CnT Architects

The project came into being through the client’s acquisition of another company who had started developing the site. One building was already constructed to an advanced stage, with its entry on the west side. The master plan called for a second detached building to the east of the first building, with its own west-side entrance.

This master plan was altered to offer a greater sense of unity to all the inhabitants of the campus. The first building was altered to be entered from the east, and an atrium inserted between the two buildings to serve as a common entrance. The atrium structure is built with steel and glass, and forms a shared social landscape that is a common magnet uniting the two buildings.

Due to a high water-table caused by an adjacent lake, basement parking had to be restricted to a single level, and the new building rests on three levels of above-ground parking. The atrium contains a straight grand staircase, connecting all the parking levels and terminating at the lowest habitable floor of the new building. Staff can exit any parking level and move easily to office spaces, with the old building connected with steel bridges that span the atrium.

Every office floor of the new building is ringed by double-height break-out spaces. These spaces serve as social magnets that build a sense of community in the workplace, provide relief to the pressures of work, and offer vantage points to enjoy the views, particularly of the adjacent lake and greenery.

The footprint of the office floors is smaller than the footprint of the parking floors, creating a terrace at the third-floor level. The CEO’s office is located here, so that it opens onto a landscaped terrace that offers outdoor conference and dining with a view of the lake.