Nov
17
2025
Fall is full of changes! As Albuquerque’s International Balloon Fiesta came to a close, and the colors on the Rio Grande’s Bosque began to shift, the Exhibit Fabrication Studio at Ideum has been gearing up for an exciting transformation of its own. We’ve expanded our 4290 Exhibit Fabrication Studio to include our new Physical Design Studio upstairs. This space, intentionally crafted to spark creativity and promote collaboration, will house our Physical Design Team, who will combine creative energy and thoughtful designs to bring everything from full exhibitions to custom touch tables from concept to construction.
This expansion is home to our Physical Design Team, made up of our Industrial Designers and Exhibit Designers. Together, we take on projects that range from interpretive plans and signature experiences to the smaller (but no less important) details in display cases, custom kiosks, and one-of-a-kind mechanical interactives. Upstairs, the new physical design studio was designed to foster a true studio culture of collaboration. Desks aren’t tucked against walls, and instead, it’s easy to strike up a conversation, share a sketch, or spontaneously brainstorm. A large meeting area serves multiple purposes to prototype, redline drawings, or gather around graphic samples. The space features both an Ideum presenter display and an Ideum Drafting kiosk, which both allow for different modes of communication from intimate team discussions to full concept presentations. We also have a growing materials library and prototype lounge, complete with 3D printing capabilities. Behind each workstation, whiteboards let our process and personality show through a gallery of ideas in motion.
As a continued design exercise, our Physical Design Team designed (and continues to design) our new space. We wanted it to feel creative and inspiring, but also deeply connected to who we are as a company. The color palette is highlighted with Ideum’s bold signature orange (and yes, even inside our restroom). Warm beige and brown tones both bring a fabrication and material sensibility to the space. These colors feel inspired by the materials often used in our Exhibit Fabrication Studio, such as wood, MDF, or cardboard prototypes. Another defining feature is how the design highlights the studio’s architecture. Orange stripes run down the walls and across the ceiling from the skylights, creating a sense of flow and continuity while defining distinct work zones. The palette feels both fabrication-centric and distinctly Ideum.
Our space is still a work in progress, but it’s already changing how we work together. Having design and fabrication under one roof makes communication easier and the design-build process more streamlined. It opens up a stronger dialogue between concept and craft. For me, the best part of this expansion has been seeing how our new space is already doing what we hoped it would in sparking new ideas. It’s a reminder that great design doesn’t just happen alone at our desks or with specific software. Instead, great design happens in the studio, in conversation with the team that makes designs a reality.
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