Built in 1952 and designed by W. Kenyon Drake & Associates Architects & Engineers, the Peninsular Life Insurance Company opened its Jacksonville branch office at 1939 Hendricks Avenue. The insurance company occupied the second floor, while the first floor was designed for three individual storefronts.  All the exterior openings you see today are the original door and window locations from the 1952 design. 

​The exposed floors, ceilings and sturdy structural are all a nod to original design, standing up to 71 years of changing times.  G4 is proud to have restored this architectural gem back to its mid-century modern glory.

Group 4 Design provides fresh innovative projects that are curated to each client individually and skips ego-driven design in favor of team-driven collaboration. When the 4 partners formed Group 4 Design during the recession in late summer of 2009, they would have never predicted that they would have survived and thrived through a flood and a pandemic by 2023.

​The intention to create a collaboration of partners with different areas of expertise was the foundation for the design firm. Fred Cheek’s (retired 2016) experience in residential architecture and Karie Kovacocy’s experience in corporate architecture with their combined focus in multi-family paired well with the expertise of Leigh Gunn in interior design and Jamie Jaxon in construction. Group 4 brings a unique combination of talent and technical ability to every project, and we have fun doing it!

Early stages of the design process include hand sketches to aid convey the design style to our clients, these are some examples of that process on some of our projects. Ranging from our previous years designing single family, to now focusing our efforts only on Multi-family and mixed-use.

Designed by Joey Rivera, Senior Project Designer at Group 4 Design

To read more about our projects, please visit the WORK section on our website. 

Inspired by the historic location of our office in San Marco, this mural portrays Group 4’s (G4) past, present, and future impact on the neighborhood and greater Jacksonville area.

​The designer’s use of energetic and vibrant colors seeks to capture the firm’s part in the palpable revitalization and growth of San Marco, Jacksonville. Our contemporary is not only a new era for San Marco, but for the city of Jacksonville as whole. There is little doubt that the energy in Jacksonville is on the rise.
 
Harnessing the concept of the city’s energy, the designer was eager to also represent the energy of the firm and its people through the usage of Group 4’s colors. The mural seeks to exhibit the passion that G4 employees have about working in their greater context, as a part of something larger than themselves, to strive towards an environment and city we all can be proud of. The abstraction of a map of Jacksonville and silhouette of Downtown Jacksonville pays homage to the greater context of the city.
 
Overall, this mural epitomizes the firm’s commitment to and integration with the neighborhood, city, and beyond. Group 4 is here to stay and is dedicated to serving its neighbors, partners, and clients to its greatest ability.

Designed by Jerry Lee, Architectural Staff at Group 4 Design
Painted by Keith Doles, local Jacksonville artist

You can read more about Keith Doles and his other incredible art pieces HERE.

After 2 busy weeks of moving, we're happy to announce that we are officially in our new office at 1939 Hendricks Avenue!

Our team has expanded so much these past couple of years that we outgrew our old location and needed to double our space with this incredible 2-story office. We spent the last year and a half designing and renovating it to make sure we created spaces that enable creativity and give our team a comfortable office. 

The new office is ideally located within walking distance to many small businesses and we're also excited we get to view such a beautiful mural designed by Keith Doles from our windows. ​

We look forward to sharing additional images of the before/after of the building prior to the renovation. 

​Come by and pay us a visit sometime! ​

The Group 4 team took home 4 First Place awards at this year's ASID North Florida Design Competition!

​This multi-family amenity space needed to strike a delicate balance between its owner’s modern design preference and the more traditional nature of its anticipated demographic.  Due to its lakeside location, this project’s resort style design took cues from the world of sailing.  A color scheme of cool blues and whites (reminiscent of sky and water) are brightened with sunshine yellow.  Warm stained wood tones are influenced by wooden plank docks and high-end boat decks.  The geometry of sails and shade umbrellas is reflected in the patterns and shapes of interior finish materials, artwork, fabrics, and lighting. Large scale art pieces installed on crisp sail white walls gives the space a gallery effect as staff and residents move between the operational and social zones.  Double volume spaces with full height storefront glass amplify the grandeur and bring the literal sunshine into the gathering spaces, creating an atmosphere of hospitality for prospective tenants and existing residents alike.  In zones intended for co-working and coffee breaks, the ceiling height lowers, the colors become more vibrant and lighting levels adjust to create head-down focus space and cozy nooks to step away from the more social areas. This design, rich with warm wood tones and sunshine yellow, and grounded with deep-water blue, entices interaction in expansive but comfortable social zones surrounded by unique lighting and striking artwork. 

Set in the heart of a vibrant urban neighborhood, this workforce-housing apartment community brings new life to a dormant portion of the main thoroughfare. Murals have become a distinguishing element of the area; the building that previously stood on this lot was the site of the mural that “started it all.” Knowing the backstory and being familiar with the surrounding community, the design team wanted to honor the history of the site and contribute to the distinctively artistic atmosphere. Inspired by the Mid-Century Modern (MCM) design style, popular at the same time as the neighborhood’s historical peak, the clubhouse features bright color accents with MCM patterns, which created the perfect opportunity for bold, one-of-a-kind murals to become an integral feature of the space. 

The first mural encountered by visitors interacting with the building is the large 2-story color-blocked mural featured on the front elevation. The scale of the mural alone draws your eye down the street, creating interest and activity. The next mural encountered by guests is one that welcomes you into the movie theater. This mural gives the clubhouse a “sense of place” by honoring an iconic neighborhood landmark. Finally, the fitness room hosts an energetic and motivational mural encouraging residents to “move.” It is visible from the corridor as well as from the street. 

