RATIO Design Office

Overview of Project:

The RATIO Design office relocated to the beautiful city of Raleigh, North Carolina. Their new office stands as a historic building built in 1953. RATIO Design was looking to revamp their interior space and used Formica^® Brand products to restore the office while maintaining the firm’s personality and setting similar to their prior office.

Although the firm was happy to relocate, they were hesitant about the transition into a completely different office atmosphere. The main goal of the project was to make sure that the office environment was captured in design – message boards, corn hole, and a real community feeling.  The original RATIO Design office had brick and hardwood –- a cozy and welcoming environment, and the firm did not want to lose that by moving to a more modern space. The Formica^® Brand products helped the employees’ transition into a new office feel like home. 

The RATIO Design office was nominated for the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) Award, and won. The Triangle Commercial Real Estate Women Champion Award (TCREW) presented the office with a local design prize for Best Interior Project in the Triangle Area, a very distinguished honor in the area of Raleigh, North Carolina.

As a design firm, RATIO Design wanted collaborative spaces that encouraged creativity and drawing with products such as the Formica^® Specialty Markerboard with magnetic dry erase panels. The additional benefit of having these types of panels allowed them to blend in as walls when not being used. The magnetic dry erase panels facing the open office area are used for general announcements – such as “Yoga tonight at 5:00,” brackets during Basketball finals, and other social gathering messages. The Formica^® Specialty Markerboards are used constantly for designers personal use while allowing the firm to stay on top of work, as well as communicating with one another.

“We love the space – the natural light, tree canopy and wood floors, makes it feel like we work in a tree house rather than in an office building in Downtown Raleigh, North Carolina”
Julie Poovey

The new RATIO Design building has a narrow footprint, so the firm had to make sure there were enough private meeting spaces. Ninety percent of walls are full height and length windows, allowing people from the streets to have a peek into their office.

“One artist made a sign that says “design in progress,” allowing everyone in the Downtown Raleigh plaza to see right into the window.

RATIO Design used the neutral Formica^® Brand colors Storm and Crystal White. Their rationale behind the color choice allow the designers to lay out finished architectural materials on work counters or custom built café tables, making the white Formica^® Laminate table tops not interfere with their finished work.  

“The Formica^® products in our office allow us to collaborate in a very visible, hands-on manner, while also contributing to the modern design aesthetic we wanted for our workspace. These two functions really speak to the essence of the RATIO brand: creative, collaborative, contemporary, and focused on design” said Poovey.