Visbeen Architects

Visbeen Architects An international award-winning architecture firm offering exceptional custom residential, commercial, and retail design services.

Visbeen Architects is a full-service architecture and interior design firm dedicated to providing a design experience unlike any other. From the moment you begin to share your dream to the moment you step into your completed project, we are dedicated to raising the bar and helping you feel as comfortable and valued as possible. We’ve worked with clients across the globe, so we have experience with

long-distance partnerships. We have offices in Michigan, Florida, and Costa Rica. Whether you’re a prospective client, a business owner, or a purveyor of fine building materials, we’re here to bring your vision to life.

05/29/2026

It might seem like an arbitrary design challenge, but designing a home with only one shape is a good reminder that good design often finds itself coupled with simplicity.

We’d love to hear what creative restraints you use to sharpen your skills, or if you’re feeling mischievous, what design challenges we should take on next in the comments below!

What are our sketchbooks telling us about 2026? This year feels less like a reinvention and more like a refinement. The...
05/28/2026

What are our sketchbooks telling us about 2026?

This year feels less like a reinvention and more like a refinement. The American farmhouse is getting quieter, with a Scandinavian-influenced version that trades busy detailing for restraint, paring back the gables, dormers, and trim. For modern-leaning clients, we're drawing more of what we've come to call the knife-edge gable, a crisp roofline with no overhang, often paired with a full wall of glass beneath. And more homeowners are choosing compound-style properties over one large house, with detached studios, guest cottages, and pool houses that make the spaces between buildings part of the design.

Across every style, the throughlines are the same: a connection to the outdoors, fewer materials used with more intent, and a return to honest craftsmanship.

Read our full outlook on where residential design is headed in 2026: https://www.visbeen.com/discourse/2026-design-outlook

05/27/2026

◻️ "Even a box can be beautiful..." ◻️

One of the joys of our work is merging our understanding of form, beauty, and function, with the unique elements of our clients lifestyles. One of the most basic skills we have is knowing when to let the form speak for itself and not overcomplicate its inherent beauty (even if it is 'just' a cube.)

Want to see for yourself what it's like to watch your dream home come to life before your eyes? Use the link in our bio to sign up for your live-design session today.

A beautiful home should stop you in your tracks. But the best ones go further and change the way you move through your d...
05/26/2026

A beautiful home should stop you in your tracks. But the best ones go further and change the way you move through your day.

In a recent USA Today interview, our founder Wayne Visbeen said it best:

“Design should be thrilling, not because it photographs well, but because it changes how you live.”

This is the cornerstone of our design philosophy. Spaces that are as extraordinary to live in as they are to look at.

See something that inspires you? Schedule your live-design session today and watch your dream home come to life before your eyes: https://www.visbeen.com/contact

Blackstone
Interiors:
Photo:

Maximus
Interiors: .lynn
Photo:

Prescott
Interiors: Donna Cohen
Photos: .photo

Florence
Interiors: Lidia Francesca Interiors
Photo:
�Bridlewood
Photo: M-Buck

05/22/2026

AI is a remarkable tool that is reshaping the world around us, and it’s easy to get caught up in the hype (or fear) of the new possibilities.

But until AI knows the pain of stubbing your toe on the corner of a poorly placed kitchen island, it can only mimic what’s worked before without knowing why it worked in the first place.

There are certain areas in life that should rely on human-centric interactions, and we believe the design of your home is one of them.

05/20/2026

Ever been woken up by a flushing toilet in the middle of the night?

That’s bad design.

Too much noise from the kitchen when your partner fires ups the coffee machine at 5am?

You guessed it: bad design.

Very few couples have the exact same sleep patterns, and your home layout should reflect that. Hiring an architect isn’t just about saving money on your next build, it’s about sleeping better (or not worrying as much about waking your partner up when you start your day.)

To learn more about how our live-design process can help you rest a little easier, schedule your live-design session today! https://www.visbeen.com/contact

05/18/2026

The fundamentals of perspective are simple enough to share here in 60 seconds. Getting the hang of it? That’s another story.

The questions we get above all else from artists, students, and even architects looking to start sketching again are perspective questions. Wayne took some time to share how he analyzes perspective on sketching in hopes of shedding some light on the question!

05/15/2026

It’s normal to get the urge to use an eraser or start over when a pen line goes astray on a sketch…especially when the client is just a few feet away hoping to see their dream home revealing itself on the page.

But what we’ve learned is that those stray lines (or slightly off perspectives, mismatched symmetry, you name it) can be easily fixed by refining the sketch on the next draft. You can keep the creative momentum going in the moment and refine the details by bringing in a new sheet of paper when the time comes.

A dream home never came from the first draft. It’s the drafting process that reveals what each clients dream home needs to be, and including them in on the drafting process is a large part of what sets a Visbeen home apart.

05/13/2026

Whether you’re an experienced architect, a student, or a writer, the blank page can feel like a nemesis you need to face down day after day. Knowing how to simply begin is half the battle, so Wayne shares his tips on perspective that help get the first few pen strokes onto the paper.

We’d love to hear from you on what topics to cover for future videos, be it sketching or any other part of the job, let us know in the comments!

"True luxury isn't measured in materials, but in the quality of human experience a space creates."In a recent USA Today ...
05/11/2026

"True luxury isn't measured in materials, but in the quality of human experience a space creates."

In a recent USA Today interview, our founder Wayne Visbeen shared his design philosophy and how after decades as an architect, his definition of luxury might not be what you'd expect.

We design homes like Florence, pictured below, for the way you actually live. The quiet moments, the morning routines, the details most people never think to ask for. That's the Visbeen difference.

Your home should be as intentional as your life. Let's build it that way.

To learn more about Florence, or to schedule your own live-design session, visit us here: https://www.visbeen.com/residential/florence

Photos by Marta Xochilt Perez Photography

Address

3351 Claystone Street SE Suite G22
Grand Rapids, MI
49546

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+18338472336

Website

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