 The client’s request for this individual space at a graduate student housing community was to provide a multi-function club room that encourages group interaction while giving students’ multiple options to work and play. Allowing this space to open directly to the pool for indoor-outdoor events during cooler months was also desired. The design team achieved this goal by using furniture, lighting, floor pattern, and ceiling elements to visually divide the single room into multiple zones. Woven LVT is located at the entry and off the pool deck for durability and slip resistance from the elements. Full height sliding glass doors open to the pool deck to achieve an indoor-outdoor space during the cooler months. A dropped ceiling condition and aligning flooring transition divides the pool-focused seating groups from the remainder of the space. A kitchenette is located along the back wall, centered between the game area from the lounge with a multi-use counter height community table dividing the open area into two zones. The community table, bar height seating, and 3-seat sofa, incorporates power capabilities and provides students numerous options to work, study, or participate in adjacent group gatherings while remaining connected to technology.
 
As a nod to its location the finish palette incorporates certain subtle colored tones while the modern furniture brings sophistication to the design. The long feature walls are divided into zones and create interest by using dropped ceiling elements, accent paint, textured wood veneer wallcovering, and patterned porcelain tile. 

A growing nonprofit requested design of a new headquarters to help their expanding organization create spaces for survivors of human trafficking. They provide a safe, supportive work environment where women earn money while learning a skill and experiencing continued healing through community. The organization had outgrown their 2800 SF warehouse, equipped to serve 15 survivors. The new headquarters offered the ability to serve up to 60 survivors in 5,000 SF of warehouse, 5,000 SF of production space, 2,000 SF of retail and 8,000 SF of offices and counseling space.
 
The design goal: To provide a home like environment, giving survivors a safe place to work and heal. Because of the organization’s desire to engage with the community, versatility was key. The main entrance is off the retail space where the goods made by survivors are sold.  This space doubles as an event hall and opens up to an outdoor deck. A private garden is available to the women for meditation and solitude throughout the workday. A central kitchen serves as a catering kitchen for events, a cafeteria during the day, and a training facility for cooking skills. Meeting rooms are adjacent to the retail space and kitchen, used as additional event space in the evenings but maintained as large group counseling areas during the day. Smaller counseling rooms are within the office area to allow privacy for one-on-one sessions. 
 
The design team salvaged materials from the existing warehouse and utilized donations including lighting, furniture and flooring to create a cohesive vibrant environment.

The Jacksonville Business Journal sends out a survey to all company employees to evaluate overall satisfaction and determine which companies are considered to be the "Best Places to Work on the First Coast." We're proud that our employees notice the dedication and importance we put into implementing a family-like culture between us. 

​​We provide the guidance required to make sure all employees feel that they are excelling and benefitting from their talent. We don't want anybody to feel that they aren't reaching their full potential!

To enhance community involvement, personal growth and employee collaboration, we've created a Philanthropy team that focuses on finding charitable causes that G4 would like to contribute to. We've donated to local non-profits, such as Pace Center for Girls, ReThreaded, K9s for Warriors, Jasmine, Project Cold Case, Community Hospice, Hubbard House, Angels for Allison, etc. We also created an in-house Diaper Drive to provide products for Sulzbacher Village, and have a few volunteering events scheduled. 

We show our appreciation to our team by hosting monthly Birthday Happy Hours, tailgates, pizza parties, Thanksgiving potlucks, and a grand Christmas party at the end of each year. These events are put together by our "Social Committee," who recognizes the importance of creating a fun environment for our hard-working team. 

G4 also sponsors quarterly sports through JAX Fray, so our employees can engage in outdoor team building activities. 

We've built such an incredible team over the years, that it's a privilege to be able to give back for their hard work and dedication! We thank them each day for believing in us and demonstrating the true potential of teamwork!

​Group 4 Design delivers innovative design and outstanding project management with a collaborative approach. Ready to work with the Group 4 team? Contact us today.

Lofts at Brooklyn is a 184,422 sf, 133 unit workforce housing community is located in the growing historic downtown neighborhood. The building is equipped with high density 5-story wood frame incorporating a sleek design and contemporary features, designed with your comfort and relaxation in mind. This residential building offers a mix of studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments with a bright and airy feel and a fitness center on the second floor. The contemporary exterior and rising community drove the inspiration for a modern loft concept with tribute to surrounding historic homes. The client’s goal was to provide workforce housing with first class amenities which are scattered throughout the building. 

A project by The Vestcor Companies; Architecture and Interior Design by Group 4 Design. 

​Group 4 Design delivers innovative design and outstanding project management with a collaborative approach. Ready to work with the Group 4 team? Contact us today.

Each year we have the pleasure of bringing on a few students who are interested in seeing - and being a part of - the "behind the scenes" of our designs. They come from a variety of schools and different academic fields, but they all share a similar goal: to absorb as much information, while having the best time!

They get immersed into a hands-on learning experience taught by our g4 team, where they are provided with the tools to expand their knowledge in Architecture and Interior Design, as well as give them a better understanding of what they'd like to do upon graduating. 

Let's meet the team!

"Through my internship with Group4, I hope to gain more experience and insight into the field and explore the various facets/specialties of interior design. So far, I have learned a lot about multi-family and its design process from material selection to technical drawings.  I am very appreciative of this opportunity and interning here has been a great experience so far! I am excited to grow as a student, designer, and build relationships with individuals in the field!"

Tools & experiences I've been able to explore at G4: Revit, AutoCAD, InDesign, material/fabrics selection, and building relationships with reps!

"Looking to learn about large scale multi-family construction, and how I can see myself in the future as part of a medium/large sized office in 5 years, 10 years, and 20 years!"

​Tools & experiences I've been able to explore at G4: AutoCAD, Revit, 3D Modeling & Printing, and Blubeam