“What they wanted to do was design and build a facility that was a draw for people because it would have the amenities, it would have the technology, and it would have a lot of superior things,” says Roger Heerema, principal at architecture firm Wright Heerema Chicago. 
 
The workplace needed to accommodate employees across 150,000 square feet, over three floors, and with 1,300 seats. Wright Heerema collaborated with MillerKnoll dealer Continua Interiors to create a space with areas for intentional connection and collaboration, as well as focused individual work, at their Illinois HQ.

The team set out to achieve a myriad of goals:

• Creating a sense of community and belonging

• Offering people flexibility and choice to work how they want 

• Encouraging cross-department collaboration

• Providing views of nature, biophilic design, and natural light

A space that lets people work how they want

This global company isn't a stranger to hybrid and remote work, but they evolved their in-office approach at the new HQ with the addition of open spaces and a variety of settings for employees to choice from.

Early in the process, MillerKnoll Workplace Strategists, in partnership with Continua Interiors, created a full change management outline that included an interactive floorplan color-coded to five categories:

• Individual work: Collaborative

• Individual work: Focus

• Open gathering

• Conference and meeting rooms: Hospitality and amenity

The outline helped Continua Interiors collaborate with MillerKnoll and the client to create a “day in the life map” that illustrated how any employee might work through different spaces in any given day.

Each floor was then designed so that as employees move from collaborative to focused work, the floorplan accommodates. First, there’s a collaborative café off the elevator where people can work together, have a casual catch-up, and enjoy snacks and drinks. “You could sort of park there and get food, water, coffee, soda, and work all day if you wanted to,” Heerema says.

From there, the office is organized by neighborhoods, which consist of open workstations, enclosed offices, and conference rooms. Meanwhile, the perimeter features non-reservable areas with benches and long tables for a semi-private space that isn’t completely disconnected from the rest of the office. 

The space’s flexibility expands beyond the day-to-day. The team intentionally selected furniture, such as the OE1 Agile Wall, that could be easily reconfigured. If the organization sees that people are gravitating to the open collaboration areas, leaving workstations underutilized, they can address changing needs as in-office trends evolve.

Bringing the feeling of home into the office

“We were trying to get people out of their houses, so we chose some design elements that are more familiar to a residence than an office,” Heerema says. “At home most people are sitting on their couch with their feet up and working on their laptop, and now they can do the same thing at work if they’d like.” Soft seating from across the collective of brands provided a residential feel, including the Lína Chair from DWR, Tuxedo Sofa and Crosshatch Chairs from Geiger, Always Chair from NaughtOne, and Aire Coffee Table from Muuto.

Coziness abounds on the third floor, home to a “fireplace area or living room,” as a project manager at the industrial organization calls it. Meanwhile, the lower level boasts a lounge, game room, fitness center, and deli and dining area. The architects ensured natural light from the first floor would flood this amenities area on the lower level. Throughout the building, live plants and views of the outside bring nature indoors, while walking paths around the office highlight the organization’s commitment to employee wellbeing.

A global approach

The client hopes the space design and furniture in their new HQ will offer a seamless experience for employees working somewhere other than their usual office. “If someone from Italy comes in, they’re not surprised that they need to book a desk, they know they can go sit at a high-top table, they’re familiar with the tech,” says a site HR manager at the company. “We set out to answer: how do we make everyone feel welcome in a new space.”  

Similarly, connecting virtually is seamless by integrating the same technology in every conference room. In smaller conference rooms, the placement of the TV and cameras intends to create the feeling that those calling in are around the table with the people in the room.

Across the board, the organization achieved their overarching goal of connection. “I talked to an employee who said that they’ve met more people in the first few months of being in this new space than they had met in the last year,” the HR manager says.  

3-point recap

1. An industrial organization’s move into a new global headquarters called for a highly flexible hybrid workplace that would feel inviting and foster community.

2. Architecture firm Wright Heerema collaborated with MillerKnoll dealer Continua Interiors to create a space with areas for intentional connection and collaboration, as well as focused individual work.

3. The new space offers a seamless experience for employees working somewhere other than their usual office.