addition – CSO

Clif Bar

Clif Bar is a private company guided by Five Aspirations focused on sustaining their business, brands, people, community, and the planet. When they set out to design a renovation and expansion of their Indianapolis facility, it was crucial that their chosen design firm embraced a like-minded approach to incorporating biophilic design, renewable energy, repurposed materials, and locally-sourced materials. The two-story addition doubled the size of their office space while providing a work environment that is centered around the well-being of their employees. Not a single facet of the design was proposed without linking it back to direct evidence that such a feature would matter to the people who would inhabit the space.

Biophilic Design was crucial in creating an interior and exterior that would be an invigorating and comfortable environment for workers who spend long shifts indoors. Drawing on inspiration from the native Indiana geology, the building is clad in rough limestone detailed to express horizontal strata, and utilizes shading devices which draw upon the complexity and order of natural patterns, creating a soft play of light similar to that of a deciduous woodland.

These themes of prospect and refuge continue inside, offering dynamic double-height spaces in which to host all-hands meetings, as well as intimate nooks for private rest and respite. By express intention, every single employee has the same arrival experience and amenities. Bakery staff and office workers alike are intermixed in social spaces under skylights and at critical building zones. Given prominence due to the people it serves, the employee breakroom occupies the outer portion of the second floor. It is afforded sweeping view of the outdoors, and is uniquely branded to reflect the spirit and diversity of Clif Bar’s employees.

CSO’s design process was enhanced through workplace research data provided by DORIS Research as well as input on biophilic design features from Terrapin Bright Green, who has developed biophilic design strategies for other Clif Bar facilities.

McNutt Quadrangle Dining Facility

The McNutt Dining Project includes a renovation and addition to the existing McNutt Center building in the McNutt Quadrangle Residence Hall Complex. In addition to a larger dining facility and main kitchen, the project includes Residence Life offices and other associated support spaces. The renovation and addition is isolated to the ground and first floors of the existing building. The upper two floors primarily remain as is, except for miscellaneous mechanical spaces and chases.

The architectural expression of the new building addition is sympathetic to the existing Mid-Century Modern architecture of McNutt Quadrangle. Indiana ashlar limestone used on the existing building is used in the same application on the new addition. Large windows are placed on axis with new green space created by North Housing. The new dining project is an anchor to this new central green. A large curved wall of the addition gives reverence to the new green spaces and follows the projected path students take as they transfer southeast to main campus. The new architecture of McNutt Dining is carefully knitted into the context of McNutt Quadrangle as well as the adjacent new housing project. CSO collaborated with Hanbury and BakerGroup on the design of this project.

The micro-restaurant style dining concept includes ten different themed restaurant concepts, a new Starbucks, and a convenience store (C-Store). A centralized prep kitchen and dishwashing area, loading dock and other back-of-house spaces support the dining operations.

The 24,500 square foot addition expands the dining facility, and gives it another “front door”, visually connecting it to the new North Housing Development.

Westfield High School

When the community supported WWS in their endeavor to address growing facility needs throughout the district with approval of a referendum, the largest allocation was put toward expanding the existing high school. Administrators saw this as an opportunity to not only address the needs of growing programs and an aging building, but to transform its education model and align the built environment with their pedagogical vision.

CSO studied existing facility use and programming information to quantify space utilization and projected student and program growth. Using CSO’s data, administrators decided to make the leap to a university model of education, allowing them to increase building efficiency and maximize the use of their budget to benefit as many parts of the building and programs as possible. In addition to this shift in space usage, WHS sought to accommodate growing demand for career ready programs, provide flexible areas for student use, and create spaces where students would want to spend time. All new and renovated spaces were designed to easily adapt to future program needs by minimizing built-in fixtures and maximizing use of mobile and flexible furniture. CSO worked closely with WHS to establish an aesthetic that mirrored the new educational direction with a high-tech, industrial feel while maintaining subtle touches that are distinctly Westfield.

The collaborative process between WHS and CSO and in-depth programming was critical to the success of this project. This approach allowed WHS to accomplish so much more than a traditional approach to projected growth would have allowed. The resultant custom tailored building will better support today’s students and staff in their endeavors and allow WHS to adapt to an unknown future much more readily and rapidly.

