Newell Brands, Atlanta Office Relocation

The client purchased a building that required renovation and repositioning to meet their needs. The newly renovated space now includes a five-story stair for connectivity of all employees, a rooftop terrace and green roof, outdoor patio/terrace, hardscape and softscape, conferencing center and large central communal zones on each floor, and a complete renovation of interior with café/dining. With new brand identification, the resulting design is fresh, energetic, mobile and collaborative.

The new facility was designed to offer employees a variety of space types to work within by varying furniture configurations and styles to allow for multiple meeting types. Integrating technology and basic tools such as writable surfaces encourages employees to interact in these open areas. The typical floors are set up to accommodate “permanent residents” while also providing “hoteling” space for visitors and telecommuters. The idea of hoteling and telecommuting was imperative since the new building footprint is roughly 1/3 the size of what it was.

The design intent was to “transform the workplace,” creating an indoor/outdoor experience. Spaces within the landscape play a pivotal role in the extension of the indoor program to the outdoor environment, with a collection of layered design elements that compliment architectural components of the building’s interior. The project has over 8,000 square feet of extensive green roof planting which makes the green roof not only functional from a storm water management aspect, but it enhances the beauty of the roof top terrace, embracing the indoor/outdoor connection and providing alternative work environments.

The scope of work for the project included: visioning, programming, concept development, space planning, schematic design, and design development. The project team worked to develop comprehensive construction documents, and managed detailed coordination throughout the construction process as well as furniture, fixtures & equipment selection and specification. The team also delivered a full graphic and signage package.

There were several challenges associated with this project. The project had an accelerated schedule, with construction documents released in December and a move-in date of April. Along with the fast-tracked schedule, there were a few late additions that caused the team to quickly adapt to changes. The addition of a café came after the CDs were already released, which meant the team had to coordinate with a civil engineer to add additional elements of the café.

Adding a monumental stair to support the idea of connectivity within the space meant a great deal of coordination between team members. The stair consultants, structural engineer, millworker, and others worked together to design a staircase that would be a focal point in the space. The team worked together to achieve the desired design, while also ensuring it be structurally sound.

Adding a rooftop terrace was an important goal for the design and bringing the interior workspace out. To meet ADA requirements, the team had to update one of the existing elevators to provide access to the new roof terrace. Because the creation of a roof terrace and green roof required extensive structural support, concrete was added to each shear wall on every floor.

Attending variance meetings were required in order to create the outdoor dining terrace. The entire team had to participate in these meetings to move forward with the outdoor area. Our client, our landscape team, and our interiors team attended two variance meetings in order to present an acceptable plan to the city to be approved. With the city’s approval, the client was able to have an outdoor space for employees, visitors and guests to enjoy, whether that be an office event or lunch al fresco.