It’s that time of year again — three days, a packed itinerary, great food, and the whole team together. Our latest offsite did not disappoint. From site visits to screen printing, from birdfeeder brainstorms to a wood-fired dinner under the sky, we came home inspired, energized, and with a few very unique souvenirs.
From the Studio to the Table
We kicked off Wednesday with a visit to one of our completed projects, Gardiner Art Studio. Getting to walk through a finished project with our clients never gets old and this one was an absolute treat! It was wonderful to see how our super talented artist client has made the space her own, and was a great reminder of why we do what we do.
From there, we headed out for a very special treat: a visit to a rare Bohlin Cywinski Jackson project in the area. Getting to step inside a home designed by a renowned architect and take in all of the thought and care that went into every detail was genuinely inspiring. The whole team was buzzing.
After those site visits, we settled in at VIA43 for our first working session of the offsite — a deep dive into business development and project management. By the time we wrapped up, we were ready for a well-earned cocktail, courtesy of Alora. We spent the rest of the evening making dinner together and enjoying each other’s company. It was a perfect way to ease into the offsite.
Big Ideas, Birdfeeders, and Westwind
Thursday was a packed day. We hit the ground running with a series of sessions, including a brainstorming session about how AI can be a useufl tool for our work — something the whole team had a lot of thoughts about!
Then came the highlight of the day: we split into two teams and got to work designing birdfeeders — specifically for bluebirds and other birds that visit our corner of the world. With roles assigned and creativity flowing, both teams brought completely different approaches to the challenge. We’re looking forward to developing the designs further before getting each of them built and installed at VIA43!
To close out the day, we headed to Westwind Orchard for dinner — a Studio MM offsite staple at this point, and for very good reason. The food and drinks were as wonderful as ever. We enjoyed a series of pizzas and cocktails, as well as some of their delicious ciders.
Action Plans and Ink on Paper
Friday morning we came back together to build out an action plan — turning all of the ideas and energy from the previous two days into something concrete and actionable. This is a critical step for our offsites that helps us stay accountable for the next six months.
Then we packed up and headed to Kingston for what turned out to be an absolutely incredible experience: a screen printing workshop at OLGA JOAN‘s shop and studio. Working with her past patterns, each of us created our own screenprints in different color combinations — making every piece completely one of a kind. It was the perfect blend of creativity and craft, and a wonderful reminder that good design shows up everywhere.
We wrapped up the offsite with site visits alongside one returning and one past client — stopping at a new site and at Quattro. While on the new site, we brainstormed ideas about cantilevers, studio spaces and a treehouse like feel for some of the spaces – we can’t wait to get started! It was fun to see all of the progress at Quattro – insulation was installed and the space is ready for drywall and siding! Getting to share spaces with the people we build them for is always meaningful, and it was a beautiful note to end on.
Every offsite gives us a chance to step away from our screens, reconnect with each other and with the work we love, and come back to the studio with renewed perspective. This one was no exception. Thanks to everyone who made it so special — and stay tuned, because there’s a lot coming out of those action plans!