Plainfield Community Middle School

Originating as Plainfield High School in 1956, the building has been expanded and renovated more than sixteen times over the last 60 years.

CSO’s design solution emphasized impacting learning environments, improving building circulation, and upgrading finishes, lighting, and technology throughout the building. The most dramatic change to the building is a new two-story corridor that cuts through a large portion of the existing building. This new space creates a student commons and a clear main entry for the building. The renovated media center and new STEAM focused ‘Idea Lab’ are placed directly adjacent to the student commons, helping to emphasize their importance to the school.

Classrooms were reorganized into grade level specific areas to breakdown the large footprint of the building. Designers capitalized on underutilized space throughout the building by removing walls to corridors to create shared collaboration and break out spaces for teachers to utilize throughout the day.

Various construction types and methods from multiple eras posed a unique challenge for CSO’s designers. By thinking creatively and relying on their expertise, they were able to breathe new life into this building.

Brownsburg High School Renovation and Addition

Following a series of community engagement sessions in 2016, the Brownsburg Board of School Trustees decided that in order to address enrollment growth in grades 9-12 and failing infrastructure at Brownsburg High School, it was necessary to expand and renovate the school.

New academic, administrative, athletic, foodservice, and building support spaces will increase the capacity of the high school to 3,000 students and allow for future growth of an additional 1,000 students. Major demolition of a significant portion of the existing building provided the opportunity to add 23% more classroom space, expand auditorium seating to accommodate approximately 995 people, and improve overall corridor circulation. The demolished area was rebuilt taking a portion of the building from a single story to two stories housing classrooms and taller spaces such as the cafeteria and Large Group Instruction rooms.

An existing auditorium was transformed into a true performing arts theater. The new theater design involved expanding the auditorium with new sloped and stadium seating, a new orchestra pit, front of stage area, overhead catwalks, and new lighting and sound systems.

The school has been operational throughout the entire construction process, which has occurred in phases to lessen the impact on students.

Center Grove Innovation Center

Center Grove’s new Innovation Center is a hub for 21st Century learning focused on preparing students of all ages for careers in STEM fields. The Center provides a student-centered learning environment with space for a variety of student experiences including: project-based learning, community partnerships, high-level problem solving, innovative collaborative learning, and cutting edge technology.

The first phase of the project includes a robotics lab to serve as the home to the award-winning Red Alert Robotics team. Prior to the renovation, the robotics team had to test their machines in the high school hallways or empty classrooms. The new design provides ample space for fabrication/tools, assembly/testing, and a full-sized practice pit.

The second phase of the design includes a central organizing “Collaboration Zone” between three large classroom labs dedicated to Basic, Advanced, and Industrial STEM activities and three large-group areas for CAD/computer activities, design exercises, media-based collaboration, and discussions. The flexible spaces accommodate all ages, from elementary students learning with Lego ™ components, to high school students using advanced 3D printing and manufacturing processes.

The STEM labs are open to each other and can be divided to accommodate individualized activities with adjacent break-out spaces for smaller groups. Specific colors designate each STEM lab and extend out into the Collaboration Zone to easily orient young learners. Teachers are able to use electronic tablets to display information on TV screens located around the experiment room or stream videos of an experiment or activities so that all students are able to see it.

Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall

When Indiana University set out to improve the iconic Assembly Hall, they prioritized the preservation of the original aesthetic while challenging the design team to develop a bold, yet respectful expansion that closely aligned with the architectural character of the original structure. Contextual influences drove a design solution that integrated the new addition into the existing structure holistically with a reverent architectural expression that closely relates to the original.

A new atrium space allows views between the entry and main concourse. This is the center of the new space and features a reinvented version of Athlete’s Hall and a panoramic window allowing views into the arena. The new arrival area supports existing traditions while offering a space for new traditions, events, and ceremonies to take place. The new entry is conveniently located, and visible escalators create a clear and efficient means for moving spectators through the space into the arena. A new Box Seat Club offers an exceptional viewing experience of events. CSO collaborated with SmithGroup to complete this project.

CSO subsequently completed the Roberts Family Indiana Basketball Team Center and Mark Cuban Center for Sports Technology located within Assembly Hall.

