Flint’s Divide by Design building adaptable spaces across state lines

Tables, chairs, wall art, and plants are all typical elements of any home or workspace. But what if you knew you could change the walls whenever you needed? Or provide an element of privacy to open spaces or more flexibility and independence to an office that is always changing?

Divide by Design, a Skypoint Ventures initiative and local business, has picked up on the growing need for adaptable wall-building. During the fall of 2019, it hit a unique milestone when it finished an installation in Cleveland, Ohio, the company’s first venture across state lines.

“We knew we had a great idea right away, but we didn’t know how good it was until people wanted to literally buy the walls out of the Ferris Wheel. And this newest project in Cleveland shows that we’re only going to continue to grow,” said David Ollila, founder of Divide by Design and president and chief innovation officer for Skypoint Ventures.

By offering low-cost and innovative designs, Divide by Design is able to cater to entrepreneurs, startups, and nonprofit spaces like the Ferris Wheel downtown and the Lean Rocket Lab in Jackson.

The Cleveland project was inspired by designs in the Ferris Wheel and in two weeks about 12,000 square feet was converted into an open space for a new coworking space for CLEworx by Oct. 1. The space is a part of a new project in Cleveland that includes a shared workspace, retail and restaurant on the first floor, with residential apartments on floors 2-4 and includes office spaces, suites, conference rooms, and dedicated desks.

“This was a small business started to solve a problem in Flint that is now demanding attention from major markets,” said Ollila. “It’s the perfect example of where tinkering can take you. Today, it’s Cleveland. Tomorrow could be anywhere.”