It was time for an upgrade.
For years, this 24,000-square-foot corporate office went unchanged. After working in the same tired space for so long, employees felt siloed and cut off from coworkers. Simply put, the layout didn’t take current workstyles into account. The office lacked both collaboration spaces and meeting spaces—small, large, and everything between. The space needed be to be transformed, and that’s exactly what design firm IDO did.
IDO’s tagline is “Transforming design.” They’re known for smart, savvy, and strategic spaces that move people, and this corporate space was no different. The renovation project started in Jan. 2020, but then—you guessed it—there was a pandemic. Although COVID-19 did cause some delays, the project still wrapped up before the new year. Impressive! Photographing this project was worth the wait, too. When I first walked into the space I noticed the bold pops of color and wall graphics.
The newly renovated space feels airy and collaborative. Carpet patterns define the open office areas and flex spaces, and double as customized wayfinding.
There are plenty of other interesting design features, too. For example, Bendheim glass panels flank the exposed structural bracing. (Bendheim glass is a type of specialty glass that’s been around since 1927.) To mimic the solid wood planks and provide a sense of continuity throughout the office, the client used wood wallcovering on the bulkheads.
Xorel Artform acoustical panels in the main corridor absorb sound, reduce echoes, and add a creative element.
And then there’s the main walkway—it has a Level custom digital wallcovering just outside the breakroom. You can see this in the photo below, where the wallcovering doubles as customized wayfinding.
The breakroom is another space with big changes. A half-wall now defines the breakroom from the rest of the office.
It doesn’t make it feel like a separate space, though. The wall is low enough to make the breakroom feel inviting and connected. Local artist Alicia Zanoni also painted a one-of-a-kind mural in the breakroom. (Zanoni, who specializes in landscapes and murals, also has painted a corporate mural for Community Health Network.)
Goodbye, drab space. Hello, modern workplace.
Following the renovation, employee feedback has been very positive. Employees appreciate the open environment, blend of collaborative and traditional meeting spaces, and breakroom. Working with IDO is fun and collaborative. I look forward to our next project together.
Michael Firsich is an architectural photographer based in Indianapolis, specializing is creating magazine quality images. He has spent nearly his entire career working with architectural firms and their industry partners. Michael pairs architectural photography with client testimonial video to dive deeper behind the design of a project and create a visual story.
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