Meet Michael Vollrath | AEC/Design Consultant & Father

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michael Vollrath and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michael, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Prior to starting our business I worked a lot, both professionally and on side passion projects. As time went on I found that good work and particularly, efficiency in producing said work, resulted in being awarded more work. This was good for job security but took a toll on the balance between work and life.

The more I have matured in my career and particularly in starting my business I have worked hard to maintain a balance with work between being willing and eager to help, and knowing when to stop and when to respectfully decline an opportunity.

As many adapted to new definitions of work life balance during the pandemic, so did I in finding I could be more productive, happier, healthier, and more present with my family by staying remote and focusing on client work that supported this methodology.

Given the current state of internet technology and the general willingness (perhaps with some pandemic coercing) of people to meet virtually these days, it has really allowed our business to operate successfully from afar and when we do meet with our clients and collaborators, it makes the in person interactions more intentional and impactful.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
When we formed Toyblock, we set out with the intention to align our passions and our strengths and offer those services professionally to clients.

Given our extensive creative backgrounds in arts, design, and technology, it came about to be a very natural Venn diagram with the arts at one extreme (rooted in tradition & craft), technology at another (break neck speed, digitization, & innovation), and design as the primary mediator between the two. Design, as a central core collaborative area in our business is where we weave all of it together into one, elegant solution.

The beauty of our business model is that we do not limit ourselves to a single exclusive service but rather open ourselves up to many different creative opportunities, small/large, collaborative, independent, mixed mediums, etc.

While this approach can be challenging from a branding/marketing perspective, it has afforded us a very diverse clientele with work that is engaging and rewarding for all involved. Furthermore, it keeps us creatively agile and allows us to grow our experience and creative reach, weaving together a cross-disciplinary tapestry that feels new and unique while still being intuitive and approachable.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Though I love a good hangout spot or place to eat (even a bustling, loud one), if my best friend is in town we likely will be somewhere quiet enough to hear one another, talking, laughing, and catching up.

Our studio garden is a good place for this, but any walk, or journey to a destination unset would suffice. If we go somewhere, we don’t always know where we want to end up, but we choose a direction that feels right and start walking, letting the day unfold before us.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I had the privilege of working for two large architecture firms in town for a good number of years. Work was plentiful, fast paced, and challenging. Needless to say I gleaned an immense amount of knowledge while employed there and it was very formative on my beliefs of what works well and where we can challenge ourselves as architects, designers, and builders to create even better solutions for the people that will be inhabiting the spaces we create.

So shoutout to the Dallas studios of HKS, Inc. (Hospitality Interiors Group) and Perkins & Will (Commercial Interiors Group). You all have been so good to me and I feel very fortunate to have worked so closely with you all.

The other critical person I need to shoutout is my business partner and wife Jessica Vollrath, who over many years of friendship, creative collaboration, and partnership has strengthened me in every way imaginable and I am so honored to experience the creativity that she brings into our life and work on a daily basis.

Website: toyblock.co

Instagram: toyblock.co

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/toyblock/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TOYBLOCK-Studio