-minute conversation.
Want to hear Eugene’s thoughts and the origin story on IONIC? The Lunchtime Live episode is still available! Stream it, below:
Announcing Newly Licensed Architect: Chris Warren
Ionic DeZign Studios is proud to announce that Architectural Associate Chris Warren has successfully completed his Architect Registration Examination (ARE) 5.0 and is a newly licensed architect.
The ARE is administered by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) and is designed to assess aspects of architectural practice that affect the integrity, soundness and health impacts of a building.
Chris has seven years of architectural experience, and joined the Ionic team in 2019. He earned his Bachelors of Architecture degree from Virginia Tech in 2011.
Chris’ experience includes residential construction, with a multitude of projects involving low-income housing, multifamily residential and single family homes. As a registered architect Chris will continue contributing his unique vision to Ionic designs, with a focus on creating outcomes that exceed client expectations.
Please join us in congratulating Chris on this achievement!
… the New Normal?
How is your new normal today?
Has everything flip flopped suddenly? Yeah, me too.
One day I was driving to work and the next stuck at home….trapped at home.
Seriously though I’ve never been NORMAL. Some will call me unique, creative, entrepreneurial….or crazy, strange or even give me the look of “what the heck is wrong with that man?”
So now we know that I have a problem/super-power, let’s move on.
Why have we resisted the new normal? Why is it so new? Foreign? So unacceptable? The overused phrases that have come through my email and heard on countless news broadcasts or webinars….How many webinars have you been on this week?
Yeah….me too!
ZOOM Meetings? Yeah….me too!
My friend Dave Will sent me an email via Propfuel that resonated with what I was experiencing as well.
Here are some of the phrases I cut and pasted right from my email in about a 5 min search, that make me want to BARF EMOJI all over the place.
we’re living in unprecedented times – tops the list
this is the new normal
we’re in ever changing times
there’s no script for this
we’re in a shifting landscape
we’re all in this together
current way of life
challenging times for all
social distance shaming (actually that one is kind of fun)
navigate this extraordinary health and economic crisis
navigate these turbulent times
if only we were more proactive
We KNOW this is an uncertain and unprecedented time! So let’s just jump to the value proposition.
Tell me why I’m getting your email.
He is absolutely right….I know this…why do I have to also get another email telling me that business is fine…we are ALL working from home…we ALL have the ability to still work on your project…blah blah blah.
Don’t get me wrong. I am so glad you have been able to MAKE THE SHIFT. However, I believe it is going to take a lot more than just working from home to meet the needs of …. OUR NEW NORMAL !
It’s going to take creativity to discover how ALL of our industries are going to react to this crisis. It will create change…IT WILL! There isn’t a doubt!
Your normal will never go back to normal again.
You can’t stick your heads in the sand and say, “I can’t wait until this is all over and goes back to normal.” Ladies and gentlemen….WE ARE NOT GOING BACK.
The question really is…are you going to make the change? Meaningful change? We need to do something….and we will need to keep on doing it!
Sure, right now we will all be working a little differently….maybe even required to do a little more. Many of our firms just became OVERNIGHT STARTUPS!
We must adapt during this crisis. And we need to do it now…FAST!
CRISIS = Circumstances Requiring an Immediate Shift In Strategy.
Become the new normal….become the change.
CoVa BIZ and Eugene
Eugene was featured in the recent edition of The Business Magazine Of Coastal Virginia – CoVaBIZ. Not only his efforts with IONIC but also his upcoming charity run for Diabetes – The 777 Challenge where he runs 7 marathons in 7 days in each of the 7 cities of Hampton Roads. Talk about Community!
Take a read through his article and if you want to know more about his running, go to this link.
Our Amazing Intern – Jaxon
Little did I know more than a year ago as I presented a Master Plan to build a new education wing for a church in Richmond, that I would walk away from that meeting with a new young designer.
Right after the presentation, a father brought his high school son to introduce to me and talk about the project in further detail. He also shared that his son was doing some AutoCAD in high school and wondered if we considered any internships. IONIC had considered summer interns in the past when there was a good match. We’ve even hired college students that worked part-time and went to school the other. Dahlia White is a testament to that success as she began with us that way more than 10 years ago.
So when this proud father introduced me to his son, Jaxon, a high school student, I must say that I was a little bit leery as to his ability to do much around our office. Honestly, everything we do is on the computer these days. And most high schools don’t teach the level that we would use in our office. However, I was very impressed with his portfolio work and found out that he had been in training with AutoCAD for three years. That’s just unheard of!
