After expanding their team in the St. Louis office, Avison Young was left with a crowded, outdated space. As a commercial real estate company, this wasn’t the first impression they wanted to give clients who are themselves looking for inspired spaces.
“Our previous space was very small and rather dark; the furniture was old and mismatched. Storage space was sparse, making the space feel cluttered with unfiled paperwork and supplies. When first entering the space, there was no formal entry, just workspaces. In addition, we did not have a dedicated conference room, which forced us to rely on communal building rooms and doesn’t give the best impression to clients. The space did not give the impression that we are a successful, growing firm.”
After finding a new office that could accommodate their growing staff, Avison Young had a clean slate on which to build their ideal workplace that would not only be a pleasure to go to every day, but a space that would act as an embodiment of their brand to new and returning clients.
Additionally, the office culture is one of cooperation where every member is considered an equally important part of the team. Siloed and ranked spaces went against everything the company stood for.
To meet this goal, Chiodini Architects first investigated the differing work modes and habits of Avison Young’s employees, determining the important aspects and tools necessary for individuals to complete their daily tasks. Next, they installed demountable, non-anchored glass walls. This choice allows Avison Young to rearrange the office as necessary while allowing natural light to penetrate the interior of the office from perimeter windows.
Then, Chiodoini Architects designed a variety of meeting spaces from typical executive conference rooms to smaller teleconference vignettes, open collaboration spaces, and shared tables between employee workstations. Within each space, furniture was chosen that could easily accommodate the room’s use and environment. Traditional seating at a banquet table is provided in the conference room for more executive meetings, while minimalist bar-height tables and chairs are available for impromptu or more casual meetings. Collaborative furniture such as rocking and perch chairs, as well as poufs, dot the landscape and provide more active seating choices.
For individual workstations, employees were paired and a height-adjustable work surface was placed between their traditional semi-enclosed desks. Throughout the day, they have the option to work individually at their computer surrounded by privacy panels and plenty of storage space, or to turn around and work alone or as a team at the table.
The most simple—yet impressive—aspect of the new office comes in the form of the entryway. Visitors are greeted by a bright and airy lobby and reception desk, starting their impression of Avison Young off on the right foot from the moment they walk in the door.
Project Details
Headquarters:
St. Louis, MO
20 Employees
Partnerships:
MBI
Chiodini Architects
Product Solutions
Seating:
Acuity®, Linger™, Scooch™, Rock™
Workspaces:
Approach™, Stride®, Terrace®
Tables:
Altitude®, Merge®, Transfer™
Storage:
Essentials™
Architectural Walls:
Beyond®