Where Flexibility Meets Function
Designing NDSCS’s Career Innovation Center
Innovating Together
Located in South Fargo, the newly built Career Innovation Center (CIC) is more than just a building. It’s a hands-on environment designed to encourage exploration, collaboration, and real-world readiness. As a new addition for North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS), the CIC was built from the ground up with a clear goal in mind: to create a space that supports a dynamic mix of students and staff, fostering both learning and connection. With intentional design throughout, the building is equipped to support a new kind of learning, one that blends education with experience.
InterOffice designer Sophie Scraper partnered closely with NDSCS and RLE Architecture to bring this vision into reality. From classrooms to workstations and lounge areas, Sophie guided intentional furniture choices that blend comfort, style, and function.
Furniture That Adapts to Every Need
Flexibility was top of mind throughout the project. The classrooms needed to shift easily — from collaborative group work to individual study, from lectures to hands-on activities. Sophie helped select Huddle Nesting Tables and Motivate Chairs that move effortlessly, offering faculty the freedom to configure the space as they see fit.
Kim Riesterer, director of education and design at RLE Architecture, highlights how this approach makes the space come alive: “The ability to rearrange furniture to fit the moment really supports how students and instructors interact day-to-day. It keeps the space vibrant and practical.”
McKenzie Wessels, interior designer at RLE, agrees with Kim: “Watching these rooms transform depending on who’s using them really shows how important adaptable design is.”
Workstations Designed Around People
Supporting the staff’s productivity was another key part of the project. Sophie recommended desks and storage solutions that blend aesthetics with practicality. Adjustable desks let team members personalize their setup, whether sitting or standing, and ample storage keeps the space tidy and efficient.
The private offices are furnished with desks and storage that provide both style and function for each individual. Kim notes, “Balancing budget with functionality and style is never easy, but the final workspaces are inviting, cohesive, and perfectly suited to the staff’s needs.”
Gathering Areas Made for Connection
The lobby and common spaces quickly became standout areas thanks to intentional furniture choices. The SitOnIt Pasea, a curved modular lounge seat, invites students to unwind or focus, while an assortment of tables and seating offers spots for everything from quick breaks to group study sessions.
McKenzie shared why offering several options is essential, “Having a variety of seating options means everyone can find a place that works for them whether it’s a soft chair or a high-top table.”
Providing both high and low seating options throughout the common areas creates an environment perfectly suited for collaboration or catching a quick break between classes.
Touches of NDSCS’s vibrant branding — teal, red, and yellow — are woven throughout the space in subtle, yet intentional ways. Sophie shared, “Incorporating those colors in a natural, balanced way really helps the space feel uniquely theirs.” Accent chairs can be found throughout the space, reflecting the branding colors while letting the neutrals shine.
A True Partnership in Design
The success of the project is rooted in the collaborative spirit shared by everyone involved. RLE Architecture provided the foundation, while Sophie contributed furniture expertise and navigated the details that made the space functional and beautiful.
“Being in the design field, Kim and McKenzie brought a strong vision,” Sophie says. “My role was to fill in the furniture options, make recommendations, and keep everything aligned with their goals.”
McKenzie found Sophie’s guidance invaluable, especially when it came to weighing costs and alternatives. “She was patient, clear, and always ready with practical solutions.”
Kim valued the hands-on experience too: “Visiting InterOffice’s showroom and seeing options firsthand made choosing so much easier. Sophie’s responsiveness really made the process smooth and enjoyable.”
Your Space, Your Story
More than a collection of classrooms and offices, the Career Innovation Center tells a story about growth and adaptability. It’s a place where students of all ages can explore their futures and where staff have the tools they need to support that journey.
Kim puts it simply: “This space is flexible, inviting, and ready to evolve with the community it serves.”
McKenzie adds, “With the sophisticated color palette and branding colors throughout, you just walk in and can tell it’s NDSCS.”
For Sophie and the InterOffice team, helping shape a space that supports a mission and the people behind it is what makes projects like this so rewarding. “This space is going to allow staff and students to have a whole new experience in education.”
