A long-time leading global banking institution has trusted our team time and time again to develop high-performance furniture solutions for their offices. So when it was announced they would be moving to a brand new, 55-story tower, this client chose to partner with our team on the evolution of their workplace.
A NEW TAKE ON OLD CLASSICS
As a returning, valued client, Corporate Concepts had previously assembled a team to focus solely on this client’s projects. This group of project managers and technical designers was already intimately familiar with our client’s design standards, preferred vendors, and expectations.
But this tower wasn't meant to blend in with their past offices. While it would still align with company standards as necessary, our client wanted this new space to be "a showpiece," says project coordinator Elysia Voltaggio. This new hub's design was meant to highlight the beauty and culture of Chicago - the city that would bustle around below it.
Voltaggio was added to the job to support account manager Betsy Velarde and project manager Erin Fanthorpe. This team brought extensive experience in this client’s past projects to the table, along with the new additions' fresh points of view.
From left: Jennifer L. Cusack, Betsy Velarde, Elysia Voltaggio, Erin Fanthorpe, and Emily West.
AN UNCONVENTIONAL PROCESS
Successfully creating a design solution for a brand-new building is no small task, especially when your client's new home has close to 20 stories.
Our team quickly adapted to the challenges this project presented. Getting started, there weren't any established floor plans or set of design expectations to work within. So Corporate Concepts worked closely with our client to create design look books and mockups. This gave the client a vision of what their new space would look like, even as the tower was still in development.
As the one of Chicago’s tallest buildings built in recent memory, our team had plenty of time to assemble a concrete plan of interior solutions, ready to be ordered and installed once the tower was complete.
This process also included revising the plan to adhere to the clients' budget. When our team saw costs creeping over what the client wanted to spend, they put their design backgrounds and problem-solving skills to work. Then, they were able to present a variety of alternate high-performance solutions to fit our global banking client’s needs and stay within their budget.
PUSHING PAST THE PANDEMIC
The unforeseen effects of the 2020 pandemic brought several aspects of manufacturing and construction to a halt. This meant that, just as our team was getting ready to execute the tower installation, products were suddenly on backorder, and team members needed to stay away from job sites.
Despite these changes, the Corporate Concepts team didn't lose momentum. Velarde, Fanthorpe, and Voltaggio stayed in constant contact with the our client’s team, real estate service group JLL, and architect firm, IA, to continue moving forward with the project during that uncertain time.
With our team's top-notch communication and organizational skills ("Elysia is an Excel wizard!" says Velarde), installation was only delayed a month. During a time when projects were being postponed for months or even shut down, this was a significant success.
A SEAMLESS INSTALL
Given the pandemic, the health of all teams involved was paramount. Corporate Concepts worked closely with our onsite partner Systems, Unlimited to ensure a problem-free installation that respected everyone’s COVID protocols.
Systems, Unlimited is a trusted Corporate Concepts partner who handles many of our local projects. During the tower installation, our team kept in communication with Systems, Unlimited every step of the way. That communication led to our products being installed quickly, correctly, and without any costly issues.
OUR CHOSEN SOLUTIONS
We started with a foundation of Knoll desks and tables for our global banking client’s new offices and workstations. These height-adjustable, mutable solutions allow for flexible working environments geared towards excellent user experiences.
Our trader workstations were built with Innovant pieces. Their high-quality workstation line offers height-adjustable desks with optimized cabling and power solutions. They can also be customized to include additional storage and privacy features.
In their conference rooms, we placed Bernhardt Design conference tables, chosen for their user-friendly power and cable management and their wide range of finishes and corner styles.
In their community spaces, we created a blended design from trusted vendors like Allermuir, Stylex, Holly Hunt and more. With these pieces, we installed several different types of collaborative spaces, from open areas with comfortable seating to private booth nooks for one-on-one meetings. Our goal was to offer a diverse range of seating options for our client’s team to work together in their new home.
Whether you're starting from scratch with a new space or looking to refresh your current design, our dedicated team of experts is ready to find interior furniture solutions for you. Contact us today to get started.