Corporate Workplace

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Originally constructed in 1919, The Concord is a two‑story commercial building in Des Moines’ historic Sherman Hill neighborhood. Once home to a neighborhood bakery and grocery store, the building served as a daily community touchpoint before falling into disuse in recent decades. Through a thoughtful adaptive reuse effort, the SHYFT design team, now part of SSOE Group, teamed with DEV Partners to transform the vacant structure into The Concord Collaborative: a modern workplace rooted in history, flexibility, and community.

The design balances preservation with performance, retaining historic character while introducing a highly functional office environment. Inside, the recast space supports a range of work styles, with open lounge areas, informal meeting spaces, enclosed conference rooms, and virtual conferencing zones throughout.

Shared amenities, including a central kitchenette and flexible workstations, encourage collaboration and adaptability as needs evolve. A key focus was restoring original materials: brick masonry was carefully cleaned using dry ice blasting, while original wood beams and flooring were preserved and refreshed rather than replaced.

Historic mosaic tile at the storefront entry remains intact, maintaining a tangible connection to the building’s past. Window openings were preserved and enhanced with restored frames and historically accurate replacements, improving daylight while reinforcing architectural character. A contemporary metal stair links the two levels, maintaining openness and light flow.

At street level, the storefront has been reestablished as a welcoming entry and informal gathering space, renewing the building’s long‑standing relationship with the neighborhood. By working within the original footprint, the project maximizes efficiency, minimizes waste, and preserves embodied carbon.

Today, The Concord Collaborative serves as both a modern workplace and a visible reinvestment in Sherman Hill—demonstrating how adaptive reuse can respect architectural heritage while supporting contemporary commercial needs.

In fact, we loved the result enough to move in ourselves.

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Working in close collaboration with a long-time client, SSOE transformed the third floor of the Marathon building, known as The Hub, into a modern dining experience and more. This central gathering spot is not just for eating, but also for meetings, attending events, and even working quietly alone in a warm and inviting environment. The variety of settings within the Hub support all of these ways of working and gathering.

The removal of the outdated kitchen and serving line allowed the reorganization of the space to create a modern and open chef-driven cooking arena with fresh food being prepared in front of employees. These opportunities for choice, as well as a visual connection to the cooking, promote positive interaction with space and colleagues. The Hearth, a 7,000-pound Italian pizza oven, encased in copper, centers the serving area and the hospitality feel of the overall space.

The project faced several challenges, one of which was the need to maintain operation while construction took place, catering to a campus with 2,800 employees. The team created 3D models to help the client visualize the space, worked closely with the kitchen crew to map out their steps for efficiency, and collaborated with the kitchen equipment consultant to ensure the space functioned well for the kitchen team. The open kitchen layout provides flexibility for future menu changes and the ability to use less staff with visual monitoring available across the space.

The new café boasts several unique architectural features and a mix of materials that create a balance between enclosed and open spaces, offering exterior views from nearly every angle, while still maintaining a cozy atmosphere.

Located at the center of campus, artist-created signage that complements the interiors provides clear wayfinding to all connecting buildings. Inspired by Marathon’s roots as a refining and transportation company, as well as the Art Deco style of the campus buildings, the Hub speaks in reverence to the past, but also the active future. The

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When Toledo law firm Eastman & Smith needed to lease new office space, they began reevaluating their growing needs while trying to stay connected to their existing roots in downtown. The firm opted to remain in One Seagate and move to the 27th floor of the facility, and they sought SSOE to design their new 22,400 SF space. In order to make this space work, our team of architects and interior designers were able to create an office that reflected the firm’s brand and mission while focusing on providing welcoming spaces for clients and employees.

In their previous space, Eastman & Smith’s office denoted an obvious hierarchy in terms of office size and location. In the new space, the firm wanted a neutral and level playing field, as well as a more collaborative environment. In the new design, the offices are all the same size and are outfitted with the same fixtures. There are no corner offices in the new design, and instead the four corners are spaces that can be utilized by any employee.

To accommodate diverse work needs, the space also features flex offices that allow for a hybrid experience, and large and small meeting rooms. Technology was upgraded throughout the suite to provide team meeting spaces and electronic sign-outs for a variety of spaces.

The renovated space includes employee-focused and collaborative areas: a café with views of the Maumee River, spaces for collaboration and team-bonding, and a wellness room. The wellness room is a private area built for one person to have quiet space. There is a separate mothers room.

Our interior designers worked with the furniture vendor to incorporate prefabricated modular walls for the offices. We selected the furniture and finishes for the built environment. In addition to the aesthetic and functional elements, SSOE provided structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering, along with Data / Fire / Security services.

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Chemence’s tagline, “Creating Bonds That Last,” signaled the specialty chemicals company’s fresh start. And with SSOE’s help, they designed a workplace aligned with their new branding. Their CEO James Cooke acquired a 28,000 SF facility in Alpharetta, Georgia, designated for their new headquarters and R&D facility. This strategic move aims to bolster Chemence’s growth in the U.S., stemming from their strong beginnings across the pond.

Inspired by his wife’s SSOE-designed office, Cooke envisioned a workplace energetically embodying innovation and transformation in healthcare. So, we set off to provide engineering and interior design for Chemence, leading to another renovation project for their nearby manufacturing office and warehouse.

This new facility design includes open community spaces, centrally located offices, meeting rooms, and a relocated testing lab, all maximizing connection to daylight as well as lasting connections through collaboration.

SSOE provided interior design and engineering services for multiple floors, facilitating an interactive envisioning session for leadership, defined inspiration imagery, space standards, and FF&E selections. In a second renovation phase, Chemence desired to continue the renovation on the lower floor, which included the lobby, restrooms, and office suites focusing on collaboration, flexible areas, and cohesive branding throughout.

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Transforming Marathon Petroleum Corporation’s Marketing Building: For four decades SSOE has partnered with Marathon Petroleum Corporation. Together we have reimagined the work environment and provided forward thinking design and engineering solutions that will empower and impact the building and people alike. Our collaboration on the Market Building Workplace Renovation project exemplifies our ongoing partnership and shared commitment to design excellence.

Enhancing Workplace Strategies. The renovation project celebrates a dynamic and inspiring workspace, catering to both existing and potential team members. Designed as an ecosystem to foster connection, teamwork, and social engagement, the Marketing Building leverages the structure’s unique industrial characteristics. Feature elements of the overall design transformation include the integration of natural light, versatile communal spaces conducive to collaboration, visible engineering elements, carefully chosen furnishings, a selection of finishes and materials, and sleek linear lighting fixtures. The refreshed workspace offers its team members a refined, and forward-thinking work environment for both digital and in-person connections.

New Hub of Collaboration. A new connecting stair has been thoughtfully positioned just below the newly installed skylight, providing employees with access to natural light while fostering distinct neighborhoods within the workspaces. This stair serves as a main connection point between two work floors, offering opportunities for social engagement and gatherings. Adjacent to the staircase are communal zones that have been designed to serve as a vibrant nexus for employee interaction, technological engagement, and dynamic work styles. Throughout each level, versatile, multi-use areas cater to a diverse range of activities, from solitary work to large group gatherings. The project space embodies a modern, energetic, and authentically surprising aesthetic empowering team members.

Thoughtful and Energized Environment. SSOE and Marathon Petroleum Corporation together made a commitment to be environmentally conscious while leveraging the pre-existing building framework, systems, and furnishings, to install a state-of-the-art size-pipe HVAC system. To amplify natural lighting in the workspaces, we incorporated a substantial 15-foot square skylight that extends through the roof and third floor. This infusion of sunlight not only establishes a central hub for collaborative zones but also ensures equitable access to daylight for all employees throughout the workday.

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Gleeds is a leading global property and construction consultancy company, helping businesses and investors achieve the best value from their assets. With over 130 years of experience, their impartial intelligence is key to helping clients achieve their projects on budget, on time, and to an exceptional quality. SSOE was selected to help Gleeds create a new workplace that was welcoming and where their clients, employees, and co-consultants could be both productive and comfortable. The new space supports collaboration and is innovative with smart AV and remote technologies.

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SSOE worked with Delta Air Lines on the renovations to its administrative headquarters lobby and café.

Enhancing Delta’s Brand & Image

Creating an exciting and inspiring first impression for visitors, a space for employees to recharge, and a place to celebrate the heritage of a great company were several goals of the lobby and Woolman Café renovation project. The project supports Delta Air Lines in employee recruitment and retention while drastically enhancing its brand and image. By incorporating natural lighting, furniture selection, finishes and materials, artwork, lighting, and graphics, the newly renovated lobby / café spaces accommodate five services brands, doubled the seating capacity, and demonstrates Delta’s story in a sophisticated and progressive design.

New Hub of Collaboration

The lobby and café work together to create a new employee hub for collaboration, technology, and mobility as well as access to employee amenities including a clinic, fitness center, pharmacy, meeting rooms, and central elevator core for the building. While the lobby addressed Delta’s story, heritage, and visitor reception, the café’s vision is a positive influence on all who encounter the Delta community. The design is fresh, lively, honest, and unexpectedly fun.

Thoughtful & Energized Environment

Converting the existing spaces into this thoughtful, energized environment was no easy task requiring coordination with existing building infrastructure, systems, kitchens, elevators, life safety stairs, and exits. Opening existing exterior walls with large clear windows provides views to the organization’s bustling corporate campus.

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DS Services is about complete beverage refreshment and convenience. They are more than a manufacturer and distributor of bottled water: A leading direct-to-consumer service provider to about 1.5 million home and office locations across the country, they offer America’s preferred coffee, tea, breakroom supply, and water filtration products.

Having grown both organically and through acquisitions, their physical environment took on a fragmented quality that challenged the way DS Services wanted to connect with their people and work processes. With the opportunity to build a new workplace and headquarters, they had a vision to transform their culture, streamline their work, feature their products and services, and position their company for the future.

On entry to the Division Headquarters, the product showroom, customer solutions, and training center are in full view and enticing.   Trainees begin the day at the large ”campfire” table for bagels, coffee, and team bonding. The adjacent large matrix AV screen serves to introduce the day’s agenda, the company, products, and services.

SSOE devised a new workplace that was open, transparent, and connected. A memorable expression of the organization’s dynamic brand begins on arrival at the elevator lobby with a refreshing wash of blue light and continues to be reflected in architectural elements and brand identity references throughout. Experienced upon arrival, their two floors are visually joined with a two-story reception space and open stairway. This space serves as access to adjacent collaborative areas as well as the open work / life lounge above. Central to the arrival experience, the reception space of this customer-centric workplace features hospitality –  showcasing the services, products, and brands of the business. This theme of refreshment and hospitality continues at strategic locations throughout the workplace.

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WestRock provides their business partners a competitive advantage with game-changing developments in paper making, packaging design, and retail solutions. Their focus is insight-driven innovation, providing value and solving their partners’ biggest challenges. Having recently become a global company through acquisition, WestRock made strategic decisions to position themselves for future growth and success.

SSOE crafted a transformational workplace to support WestRock’s passionate customer focus. Believing talent, shared expertise, and out-of-the box thinking drive value for their partners, the new workplace brings together over 1,000 people from three sites. This coming-together set the stage for new synergies, lots of energy, and enhanced idea sharing. Presence and welcome happen at the building lobby, with hospitality, product display, and an Innovation Center for customized client collaboration. The experience reflects the culture of the business, its people, and their focus on innovation.

SSOE ’s design concept evolved with an enhanced user experience at its heart. Nine floors of workplace are open, connected, and inclusive, featuring agile workspaces. A mix of settings recognize the diverse range of preferences and work styles, allowing individuals to “customize” their work experience. It makes for – “a place where we can optimize our ability to deliver for our customers.” Lots of glass, open and semi-open collaborative zones and an interconnecting stair energize the atmosphere, a visual buzz and hum. The comfortable central café is a gathering spot used throughout the day, offering refreshment, social interaction, gaming, and building community.

The workplace is an authentic representation of who and what WestRock stands for as an organization and reflects their shared purpose. The space is straight-forward, practical, not fussy nor pretentious. A natural palette of concrete, wood, and metal finishes celebrate the materiality of their products. The simple beauty and geometry of folded planes, layered, and textured surfaces are found in their products and inspire the design of the workplace plan and architecture. Display of their product is integrated into the design giving teams an opportunity to share current work and prompt dialogue throughout and serves as a connecting device within the multiple floors of the workplace.

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In the business of simplifying how people work and enhancing how people live, Alight partners globally with 3,000 clients, impacting the lives of 23 million people and their families. A leading provider of benefits administration and cloud-based human capital solutions, Alight combines data-driven, consumer-centered technology with a people-centric customer experience. Alight sought a new workplace to reflect their values: Enable people to do their best work – in a simpler way – a more connected way – a more insightful way.

SSOE facilitated a discovery process that was key to understanding the varied work styles needed to meet the common goal of a team-work environment that would enable people to do their best work and strive for excellence every day. SSOE’s strategic design solution led Alight to reimagine their workplace, embrace a dramatic shift in culture, and design for the future.

The transformational new space breaks down hierarchical barriers by eliminating private offices and providing neighborhoods of open team-based space. A variety of communal spaces with touch down tables, soft seating, and integrated technology support team work and provide social connection for employees. The open work place is more efficient and reflective of the culture – sparking new possibilities, interaction, and collaboration between teams. Multiple heads-down spaces ranging in privacy levels and size provide for focused work, when needed.

The finish palette is energizing – mirroring Alight’s brand and corporate identity. The architecture reiterates this approach, including playful ceiling soffits and branded recessed lighting. The result is an emotional connection of people to brand, culture, and clients.

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This is a reboot for BrightWave : A combination of award winning work, innovative approaches to problem solving, and flat out crushing client success metrics are leading them to a higher caliber of client, spend, and employee. This leading e-mail and eCRM agency is “full steam ahead” in scaling the agency. BrightWave saw the need for a new workplace that would be an upgrade: A genuine, unique, elevated workplace that talks to employees and activates pride and cultural drive.

SSOE created a new workplace to work hard, establish new traditions, and have fun. These are spaces that encourage working together in a genuine, informal, and relaxed atmosphere that is “very chill”. Welcome and hospitality start at the front door with a space for: all-hands agency meetings supported with Apple TVs; catered lunch for all; entertainment events with hospitality for 50 to 60; wine and keg bar, self-help food and beverage service; and a variety of individual and booth seating which doubles as informal collaborative and individual work all day long.

BrightWave employees are typically millennials, 65% female, agile, ambitious, flexible, quick learners, and sophisticated experts. SSOE devised a variety of workspaces that engage this work culture: space for quiet thinking and spontaneous collaboration, individual heads down sit/stand workstations for flexible teams, stand up tables with big writable wall surfaces, and large Apple TVs to talk about their in-progress and showcase work.

A sense of fun infuses the space by referencing the nautical influence of the BrightWave brand: finishes and furniture selections subtly participate as well as a signal flag motif – conference and pitch rooms are named for mythical sea monsters. The brand in the space is the ambiance. The story telling and product is in screen content throughout the space.

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A global consulting firm, Russell Reynolds uses data and analytics, across industries and geographies, combined with expertise, to create the insights that prepare their clients for what’s next. An established entity, Russell Reynolds grew from conservative banking roots, but recent rebranding recognized “we’ve come so far from that.”

Russell Reynolds has evolved into an innovative, trusted advisory that delivers better results for clients, with a personal touch. The Atlanta team wanted a forward-looking workplace, reflecting the organization differentiators, while embracing this locality, it’s people and their preferences.

“We grow up our talent.” The Atlanta offices’ expertise includes technology, financial services, and executive recruitment. The nature of their work is primarily individual, focused, and confidential. Remote collaboration globally among colleagues – “more than the person next door,” connects resources and drives solutions. Working independently all day, they wanted an environment that intuitively fosters informal connectivity with their Atlanta colleagues, in relaxed and social settings. A dynamic group, the team wanted a visible energy and hum that expressed their attitude, even more important since their work is private and heads down.