Cummins Seymour Technical Center

The new Cummins, Inc. Seymour Technical Center was designed as the Global Headquarters for High-Horsepower Design and Engineering. The 2-story office addition includes workspace and collaboration areas, a dining facility and social hub, new entrances, and a security and training pavilion for the engine plant. The building design is a bold expression of Cummins’ engineering prowess and its proud history of designing, manufacturing, and distributing the finest, most powerful engines in the world. The main entrances incorporate dramatically cantilevered steel canopies, which are reminiscent of Columbus, Indiana’s iconic red suspension bridge. The office building’s exterior was designed with an advanced engineered skin, incorporating an exterior daylighting and shading system. Each of the primary exterior façades has been purposefully designed to respond to its specific and unique solar orientation.

Cummins wanted to “bring the office into the plant, and the plant into the office.” Highly durable and raw industrial materials such as corrugated steel panels, polished concrete, and wood slats fastened to exposed metal studs were incorporated throughout the office environment. These same materials can be found on the plant floor, and therefore subtly reinforce the connection. The engine assembly and finishing process was carefully examined early in the design process with the goal of informing the final design. Elements of the manufacturing process are on display in the office area through the incorporation of design features such as the compound curves and finish found on powder-coated steel benches which mimic the sleek lines of the engines.

Highly flexible, ergonomic workspace solutions and state-of-the-art audiovisual collaboration systems allow the engineers to tailor how and where they work. A variety of flexible meeting rooms, focus booths, soft seating areas, and social hubs are available to accommodate the changing needs of their workforce and promote interaction, collaboration, and engineering innovation.

The Cummins Seymour Technical Center does more than provide much needed space for engineering staff – it uplifts their work force in beautiful spaces and is an inspiring reflection of Cummins’ proud tradition of world-class engineering.

Dr. Don Shondell Practice Center

The Dr. Don Shondell Practice Center is a new building located adjacent to Worthen Arena which is home to the Ball State University Cardinal’s basketball and volleyball teams. The main area of the facility provides a new practice gymnasium and includes two, full-sized NCAA-compliant basketball and volleyball practice courts. The facility is accessible from Worthen Arena to provide access to existing locker and restroom facilities.

The connector between the two buildings has two levels. The main level provides an exterior entrance to the Practice Center with access to the courts and space for a team room with tiered seating, a training room, and courtside storage space. The second level aligns with Worthen Arena’s concourse level where there is access to two new meeting rooms that overlook the new practice courts.

The namesake of the facility, Dr. Don Shondell, established an impressive legacy as a men’s volleyball coach as well as the founder of the volleyball team at Ball State University.

Roche Diagnostics Lab and Office

The objective for this 55,569 square foot, 2-story building addition was to bring together five related product testing laboratories into one unified setting for increased productivity and effectiveness. In order to address workflow requirements, the design is sited as an addition to an existing building but it is essentially a freestanding two-story structure. The program included product testing labs, various purpose-designed meeting spaces, social hub/interaction spaces, and a variety of flexible, concentrative and mobile work settings.

The program areas were layered vertically in the building to manage biohazard separations and controls, with the lab spaces on the first floor and the flexible work environments, meeting, and interaction areas located on the second floor for access to natural light. In order to promote interaction and a sense of community, the most public function – the social hub – is located adjacent to the main staircase, at the most centralized point in the circulation atrium. This convergence of circulation and social functions has proven to be very conducive to staff interaction.

In order to maximize natural light while adhering to sustainable design features, detailed 3-D models, sun path studies, building sections, and energy analysis models were developed and analyzed to inform the final design configuration of the west façade shading system and glazing. The design solution creates a carefully designed, glazed west-facing façade which allows very controlled, diffused natural daylight directly into the circulation atrium and deeply into the lab, office, and interaction spaces beyond.

The interior spaces were designed with extensive interior glazing to display the advanced laboratory technology and innovation that is central to Roche’s business success and corporate culture, as well as to allow for the deep penetration of natural light. The Design Team combined very clean, European modernist materials and furnishings with a warm palette of neutral hues and accent colors rooted in the native Indiana landscape.

