Spanning 783,800 sf across its 11 stories, Zurich’s new North American headquarters in Schaumburg, Ill., houses almost 3,000 employees and contractors in a “stacked bars” office complex. Designed by Goettsch Partners, with Clayco as the developer and design-builder, the LEED Platinum-certified building breaks free from the typical center-core suburban office form with a trio of rectangular boxes that are offset and stacked. The top bar is 500 feet long, spans 180 feet between the bottom two bars, and cantilevers out 60 feet to the east, directly on axis with downtown Chicago, 28 miles to the southeast.
The HQ’s unusual arrangement offers numerous benefits, including optimal views of the surrounding landscape, improved solar orientation for amenities, and programmatic flexibility for Zurich. It also creates multiple spaces and amenities to encourage collaboration and wellness among employees, including green roofs, outdoor terraces, and a system of walking trails.
The project’s interior designer and workplace strategist, CannonDesign, led an extensive workplace pilot program and employee survey project (1,300 responses were recorded) to optimize the design scheme. More than 150 employees spent three weeks testing four uniquely configured office neighborhoods, each with different styles of desks, chairs, enclaves, conference rooms, and informal meeting spaces. The final design, which incorporates adjustable sit/stand desks, a variety of formal and informal meeting spaces, and decentralized break areas, was selected based on performance and feedback, including increased interaction among teams, decreased waiting times, and more flexibility.
Also on the Building Team: JLL (client’s rep.), WSP/Halvorson and Partners (SE), V3 Companies (CE), Thornton Tomasetti (sustainability consultant), and Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architects.
©James Steinkamp Photography
©James Steinkamp Photography
Related Stories
Adaptive Reuse | Mar 26, 2024
Adaptive Reuse Scorecard released to help developers assess project viability
Lamar Johnson Collaborative announced the debut of the firm’s Adaptive Reuse Scorecard, a proprietary methodology to quickly analyze the viability of converting buildings to other uses.
Sustainability | Mar 21, 2024
World’s first TRUE-certified building project completed in California
GENESIS Marina, an expansive laboratory and office campus in Brisbane, Calif., is the world’s first Total Resource Use and Efficiency (TRUE)-certified construction endeavor. The certification recognizes projects that achieve outstanding levels of resource efficiency through waste reduction, reuse, and recycling practices.
Office Buildings | Mar 21, 2024
Corporate carbon reduction pledges will have big impact on office market
Corporate carbon reduction commitments will have a significant impact on office leasing over the next few years. Businesses that have pledged to reduce their organization’s impact on climate change must ensure their next lease allows them to show material progress on their goals, according to a report by JLL.
Adaptive Reuse | Mar 21, 2024
Massachusetts launches program to spur office-to-residential conversions statewide
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey recently launched a program to help cities across the state identify underused office buildings that are best suited for residential conversions.
Office Buildings | Mar 21, 2024
BOMA updates floor measurement standard for office buildings
The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International has released its latest floor measurement standard for office buildings, BOMA 2024 for Office Buildings – ANSI/BOMA Z65.1-2024.
Sustainability | Mar 13, 2024
Trends to watch shaping the future of ESG
Gensler’s Climate Action & Sustainability Services Leaders Anthony Brower, Juliette Morgan, and Kirsten Ritchie discuss trends shaping the future of environmental, social, and governance (ESG).
Office Buildings | Mar 8, 2024
Conference room design for the hybrid era
Sam Griesgraber, Senior Interior Designer, BWBR, shares considerations for conference room design in the era of hybrid work.
Office Buildings | Mar 5, 2024
Former McDonald’s headquarters transformed into modern office building for Ace Hardware
In Oak Brook, Ill., about 15 miles west of downtown Chicago, McDonald’s former corporate headquarters has been transformed into a modern office building for its new tenant, Ace Hardware. Now for the first time, Ace Hardware can bring 1,700 employees from three facilities under one roof.
Designers | Feb 23, 2024
Coverings releases top 2024 tile trends
In celebration of National Tile Day, Coverings, North America's leading tile and stone exhibition, has announced the top 10 tile trends for 2024.
High-rise Construction | Feb 23, 2024
Designing a new frontier in Seattle’s urban core
Graphite Design Group shares the design for Frontier, a 540,000-sf tower in a five-block master plan for Seattle-based tech leader Amazon.