Sept. 16, 2021

It’s hard to recognize the former Rehfeld’s Art & Framing location.

VanDeWalle Architects has moved into the first floor of 210 S. Phillips Ave. with a renovated office about eight months in the making.

“We gutted this down to the brick and mortar and beams and columns,” said Brad Dietzenbach, a principal partner in the seven-person firm and a co-owner of the building.

“Everything was taken out that wasn’t structural.”

The historic nature of the 1910 building began as a saloon, and its past as a retail storefront, inspired the angled design inside the space.

It’s actually two buildings combined, which over the years have served as everything from women’s apparel and a hat shop to Rehfeld’s, which was there for 35 years until it moved north on Phillips Avenue last year.

There are still push pins in the floor of a sunken lounge that used to be a fitting room.

On the wall, a mural details original drawings from the 1960s when a storefront was added on.

“There’s a lot of openness and connectivity, between staff and clients, and on the design end a lot of it comes off the iconic storefront,” Dietzenbach said.

Take a look at some of the before-and-after transformations:

The firm went from 2,200 to 6,000 square feet, with space to add several more employees.

“We’re busy,” said Katie Krantz, principal partner. “When COVID hit, a lot of people pumped the brakes, but after they got a feel for how it’s going the floodgates opened up.”

They work in Sioux Falls as well as regionally in multifamily, bank and small retail projects. They’ve been busy with hospitality projects, apartments, retail and some mid-sized offices recently, they said.

Employees have responded well to their new space, Dietzenbach added.

Amenities include a work café with a shuffleboard table and darts.

There also are multiple areas for meetings, from booth seating to conference rooms.

“It’s exactly as we envisioned,” he said. “It’s a lot more collaborative for them and they truly enjoy the space.”