SSOE’s design concept evokes a “Southern Modern” aesthetic that is both warm and sleek.  A centralized arrival, visually connected to adjacent collaborative settings and intersecting primary circulation, is welcoming, bright, and active. Introducing familiar “southern” details and materials, like shiplap and slate, reinterpreted with a modern take, we created a comfortable, but polished feel. Informal and familiar venues like the “front porch” and the “library”, occur throughout, creating “destination experiences,” encouraging people to work outside of their office at times. To build community and energy, we placed the “kitchen” at a prominent corner, overlooking the vibrant Midtown neighborhood, that people gather and circulate through all day. With 80% of their team in private offices, use of glass provides an environment that’s acoustically private but visual transparent. Focus + Connectivity + Community, Russell Reynolds’ new workplace captures the distinct elements of their success: high performance and high touch.

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The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is the regional planning and intergovernmental coordination agency for the ten county Atlanta region. With an opportunity to relocate their headquarters, The ARC sought a new, creative, and dynamic workplace that would invest in the organization, attract new talent, encourage an evolving culture, and reflect the forward thinking and innovative aspects of what they do.

SSOE responded to the challenge and devised a hip, creative, and forward-thinking, urban lab. A workplace that enables high performance and innovative problem solving, inspires forward-thinking collaboration, as well as creates a memorable encounter and experience. A space that allows people to visualize the ARC’s success and understand that” we are thought leaders…smart people with great data and ideas –  we make a difference.

Newly located in a downtown high-rise building, the workplace required multiple floors in the building’s tower, a street-level conference center- available to public and regional entities, and a street level reception lobby, giving brand presence and street-cred.

SSOE designed tower workplace floors featuring arrival zones or “main streets” which provides bicycle and locker storage, incidental meeting, and touch-down areas. Collaborative areas and work-life lounges are focal points at each end of the “main street”. Open work stations and collaborative areas are accessed from the arrival zone. Glass enclosed meeting and collaborative rooms flank the work stations. The workplace is collegial…like a university…agile…new and emerging …a regional resource. The new space has a minimal number of offices and provides an open work environment. Writable walls and integrated technology is present throughout – enabling brainstorm sessions, knowledge exchange, and collaborative solutions.

SSOE reinforces the concept of urban lab, with a visual image that is dynamic in it’s juxtaposition of refined and unfinished elements – reflecting the on-going work of the organization. The concept is further revealed with exposed steel columns, exposed-deck ceilings, suspended acoustical ceiling elements, and a sealed concrete floor. The workplace boasts an eclectic artful dimension in a variety of multiple area rugs in playful graphic patterns and the work of urban street artists featured on walls and sliding panels throughout the space.

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The Shopping Center Group (TSCG), headquartered in Atlanta, is a large, retail-only real estate company, with national reach, providing a full assortment of advisory services to tenants, landlords, developers, investors, and financial institutions. Real estate experts in an exciting and competitive industry, they love what they do and have fun doing it together. Growing and evolving, and in a market sector that “gets” experience, they wanted their workplace to be one, for their people.

TSCG recognizes their people and culture drive the company’s success. Renewing their lease, in a tower overlooking Atlanta’s new SunTrust stadium, where the Braves play, TSCG decided to renovate in place. A focused, informal, and fun team, their goal was an environment their people want to work and “play” together in, not only as colleagues but also as friends. SSOE’s design concept is inspired by the nature of their work: Retail is fun, social, therapeutic, interactive, entertaining, relaxing, cool, welcoming, attractive, business!

SSOE’s response to the client’s goals was to rethink how their space was allocated. Mobility, work processes and people’s current preferences being different seven years later, we identified ways to reinvent environment and attitude. Looking for optimal connection points at arrival and throughout the day, we focused on “high impact” opportunities to create a fresh, informal, and current vibe. A “branded” arrival brings together

Relaxed and varied get-together venues, refreshment, and a decidedly cool style, speak to TSCG’s culture. A new, spacious work-life lounge, with ping-pong, foosball and a swing, is their “’hang out” space where the team comes together to work, relax, and refresh. The workplace is a visual expression of who they are and what they do. Without a doubt they have fun doing it.

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When Rheem Manufacturing decided to co-locate several business units for the first time, the vision was a space that would celebrate and facilitate a new transformative culture. The new Rheem Water Division Headquarters enables more meaningful collaboration between employees and customers with real-time, hands-on demonstrations and problem solving, and an interactive showcase of the company’s forward-thinking and innovative new products.

