While this organization has remote as well as headquarters-based employees, they wanted to create a new dynamic destination with intentional workspaces. Spaces that encourage collaboration and give more opportunity for the casual collisions created when people unexpectedly see each other and have important information to share. In addition, this office also needed to be welcoming, accessible, and inspirational event space for guests to experience.
The key to this project’s success was a unified approach that the client and design partners shared. Everyone understood how decisions made on one part of the project affected other parts of the project. They aligned on how best to achieve the client’s goals. For example, if one group wanted to add a conference room, they had to consider how many workspaces would have to shift to accommodate the conference room. During the planning process, the project team visited Haworth HQ so they could some of the many solutions in action and test them firsthand.
Extensive research done through interviews and focus groups was used to understand how departments and employees worked and what spaces they needed to make each successful. The floorplate is organized by neighborhood with defined department spaces supported with many types of amenity spaces that encourage gathering, connecting and collaboration in very intentional ways.
The unique architecture of the building creates a visual connection across the large floorplates through a light-filled atrium. Strategically located and furnished spaces support casual collisions and enable seamless collaboration. This project achieved the intended design vision by celebrating the organizations’ dynamic workstyles while supporting intimate, small- and large-scale events.
