When you grow, you need bigger digs -- it's not Rocket Science. Or is it?

Deciding to move your growing creative agency to a larger, more personalized, more artsy space might not be rocket science, but to Rocket Science Creative, the relocation to a custom-designed office in a renovated warehouse at 400 Ann St. NW has been just as exciting.

After about three years of working together as freelancers, Lisa Schrotenboer and Mark Stegeman joined forces as Rocket Science Creative, a company that operated out of a small office on Monroe North. As the firm added clients, hired other freelance creatives, and took on larger projects that involved making mock-ups of product packaging, creating tradeshow booths, and developing radio, television, and online marketing campaigns, they needed a custom creative space. And a kitchenette.

"We had about 2,100 square feet, but it was like living in a dorm room," Schrotenboer says. "Now we have 3,100 square feet and four full-time staff. We needed a large conference room and a comfy meeting place with couches and chairs."

"We have 15-foot ceilings, a highly efficient entrance and exit from US-131, and the parking is great," adds Stegeman. "Our old space had limited potential for meeting space, and we liked the idea of having a kitchenette instead of having to run to the bathroom to fill the coffee pot," he says with a laugh.

Schrotenboer and Stegeman designed the office to inspire collaboration. Landlord DeVries Companies handled construction. The space is open and inviting, with smaller, more private work areas tucked here and there.

"We like being close to downtown, and we like being on the west side," Stegeman says.  

Writer: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor