Northwinds
Minneapolis, MinnesotaHGA was challenged by Northwinds, a sales and marketing company serving the financial industry, to create a workplace that overcomes potential contradictions. The client desired a setting that was comfortable yet not overly casual; professional and upscale, but not too ostentatious; open yet with some sound separation; modern, but not cold or abstract.
Northwinds is located in a turn-of-the-century warehouse constructed of a brick exterior with wood post and beam interior that served as the frame for a daring design. HGA's designers employed a palette of three wood colors mixed with aluminum, fabrics in complementary colors and dark carpeting. Walls and ceiling are painted white to brighten and simplify the space.
Workstation / offices are constructed almost entirely of millwork, with custom-made shelving and work surfaces. They are free standing to allow future expansion and flexibility. The entry doors to offices are situated to create a sense of defined space, while retaining an open floor plan.
Hanging soffits over the office millwork provide both a surface from which fluorescent ambient lighting can reflect, and a platform for directional, incandescent task lighting.