The Regenstrief Institute was founded by Sam Regenstrief and his wife, Myrtie, in 1968. Originally in manufacturing, Sam's D&M Corporation was once responsible for over 30% of the world's residential dishwashers. Frustrated with the inefficient delivery of healthcare in eastern Indiana, Sam shifted gears and applied his manufacturing prowess to healthcare.
*Sam and Myrtie were iconic visionaries and philanthropists. The pair founded the Institute through technological innovation, cutting-edge healthcare research, and a relentless pursuit of efficiency. Our solution represents the Regenstrief Institute and Foundation's core values while offering a creative and inspiring environment for the employees and the surrounding community.
Our design centered on how Sam and Myrtie's passion and generosity lit the way, providing safe environments for revolutionary ideas to be explored and deployed. We used intense white light as a representation of this passion throughout the space. In the lobby, a composition of three branded elements work together to set the stage and anchor the environmental graphics in the building. A rear-illuminated column introduces Sam and Myrtie's story and reinforces the concept of light as a visual tool and metaphor. Adjacent to the column is a feature utilizing one of Sam's real dishwashers. In the main stairwell, we created a four-story timeline that depicts the "pathways to better health" mantra. Each floor is branded through color, wayfinding, and environmental features to represent one of the four branches of the Institute. Stainless steel and halftone dot murals make up graphics on the upper floors.
After the initial project was finished, we were commissioned to build a sculpture in the courtyard to honor Sam and Myrtie. Our sculpture represents a new breed of art installations and environmental branding. Instead of being purely decorative, this statue uses cues from the environmental branding to tell the story of The Regenstrief Institute, becoming emblematic of the Institute's core values. Our art installation features two stylized wooden figures representing the founding couple. Cables affixed to the figures' fingertips support a 3D network of connections and pathways. In other words, Sam and Myrtie are literally supporting their mission for the Regenstrief Institute. We also wanted to bring the phrase “connect and innovate” to life. To do this, we designed the courtyard itself as a series of pathways and nodes. These paths represent the different kinds of collaboration that are the cornerstone of the Institute.
Embodying the values of Sam and Myrtie, our design strategy created an immediate connection with visitors and employees. Not only did the branding pay homage to the rich history of the Institute, but it also reinforced the importance of its mission–to investigate and forge new Pathways to Better Health.
Experiential Graphic Design
Wayfinding
Sculpture
Design Strategy
Production Design
Bassmatter
Vulkane
Thorson Baker
Sheil Sexton
Steve Kolodziej
Experiential Graphic Design
Wayfinding
Sculpture
Design Strategy
Production Design
Bassmatter
Vulkane
Thorson Baker
Sheil Sexton
Steve Kolodziej
