For an architectural engineering firm, an office is more than just a workspace; it’s a portfolio piece to show potential clients.
DLZ, a Midwestern firm with 22 locations, partnered with Rightsize to PLAN and FURNISH its Chicago office to communicate the firm’s professional yet stylish atmosphere.
“Everyone who visits our office immediately recognizes our creative environment,” said Ram Rajadhyaksha, the firm’s equity partner and engineer. “Because we are an architectural engineering firm, we wanted a signature space—one that showcases our expertise, and provides a wow factor to our team and clients alike.”
Rightsize worked with the company’s staff to understand the firm’s unique specifications, and outfitted the workstations, private offices, and communal areas to meet these needs.
“The first step is to understand how the office works: What are the different departments and how do they collaborate,” said Jessica Schaeflein, designer at Rightsize. “We also figured in details like equipping project managers with an area when they are on-site, and a few workstations with higher panels to better suit private calls or one-on-one meetings.”
To accommodate large-plan drawings, the architects and engineers needed wide work surfaces and accessible storage areas. Rightsize procured refurbished Herman Miller Ethospace workstations in a white and gray palette, with 30-inch work surfaces and storage spaces. The private offices featured a sleek, contemporary aesthetic, using Groupe Lacasse Nex workstations and storage units with high-gloss black fronts.
Rightsize planned the main corridor to double as a storage area for the firm’s drawing laterals, as well as a casual meeting point. A laminate enclosure both protected the laterals, and formed a counter-height meeting surface surrounded by stools.
The firm needed sophisticated conference rooms and collaboration areas for both client and staff meetings. To create a dramatic executive conference room, Rightsize installed a white laminate Scale 1:1 Think Tank table, along with Global Accord chairs upholstered in Crossing Colors fabric from Momentum. In another meeting room, Source Tier stools upholstered in a deep red fabric complemented an Enwork Concurrence media table in white laminate.
Custom and colorful touches also gave the office an eye-catching and branded look.
“We used FilzFelt panels – in a fun pop of a coordinating green – to divide the kitchen and main corridor along the private office side,” said Schaeflein. “We had custom laminate cabinetry built to house all their office supplies and library of materials. We worked with the client on the needs they had for that, drew up the specifications, and worked with a vendor who built them into the space. The same laminate cabinetry vendor created custom counters for drop-down areas.”
Throughout the project, Rightsize provided detailed 3D renderings via its space visualization tool, VisionFX, to help the client visualize the finished office. VisionFX combines layout, design, and product selections into a three-dimensional, fully interactive platform that allows users to visualize what their office space can and will look like upon completion. The end result is a highly customized, better defined, and more efficient approach.
“One of the things I was very impressed by was how they were able to provide the 3D models of the furniture,” said Rajadhyaksha. “I’ve always feared ordering a piece of furniture only to have it not fit in the desired space, and give off the wrong impression. Looking at the 3D modeling, I saw exactly how these packs were going to look. This is a great tool that ensures accuracy and, in turn, ensured that all of our space planning needs were met.”
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