SSOE’s design provided a dynamic workplace, training, and customer solution. It facilitates success in support of evolving product technology, user interface, customer demographic, brand, and company culture, which encourages down-stream acceptance of more sophisticated products and technologies. This interactive facility is a key tool in enabling Rheem’s evolution from an engineering-based product company to an end-user focused company — a company evolving from a wholesale to a retail strategy.

Products are physically displayed nearby on multiple “display platforms” for a unique hands-on introduction and instructional space. Hospitality bars flank the space for breakfast, snacks, and lunch service throughout the training day. Trainees experience a hands-on “live-fire” lab where products are taken apart and reassembled, and where trouble-shooting exercises can occur. A glass-enclosed training room completes the experience.

The new workplace provides more efficient and collaborative work processes that promote a transition from departmental to cross-functional teams. A sense of community is further supported with integrated come-together spaces.

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A New Headquarters

The Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) constructed a new Headquarters Building on their existing property at 201 Pryor Street. The facility includes a new office building, the renovation of the existing headquarters building (originally built in the early 1900s and expanded in 1987), a new 150-space parking deck, and the creation of outdoor courtyard / collaboration spaces. The new facility faces both Trinity Avenue and Pryor Street and includes a new front door located off of Pryor Street.

Four Stories High With A New Parking Deck

The building is four stories tall with a connector to the existing building with connections at two levels. The building also shares an elevator and stair with a new parking deck which replaces their existing surface parking lot and consolidates all parking needs into their facility. The building also includes an exterior fourth-floor terrace with views of the Capitol building.

Building Accents

The parking deck is five levels with connections to the building at one, four, and five that corresponds to building levels one, two, and four. The building’s façade is red modular brick with large storefront windows on the ground level with precast arched headers. On the upper levels, punched windows have architectural precast headers, sills, and bands. The two-level connector is primarily a glazed wall system with a precast base and sill. The parking deck also has a red modular brick façade facing the street with active use office storefront openings on Level 1 and aluminum framed openings on the upper parking levels.

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Working Together

Working in concert with the City of Sumter’s Economic Development Board, the design team provided complete architectural, engineering, and interior design services on the renovation and additions to the new, contemporary, two-story facility.

Growing Central Business District

Located in the downtown proper of Sumter’s growing Central Business District, the facility includes work and office space for the Board’s staff and Director, as well as reception and event spaces, two state-of-the-art boardrooms, and a large conference room. The new building is bounded by E. Liberty, S. Main, Caldwell, and S. Harvin Streets, with the existing building located on a neighboring site, adjacent to the proposed new space.

Sustainable Design

Renovations to the facilities existing structure houses additional event space, a complete catering kitchen, and temporary office suites for newly relocated businesses. In addition to the proposed additions and renovations, the new building features a number of sustainable design elements that include geothermal mechanical systems, creative placemaking, and pending LEED certification.

Furthering The Mission

Originally founded in 1957 by an act of the South Carolina General Assembly, the Sumter Economic Development Board began operating independently in the mid-1990s as the leading economic development organization for those residing within Sumter County. Funded through a Public-Private-Partnership that includes Sumter County Government, the City of Sumter, and the Sumter Smarter Growth Initiative, the Board’s new building will help further the organization’s mission to increase jobs and capital investment coming into the area.

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Designing A New Home

SSOE provided architecture, engineering, and interior design services for the relocation of Atlanta Habitat for Humanity. Moving to a new site on Memorial Drive, the scope included the complete renovation of the 1950-era Pittsburgh Plate Glass Distribution Warehouse. New facilities included the 25,000 SF Family Support Center, the 45,000 SF House Crew Operations Warehouse, and a new 24,000 SF ReStore retail outlet.

Renovations For A Better Tomorrow

The 5.5-acre master plan included employee, customer, and volunteer parking, house crew trailer parking, and loading service areas. In addition to the incorporation of the new parking areas, the design complies with the Beltline Overlay District’s requirements for new sidewalks, street trees, and landscaping.

Sustainable Features

The new facilities also include several sustainable design features such as improved daylighting by way of a renovated clerestory system in the warehouse; the use of reclaimed building materials; and a Rainwater Harvesting System which stores up to 70,000 gallons of water for re-use by neighboring organization Trees Atlanta.

A Note From Don Maddox, Jr., Executive Vice President And COO Of Atlanta Habitat For Humanity

“These new facilities support our mission of making adequate and affordable housing a matter of conscience and action. During all phases of the project, SSOE demonstrated considerable skill in managing the design within the budget and meeting our timetable for moving into the new facilities. The team remained resilient and creative dealing with the [numerous] discoveries found during a very challenging renovation. [In the end] the results have been a great benefit to our staff, customers and volunteers.”

 

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Integrating New Technology

Electric Guard Dog is a company that provides theft deterrent services to a variety of businesses throughout the country. By integrating new technologies into their electric security fence system, Electric Guard Dog has become a leading voice in the security market.

Tech Focused Facility

The new headquarters for Electric Guard Dog is located on the fifth floor of the Center for Innovation, a tech-focused facility that was designed by SSOE in 2016. Centered on the edge of Columbia’s Innovista District, the new 20,000 SF upfit includes a new reception space, conference and training rooms, a live/workspace, and additional programmatic areas all integrated with the latest technology.

Beneficial Work Experience

At the core of Electric Guard Dog is a concern for the health and wellness of their employees. Their new upfit subsequently merges the company’s aesthetic brand with adequate natural light, quality indoor air control, and new design strategies that seek to provide a beneficial work experience for each employee.

The new headquarters for Electric Guard Dog is located on the fifth floor of the Center for Innovation, a tech-focused facility completed in 2016.

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Creating A Contemporary New Building

SSOE was selected to provide a campus evaluation, and building and interior design for McKenney’s Mechanical Contractors’ existing site.

The existing building was a 1960s office warehouse building that had been added onto over the years as the size of the company grew. During that time, a more contemporary three-story building was built to the east, while both buildings were connected to the existing large shop building to the north.

Creating A Better Work Environment

The goal was to renovate the existing building to create a campus feel alongside the pre-existing three-story building and adjacent shop building. In addition, the design team was tasked with bringing the building up to code, as the work previously completed spanned a number of years. Lastly, and most importantly, the company knew they needed to change their work environment to hire and retain great people in order to better address the needs of a changing workforce.

The desire was for the building to be more open, with views to the exterior from all work areas, while storage and support areas moved to the center of the building. The team successfully addressed this by removing several of the exterior tilt-up concrete panels in order to open the building to the exterior while taking advantage of several existing skylights that opened the building between floors.

Encouraging Collaboration

Working closely with the Owner to select sit / stand units for all employees, each of the new collaboration areas, as well as the open break spaces, are only a few of the examples of space planning, and furniture selections that the team provided. The challenge in many of these areas was the low floor-to-floor heights available. In order to address these specific challenges, the SSOE team created an open environment by eliminating ceilings and using light to create a feeling of height.

The lobby was resized to provide a comfortable space for groups that travel to the building for training. The number and location of meeting rooms was an important consideration, as was the number of enclosed offices, which were reduced and located so as not to block any daylight access. An executive suite with a new board room was established in an area that would provide a high ceiling for a spacious feel.

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Reimagined Space For A New Headquarters Facility

Batson-Cook Construction’s new headquarters was previously occupied by the Vinings Club, a former Atlanta Social Club. The old mechanical yard containing a two-cell cooling tower was transformed into an outdoor gathering space. A steel mezzanine that divided the racquetball court now overlooks the break room.

New High-Efficiency Building Systems

The base building renovation included new and reused fan-powered induction and single duct variable air volume air (VAV) terminal units, and new HVAC controls tied into the existing base building direct digital controls (DDC) system. New air terminal units were installed throughout the space. The outdoor design included the racquetball court renovation, which modified an existing constant volume air handling unit to be variable flow, while a new outdoor air supply fan with intake louver was integrated into the existing curtainwall system. Electrical renovations updated the existing base building electrical distribution systems to support the new office space layout and the use of high efficiency LED lighting was included throughout the space.

Specialty Systems Designed To Accommodate New Space

New domestic and sanitary plumbing systems support a new expansive breakroom, two new ADA restrooms, and a wellness room. The structural design and specification included a new 3,000 SF mezzanine. Reviews of the floor plan, base building, and generation of performance specification documents were also done to create an updated sprinkler system.

