Ferrara Candy Company’s new headquarters space in Chicago’s Old Post Office building was designed to accommodate the company’s growth and flexibility and provide more meeting and conference spaces to encourage collaboration and information sharing.
The office’s floor plan is laid out with a singular path to create a feeling of connectedness between the divided “neighborhoods.” Each neighborhood is equipped with small- and large-scale conference rooms, huddle rooms, and open collaboration spaces. Workstations are scattered throughout to provide employees better access to each other and to natural light.
Industrial metal frames are used as space dividers and are infilled with whiteboards and felt panels that serve as tools to encourage brainstorming and innovation. Exposed sightlines encourage a more open and transparent culture, while huddle rooms and private offices give options for privacy and concentration. A cafe space can be transformed throughout the day from a coffee bar and informal meeting area to a happy hour or event venue after hours.
See Also: IH Mississippi Valley Credit Union headquarters completes construction
The design takes care to maintain the historic Old Post Office building’s industrial nature by accentuating the 18-foot-tall ceilings, two vintage mail chutes, and two package scales.
Related Stories
Greenbuild Report | Dec 8, 2015
Is ‘green’ still a selling point in the office sector?
Some developers are missing an opportunity by downplaying sustainability at a time when demand for such features is palpable among lessee firms who are trying to attract younger workers.
Energy Efficiency | Nov 16, 2015
Amazon will heat its new Seattle campus with waste heat from next-door data centers
Up to 4 million kilowatt-hours of energy will be saved each year.
Office Buildings | Nov 6, 2015
Real Madrid to get new headquarters designed by Rafael de La-Hoz
The design of the building is made of a set of two parallelepiped-shaped volumes.
Office Buildings | Nov 3, 2015
Emotional intelligence and design
In a world in which technology and its skills are constantly changing, good people skills are becoming more important, writes VOA's Angie Lee.
Office Buildings | Oct 19, 2015
10 ways to work better
Each office workplace requires a different blend of people, processes, tools, and spaces to support its employees. HDR's Allison Arnone has tips that can guide you toward the perfect balance for your company.
Office Buildings | Oct 16, 2015
#Thank you for sharing: How social media is reshaping the workplace
The rapid growth of mobile technologies threatens to push the desktop PC into extinction. When this happens, the most pertinent question for workplace designers will be what is the purpose of the desk, writes Gensler’s Philip Tidd.
Office Buildings | Oct 5, 2015
Renderings revealed for Apple's second 'spaceship': a curvy, lush office complex in Sunnyvale
The project has been dubbed as another “spaceship,” referencing the nickname for the loop-shaped Apple Campus under construction in Cupertino.
High-rise Construction | Oct 5, 2015
Zaha Hadid designs cylindrical office building with world’s tallest atrium
The 200-meter-high open space will cut the building in two.
Office Buildings | Sep 28, 2015
Simplicity and angularity define Renzo Piano’s design for Kum & Go’s headquarters
The new building is part of a downtown Des Moines, Iowa, redevelopment project, and is intended to echo the shapes of a nearby sculpture park.
High-rise Construction | Sep 3, 2015
Rafael Viñoly's 'Walkie-Talkie' tower named U.K.'s worst new building
The curved, glass tower at 20 Fenchurch Street in London has been known to reflect intense heat onto the streets below (in one instance damaging a car) and cause severe wind gusts.
