The new Damien Center was born out of necessity. Serving more than 25% of the individuals living with HIV in Indiana, the Damien Center officially outgrew their former facility and could no longer support their one-stop model of care, providing medical care, mental health services, pharmacy, food assistance, and housing support under one roof. The design vision was clear: create a space that feels warm, welcoming, and deeply human—somewhere every person who walks through the door feels seen, valued, and heard.

A Space That Communicates Care

Balancing hospitality and professionalism was central to the project. The building needed to feel approachable and comforting, while also clearly communicating, without words, we’re here to care for you. Natural light, layered textures, and open gathering areas encourage connection and community, while carefully placed private spaces ensure the confidentiality, comfort, and trust patients expect.

Light, Constraint, and Intention

The building’s narrow footprint encouraged a highly intentional approach to planning, particularly within the administrative areas where efficiency and clarity were essential. A fully glazed perimeter became a defining asset, allowing daylight to shape the organization of the space and create a strong visual connection to the outdoors. The resulting layout is a study in balance. Access to natural light, clear movement through the space, and functional work environments were carefully integrated to create an atmosphere that feels calm, deliberate, and intuitive for daily use.

Everyone deserves more than just good design. They deserve a space that functions seamlessly and that thoughtfully supports the life, work, and care that happens within it.”

 – Kathleen Lemaster, studioAXIS Partner

Materials That Carry the Work

In a space like this, materials matter. As a wellness facility with a hospitality-driven tone, the building needed to feel warm, calming, and welcoming, while at the same time, it needed to withstand the constant movement, frequent cleaning, and heavy daily use. Durability and maintainability became just as important as texture and tone. Every surface was evaluated not only for how it would look on day one, but how it would perform years down the line. The goal was to avoid anything institutional, while ensuring the materials could withstand real life. Because real life is exactly what happens here.

What the Building Represents

More than a building, the new Damien Center stands as a physical embodiment of their values. It honors their history while confidently positioning them as a forward-thinking, top-tier healthcare provider, one that understands that everyone deserves more than just good design. 

Learn more about the Damien Center and how you can support their mission.

It always surprises me when my husband introduces me to new people and remarks that I am an art curator, that a fair percentage of those individuals say they would like me to see their art collection in their home. I mention that my spouse is introducing me because my friends and colleagues tend to be networked where my career is not a surprise or a novelty. (I do also wonder how many of those people would just open up their mouth for an examination if I was a dentist.) A typical response comes from my husband, “trust me, you do not want her to come over.” While maturity has made me more gracious, I am not always one to sugarcoat my true feelings. 

Truthfully, it really doesn’t matter what I think of your art or you think of mine in our domestic settings. People spend a lot of time making their houses beautiful and comfortable. This makes sense. We spend a significant portion of our lives in our home. And while I’ll begrudge the person who only has family photos up or buys their “art” at a big box store, I accept that for them that is what is soothing, memorable or contemplative. Or perhaps they don’t trust their taste enough to incorporate truly unique art. 

Regardless, when you really count your waking hours, a lot of us spend more time outside the home. And just like architecture, art tends to be one of those things we notice more when it is breathtakingly wonderful or mind-blowingly terrible. Art is so often an afterthought in new construction and renovated interior projects – prints are bought to fit a budget instead of thoughtfully selected pieces from a variety of media, highlighting a strategic mix of artists at varying points in their career. 

For the recent renovation at ESL-Spectrum, I intentionally curated works that played on themes that related to a lighting sales and design company. Many of the works selected were photographs, a media which translates from Greek to “drawing with light.” Other pieces more overtly incorporated lit components: Constance Scopelitis’ portrait of office dog, Valentine, haloed in pink light or Jamie Pawlus’s “Happiness” sign. Subtle nods to the design field are seen in Samuel Levi Jones’ “painting” a colorful collage formed from deconstructed architecture books. Even Molly Wolfe’s macabre Rorschach influenced composition unmistakably mimics the form of a chandelier. Every office features distinct art, with no two offices the same.  The uncanny, slightly irreverent, and humor were not shied away from but meant to add a sense of joy and comfort to the workplace.

When people spend time with meaningful, well-curated artwork outside of their home, it brings a sense of wellness and purpose.  Spending time in those great spaces inspires wonder and curiosity. It makes people want to go to work, or to that new restaurant, or maybe even the doctor. And next time you consider artwork for the places you “live”, think of the delight that great art truly brings to all those spaces. But remember, don’t invite a curator over to your house unless you want an honest opinion. 

Paula Katz is the Senior Curator of Art for the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, a role she began in January 2024. She is a well-known figure in the Indianapolis arts community, having previously served as:  Executive Director of the Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art (iMOCA), Interim Director and Curator of the Herron Galleries at Indiana University Indianapolis, and Curator for recent major exhibitions such as “Flowers Forever,” which explores the cultural significance of floral motifs. 

Work happens best when people are connected. This became the core inspiration for Indiana Members Credit Union’s new headquarters, a space designed to bring the organization together under one roof and reinforce the shared mission that drives their work every day.

From the outset, IMCU envisioned more than a corporate office. They asked for a headquarters that could act as the heart of the organization: a place that signals growth and success while remaining deeply connected to their branch network and the community they serve. The result is a space that feels both grounded and forward-looking, balancing clarity, warmth, and long-term adaptability.

A Space Shaped by Listening

What made this project especially meaningful was the partnership itself. IMCU placed a great deal of trust in the design process, giving our team the freedom to explore bold ideas and push boundaries. That collaborative relationship shaped every decision, from early planning through final execution, and ultimately made the process just as rewarding as the finished space.

The biggest compliment is when a client walks in and says, “I never imagined it could feel this good.”

-Liz Sutton, studioAXIS Senior Associate.

At its core, the project is about alignment between teams, between service and culture, and between present needs and future growth. The headquarters go beyond simply housing culture, but supporting it in all the small ways—teams collaborate, meet, and celebrate together in flexible neighborhoods built to evolve over time. 

Material choices throughout the headquarters emphasize form and light. Warm wood tones are layered with darker contrasting materials to visually link floors and create rhythm across the space. Subtle geometric influences nod to Art Deco traditions, referencing the character of the Bottleworks District without overpowering the interiors. These moments are restrained and intentional, allowing the architecture to support the people and the work rather than compete for attention.

Architecture that Feels Good

There is no signature aesthetic imposed here. The design is client-driven, shaped by listening closely to how IMCU operates and what their teams need to feel supported. Natural light, soft textures, and intuitive layouts come together to create an environment that feels comfortable, familiar, and elevated. Our team worked to showcase and support IMCU’s evolution through design to shape not just how the building looks, but how it feels to be there.

Learn more about studioAXIS projects here.