Emerging from progressive studios, public works and social-enterprise investments, integrated design has entered mainstream architecture. For no surer sign that this highly collaborative process has become a new best practice, look to the residential projects in which most of the industry works: architects of single- and multifamily buildings are assembling teams of partners and consultants to better deliver what homeowners want — and today, they want more storage.
ClosetMaid is supporting this change with ClosetMaid Professional Services, in which its Professional Services Representatives partner with architects and designers—as well as builders, contractors and developers—on storage design, specification and installation for new construction and renovations. The Ocala, Fla.-based manufacturer of closet systems, which has been providing interior storage solutions to consumers since 1965, launched this new service in time for its 50th anniversary.
The offering is felicitous on several counts. Besides the rise of integrated design, high-quality interior storage has catapulted to the top of homeowners’ wish lists; for example, it has been homeowners’ second-most-requested amenity since 2013, according to a study conducted by Zillow. Mastering the subject can be particularly frustrating for architects who are not yet initiated into the diverse range of storage strategies and manufactured products at their disposal. “While [our] consumer-based ClosetMaid dealers have experienced success from design services, we wanted to expand and bring quality storage and service solutions to those architects who are tasked with building design,” Stephanie Chan, ClosetMaid’s Building Division Marketing Manager, says of the launch.
Chan notes that ClosetMaid Professional Services encompass more than basic closet design. “It serves as a comprehensive resource that can be included in the design process through product specification, estimates based on takeoffs, coordination with multiple authorized ClosetMaid dealers for price quotes, full-service site visits and building and installation.”
Such deep involvement yields benefits well beyond an efficient closet. Professional Services Representatives can apply their knowledge to kitchen pantries, garages, laundry rooms and many other zones of a home that can benefit from organized storage. For architects of larger projects, representatives can produce specification and design documentation to support design-build — the project delivery method that has arguably embraced integrated design most enthusiastically — and bid processes.
In addition to furnishing design partners with Professional Services Representatives, ClosetMaid Professional Services are supporting the builder and developer communities with ClosetMaid Concierge Services for the homeowner. Concierge representatives assist purchasers of new residential units with storage upgrades by providing them with one-on-one consultation on subjects ranging from budget assessment to finish options. Both Professional and Concierge services are complimentary.
Chan says that the new ClosetMaid programs have a strong foundation. Retail consumers have taken advantage of the company’s low-cost design service for the public and “[have] been providing designs for many multifamily residences and commercial properties over the years,” she explains, adding that Professional Services and Concierge Services representatives comprise both newly hired professionals and cross-trained designers from ClosetMaid’s existing design staff. ClosetMaid Professional Services has just recently completed a residential renovation for an interior design firm. Several multifamily projects are also in various stages of design, bid and construction, “and a non-residential project [is] in initial concept/design phase.” Chan underscores the latter point, as ClosetMaid expects Professional Services to lead to more opportunities in the commercial market. In a similar vein, she foresees an expansion of the product line in response to working with its new audiences.