As the result of the client’s tech-based culture and high design aspirations, the design team employed a rigorous, multidisciplinary, sustainable design approach to create an uplifting, technologically advanced facility that inspires its scientific staff and expresses its culture of scientific innovation.

Columbus North High School

The goals for Columbus North High School included: flexible and adaptable learning spaces; an easily accessible, technology-rich environment; teacher and student work areas that inspire creativity, collaboration, problem solving, and innovation; the development of Centers of Excellence; and a safe and comfortable learning environment.

The project consists of 125,000 square feet of new additions and extensive renovations. By relocating the building entry to the opposite side and strategically placing building additions, the existing high school was transformed to fully address current needs and anticipate future needs. In order to bring the school up to current standards, five separate additions provide new space for music/performing arts, administrative areas, a new kitchen, additional classrooms, student resource and teacher resource areas, and for C4, a career and technical training center that serves multiple counties.

Interior renovations include the reconfiguration of existing areas to better accommodate the existing use of the space or to accommodate a new use for the space. Renovations of the first floor include the relocation of the existing cafeteria and kitchen areas, the relocation of the media center, new and/or renovated restrooms, and two new science labs.

Artistry

The Artistry project revitalizes an area of downtown Indianapolis that had seemingly been forgotten. Phase 1 of the project provides an adaptive reuse solution to the former Bank One Operations Center structure by converting it to a 362,000 square foot mixed-use development, including four stories of apartments and amenity spaces over parking, office, and retail space at grade. This LEED for Homes Silver certified project defines a new gateway into the city and has served as a catalyst for development within the newly defined “Market East Cultural District. Phase 1 is considered to be the main building within a four-building mixed use development. The goals for Phase 1 were to design a building that would:

- - Serve as a gateway and catalyst for the revitalization of the Market East Cultural District.
  - Create a vibrant mixed-use development through the adaptive reuse of the former Bank One Operations Center.
  - Emphasize an urban industrial aesthetic through the physical reuse of the existing building structure.
  - Promote an urban apartment community that is enhanced by its dynamic outdoor living environment.

CSO went on to design Phase 2 of the project, which involved the addition of two buildings, the Mentor and Muse at Artistry, which provide additional living options to fit different types of lifestyles, including 354 square foot eco-suites for those who need minimal space.

Phase I of the project was particularly challenging due to the owner’s intent to build up from an existing structure. The configuration of the existing structure required that designers incorporate a number of potentially awkward column locations. Ultimately, this became a feature of the building design as the column placement dictated a wide array of residential unit variations and influenced the façade. By addressing these challenges with unique design solutions, the owner is able to offer tenants more layout options and the building boasts a more dynamic façade that brings new life to the streetscape. An open third floor pool and recreation deck provides dramatic views of the downtown area for all residents along with two interior courtyards featuring a fountain, vegetable garden, bocce court, and putting green.

Joint Force Headquarters

The 79,111 square foot renovation and 76,342 square foot addition was designed to develop a more efficient operation center by consolidating units associated with the headquarters which were located at other facilities and buildings at Stout Field. The facility houses the Indiana Army National Guard Element, Joint Force Headquarters, Indiana Air National Guard, Indiana Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention Battalion, and the 38th Infantry Division Band.

The multi-building renovation and additions improved building aesthetics and sustainability while preserving the history of the facility. The renovated buildings were kept fully operational throughout construction. The renovation of Building 9 is a hangar with two-story office wings that was built at the beginning of World War II. The building is eligible for listing on the National Register and was reviewed by the State Historic Preservation Office.

Columbus East High School

Columbus East High School was designed in 1970 as a high school whose traditional program was delivered through a large seminar, small group study delivery system. Over the years the school has moved to a more traditional high school schedule but has retained the culture of openness and flexibility.

Building improvements and expansions were designed to retain the character of the original design, both internally and externally. The building entrance was relocated to the east side of the building to increase its visual presence and to allow a direct, accessible route into the building. The entire second floor was renovated and reconfigured to eliminate undersized classrooms and small, cramped storage spaces – resulting in an open, flexible student collaboration space with ample daylighting. New technology was installed in each classroom. New flexible furniture was incorporated into the new learning spaces. A new administrative wing and ten additional classrooms were included in the project. To provide adequate collaboration and work space for the faculty, each faculty member was provided a personal work space. The faculty spaces are grouped together to allow small groups of faculty to collaborate within their own space.

