Sometimes it’s a necessity to expand your team’s work area, but your space doesn’t live up to your needs. We spoke with our designer, Jacquelin Essenburg, about a recent update to the local offices of a Naperville local access television station and how they adjusted the space to accommodate more people in a small existing space.
What were the goals of this project?
Our client needed to move their staff from the warehouse into their office space. Additionally, their existing workstations were showing signs of age and contained bulky overheads that made their bullpen area crowded. They asked us to help refresh the space and provide adequate storage without overcrowding their people.
How did the new office design improve upon what they had previously?
The new benching style workstations made the biggest impact to the functionally of the space by adding three additional seats in their office. Additionally, we reupholstered their existing Knoll Life chairs to give them new life!
What decisions were made to accommodate the office’s needs?
We chose to use Ethospace, a frame and tile system, and it gave the staff more flexibility for paper management. We carefully considered their existing elements such as carpet, paint, and pedestals when considering finish options for the workstations. Ultimately, we agreed on a green paint for the paper management trays to pull in a pop of color and tie-in their branding.
What elements of the design do you feel made the biggest impact?
Re-configuring the reception area greatly improved the use of space in the front end of the office. Previously, it had a limited capacity and felt cluttered because of how tightly configured everything was. Overall, I think the project turned out very well. I am very happy with how the new furniture pulled the space together by tying in their existing elements!