Jaxon was a pleasure in our office during his time with IONIC. He continued to grow and develop and not only honed his skills with AutoCAD, but quickly jumped into helping produce construction documents. We were excited to hear that this wasn’t just a job to make a few bucks but the beginning of a career and that he intended to go to architectural school at Virginia Tech.
Thanks Jaxon for all of your participation and energy that you shared in our Richmond office. We look forward to hearing and seeing great things from you in the future.
P. S. There are always summer breaks and holiday weekends!
Here is a quick note he shared with us:
My experience with IONIC started when they came to do an addition to my church; my dad dragged me along to the meeting just in case they offered an internship of some sort. I was doubtful that anyone would want a 17 year old kid working for them, but I went along anyway. After the meeting, I was super nervous about asking these two strange men (Eugene and Aaron) that I had never met about coming to work for them as it was my first time doing something similar to this.
However, it went smoothly! I secured the internship as well as a small pay, which was just unbelievable, and I went from there. When I first started at IONIC the one thing I remember is how welcomed I felt while I was first starting, almost like the family just took me under their wing immediately.
My first project I remember was a small project off of Twin Oaks, and Jeff gave me the floor plans and told me to put them into AutoCAD, no big deal right.
However, as I progressed I realized how hard it was! But with the help of Aaron and Google, I was able to continue to grow and learn. I am forever grateful for the opportunity that was given to me by IONIC and I am super excited to be back next summer!
IONIC isn’t only a business, it’s a family who care for one another deeply.
Thank you Jaxon for the kind words…Looking forward to seeing your success at Virginia Tech!
Ask IONIC #8 – The Final Look
Ask IONIC is a napkin series of questions that we often hear from our client and others that may assist those who are also seeking answers.
No question is dumb… just the ones you don’t ask.
We hope these will help you understand our industry just a little better so you can make informed decisions on your project.
Information that leads to knowledge is the key to success.
What will the completed product look like?
Owners are typically trying to find someone…i.e. an architect, that can ensure that what they envision in their heads or scratched on their cocktail napkins will look the same (or better) when it’s built.
So how can an architect best represent what’s communicated from the owner to the real world?
Architects have a variety of tools that we use to help owners visualize their completed projects before shovels even hit the ground. There has been a recent increase in the use of technology and software applications in construction, and we have seen the benefits first-hand. Our team utilizes Computer Aided Drafting Design (CADD) floor plans, elevations, conceptual drawings and 3D renderings that provide a photo-like image of your proposed building.
Basic Autocad is … well, just basic. It’s only a beginning. If this is all your architect is using, you might need something more.
At the start of a schematic design phase most efficient and creative firms will use design technology that represent your project in three dimensions. This is a huge help to see how your project looks and feels with all the appropriate materials. The project can be placed in its specific surroundings or similar one depending on your preferences and needs.
Be prepared to expend more in fees if you want the detailed exact surroundings. The designers will have to create these…they aren’t just “out there” on the internet.
If Interiors are a key part of your project, ensure that your design team has this capability. Often, a lot of other “pieces” are needed to populate an interior and make it visually exciting. Furniture, pictures on the walls, lighting, etc. Image if you went to look at an apartment that was empty versus one that was staged. Get the idea? Again, these take time to develop. If you are wanting the exact furniture or infill items, most likely the designer will have to create it fr
om scratch…there is no “Easy Button”!
What’s next?
How about a walk-through video. These are great and really give you an idea of the flow for how you might enter the building and stroll through each of the spaces. There are a variety of programs that help the architect achieve these. These are very helpful for clients that are trying to receive an approval from a committee or a church. Maybe even for fundraising purposes.
Image it being like a movie set… you aren’t just doing one angle of a scene but rather everything as you turn around within the space. Be sure to ask your professional about these available services and examples that they have previously completed. How did they work for those groups?
What’s next? Can there really be more?
Oh yes, in today’s world of advanced computer modeling there seems to be more everyday. Holograms? Not yet… sorry, maybe next year.
Images that are interactive rather than just still renderings. These are beneficial if you are using them on your website for potential tenants. Like the example below.
How about a “walk-around”? Similar to a walk-through video but typically shared within the architects office. Videos produced by many architects take TIME to render. So they aren’t always immediate for the client needs. A system we often use at IONIC allows the clients to see in real time the space and places that we are designing. They tell us where to walk, where to turn, what to see. Standing inside an important space and turning around looking everywhere, left, right, up and down. It’s amazing!
With ours…none of those goggles needed.
Perfect for design-build teams!
Go back and look at the approved renderings and the final product…how do they compare?
Our team takes immense pride in the work we do. We treat each client’s project as if it’s the only one we have. When construction is complete, you can be confident that your new building or renovation will serve you not just now, but for many years to come.
Let IONIC serve you too.