The existing pool structure was completely renovated and the pool replaced. A new addition to the PE and athletic building provides space for the school’s fitness and wrestling programs. An upgraded mechanical system allows improved zoning and year-round heating and cooling.

Cummins Office Building

The building design focuses on sustainable features, including a highly detailed southern exposure curtain wall. The articulated glass curtain wall features floor to ceiling windows which provides day-lighting and exterior views throughout.

Primarily planned for an open office workplace with internal offices, the upper floors have a central building core. Glass enclosed conference rooms are located on the southeast and southwest corners with great views of the downtown square. A flexible employee dining and conference center are located on the first floor southeast corner, with direct access to the adjacent Commons food court.

The primary emphasis for the open office workplace is natural light and expansive views out. The southern façade daylighting is controlled with louvered sunscreen shading, shades, and photocell controlled perimeter lighting. The western windows are shaded with vertical sun fins and occasional translucent glass. The clear glass is insulated with low-e coating. Energy-efficient lighting and mechanical systems were critical for lower operating costs.

Three years after the initial building was completed, a five-story addition was built adjacent to the existing building. The exterior façades were designed with varying heights in order to allow for a four-story atrium that joins the two buildings and a three-story front on the north side of the building to match the adjacent Commons building. The fourth floor of the addition features a corner terrace and a vegetated green roof. CSO collaborated with Koetter Kim Architects and Associates to design the original building and the addition.

HSE College and Career Academies

Hamilton Southeastern Schools conducted a community study and determined that rather than building a third high school to meet the needs of their growing community, they would build advanced learning center academies at each campus to accommodate an additional 1,000 students.

CSO was selected to work with stakeholders to explore the requirements of a learning center that would meet their academic needs while taking into consideration what teaching and learning looks like at institutions of higher education and centers of innovative learning. CSO worked with educational experts to gather stakeholder input around the tenets of 21st Century School Design and developed design concepts that met the required scope and quality for the project. Design documents and detailed renderings were developed for both high schools and were critical in the passing of the May 2013 referendum. After the referendum was passed, CSO used the detailed design documents to develop the design criteria package that allowed the school corporation to issue an RFP for design-build teams. CSO stayed on the project through construction as owner’s representative.

In addition to expanding each high school’s capacity by 1,000 students, the academies also reflect the most innovative design for teaching and learning with accessible space for early college classes that provide actual college credits for high school students. Additions are 2-stories and reflect the qualities of 21st Century Design with copious daylight, transparency in learning spaces, ubiquitous technology, and flexible learning spaces that are sized for small and large group gatherings. Teachers do not “own” their classroom space but have an office space available, similar to the arrangements in higher education. A Student Learning Commons, adjacent to the student café, has technology tables and opportunities for small group collaboration. A large, open science lab serves all disciplines and art labs open to one another, creating a free flowing creative environment.

Noblesville High School

With school enrollment at full capacity – and projected to remain so for many years to come – the expansion and renovation will address general capacity needs while supporting the district’s nationally recognized STEM and performing arts programs.

A 70,000 square foot academic addition will include up to 22 new classrooms, construction and welding labs, STEM makerspace, new student café, and a large group gathering space. 37,000 square feet of renovations will provide a larger jazz band room, a new percussion room, and an expanded choir room.

This project, along with an athletic expansion currently underway, is the latest in CSO’s long history with Noblesville Schools. CSO previously designed Noblesville High School’s Freshman Academy in 2014, as well as numerous other projects dating back to 2012.

The athletic expansion is expected to be completed in August of 2024, with the STEM/performing arts expansion finishing up by August of 2025.

North Central High School Natatorium

The addition is sited on the south side of the existing building. It features an entry lobby with accompanying public restrooms and offices for the athletic department. The focus of the addition is the natatorium space which houses a 50 meter x 25 yard swimming pool with two movable bulkheads. An integrated diving well sports one meter and three meter diving boards. Ample deck space surrounds the pool to allow for dry land training, team seating, timing offices, and spectator seating for 500. Also included in the project are locker rooms, pool offices, equipment rooms, and a wet classroom.