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SSOE’s complete steel prefab structural building drawing ultimately saved La-Z-Boy over $500,000.

La-Z-Boy desired a research and development center that reflected the importance of innovation and technology to their company. Their vision was to create a new state-of-the-art R&D facility with larger, modern work spaces that would aid in improving staff recruiting and retention.

The SSOE team, with construction manager Rudolph Libbe, worked closely with La-Z-Boy on this design / build project, utilizing 3D modeling reviews to communicate clearly with the client’s project team to assure they fully visualized the design concepts. This allowed the client to understand the design at each phase and see how their design requirements were being incorporated. The final design included a combination of a 50,000 SF pre-engineered research building and a 20,000 SF conventional building designed with flexibility for the office spaces.

The research / testing area includes shops, wood working, and engineering spaces. The office space has an open floor plan incorporating the flexible workplace strategy, with only one walled office for the vice president. This floor plan, along with the café and outdoor seating areas, follow La-Z-Boy’s overall strategy to have office neighborhoods where people aren’t tied to the same work space on a daily basis, providing employees with a choice of where to work. There are also movable furnishings with electrical outlets located throughout for device charging.

The Innovation Center’s corridor is lined with windows that provide a view into the research and engineering brainstorming “garages” where they refine pieces of furniture and collaborate on design innovations. SSOE’s engineering team designed a special dust collection system used in the facility.

SSOE was pleased to offer architecture, MEP and structural engineering, dust collection, data / fire / security design, steel detailing, and interior design services for this facility that met the client’s goal and vision for a modern and flexible workplace for their employees.

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Direction Credit Union selected SSOE as their A/E firm to assist with the design of a new headquarters location in downtown Toledo. Working closely with JLL and SSOE for site selection, Directions chose to move their headquarters in to the Tower on the Maumee, a building on the Ohio Historical Registry. This move involved merging two existing suburban office locations into the headquarters on the 15th, 16th, and 17th floors in the newly redeveloped Tower.

The Direction leadership team’s vision was for a cultural change and creation of a more open and collaborative workplace. The space was planned to create multiple teaming, conference, and collaboration zones, with the elimination of most private offices. They desired spaces that would respond to changing workforce demographics, and one that would allow them to continue to be innovators within their industry. We worked closely with the furniture / change manager, providing employees options and personal choices in their areas, such as varied work spaces, adjustable height work surfaces, adjustable computer monitor arms, personalized user tools, and various types of furnishings to support different employee work and conferencing styles.

The headquarters design includes the renovation of three floor plates. Design features include 360 degree views of downtown, multiple team and collaboration spaces, two work cafés, and a large multi-use boardroom. The interior color scheme reinforces Direction’s branding and interior vision for their new space. This new, cutting edge workplace has the latest technology, wi-fi, and plug and play flexibility for employees and visitors to access. The new Direction’s Credit Union Headquarters will become a workplace destination with an atmosphere of high energy, excitement, and amenities that attracts and retains employees.

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SSOE completed a complex programming and schematic design effort for an approximately 1,100,000 SF, seven-story multipurpose building that serves as a model for workplaces of the future.

The building contains a 2.6 MW data center, two floors of class 10,000 high-tech cleanroom manufacturing and chip testing space, with five floors of office, cafe, and fitness center spaces to accommodate approximately 3,800 employees. Linked connections to neighboring buildings were created to provide passage for employees, utilities, and automated material handling systems. A pedestrian sky bridge to the parking garage was designed to accommodate a direct, convenient connection without impacting the existing wetlands. The project, utilizing a high-performance envelope, daylighting strategies, and high-efficiency mechanical systems, met the criteria for LEED Silver certification.

The office levels were organized into neighborhoods consisting of workstation groups, collaboration rooms, and community zones. These were combined with support spaces based on a formula for connectivity and an interactive office environment. Small and large community zones are located throughout the floor at strategic points where employees can work, meet informally, or relax as a community.

The objective was to create a design aesthetic to complement the existing campus architecture. Throughout the design process, this goal was elevated to create a distinctive architectural look that reflects the values of our client and today’s workers.

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