branding – CSO

Lacy School of Business

The design features innovative spaces for experiential learning, including: flexible classrooms where local professionals teach workplace-style classes, centers staffed by organizations that involve students in research and outreach, and collaborative workspaces where students develop their own business in concert with experts from the region. The building represents Butler’s competitive distinction from its peer institutions by making activities and interaction immediately visible and central to students’ experience. The design provides visibility by creating transparent spaces that invite participation in central locations around the multi-story atrium at the heart of the building. In addition, the central, broad, open stairs and generous balconies encourage creative collisions as students, faculty, and visitors move and interact throughout the building.

The Innovation Commons, which opens onto the central atrium, is equipped for students to start and run their own businesses as well as a wide range of other types of experiential learning. The Centers, distributed around the main level, provide space where business professionals, faculty, and students work together to solve business challenges. Glass overhead doors open to connect to the atrium and convey the importance and vitality of that work to the school and its guests.

The Butler Business School is named in honor of Andre B. Lacy, a local, successful entrepreneur and philanthropist, as well as a committed family man and daring adventurer. CSO’s interior design studio honored his life with a series of installations that incorporate a collection of custom-designed icons representing his many facets. The icons appear throughout the building as design elements in areas such as the rug in the main atrium and small medallions that are hidden throughout the building. A timeline of his life takes the form of 25 envelopes, connecting his first job in a mailroom and the endowment gift, reminding students that their humble beginnings can build to something great. The design team also featured objects that were important to Lacy – the time clock Lacy once used to clock into his job and the motorcycle he rode across continents. These were both gifts from the family who were intimate collaborators on the project. The conference table in the board room adjacent to the Dean’s office features the Lacy family knot and is a duplication of a table that exists at Lacy’s corporate headquarters.

Located in a prominent place on the campus, visible from the east entrance, the building completes the cross axis of the original campus masterplan. The building’s vertical towers and active silhouette reflect the characteristics of the much-loved historic campus. The building replaces a parking lot and defines the intersection of the two major green spaces at the center of the campus. CSO completed this project in collaboration with Goody Clancy.

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.

Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine

Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine is a leading neurological healthcare provider. With a presence at major health institutions throughout the Indianapolis area, their newest office is their first stand-alone location. Seeing this as an opportunity to express their trusted brand through the use of space, they tapped long-time partner, CSO, for the job.

Upon entering the building, staff and clients are greeted with a 2-story dimensional wall and unique light sculpture, directly contrasting with an otherwise sleek and minimal lobby. It is immediately clear that this space is not a typical healthcare environment. Continuing into the first floor patient area, patients see a materiality not often associated with healthcare: diffused light art installations, clean white quartz, and black metal accents are paired with a textured carpet and wood accents to create a space that, despite its modernity, is warm and welcoming to all.

The exam area is laid out in an easy-to-navigate circular traffic pattern. As patients enter this area, they first see the checkout desk and its identifying feature: a stunning image of brain neurons which has been enlarged so much that the look could be mistaken for marble.

Upstairs, the reception area also sports a unique and beautiful installation. This time, a wood-and metal sculpture grabs your attention. It undulates against the wall, conjuring a spinal cord. Across the waiting room, patients can catch a glimpse of a companion piece: a spine-like light fixture hanging above a staff-only conference space.

Staff spaces are designed to the same standard as the patient-facing spaces. A social hub on each floor contains upscale casework and the warmth of a wood ceiling. The second floor social hub includes a dramatic upholstered bench. Both spaces provide respite from the staff’s naturally stressful jobs. Throughout, CSO’s interiors team focused on creating a space that felt curated and filled with art, similar to how staff and patients might curate their own art collections at home. By making a space that feels both forward-thinking and welcoming, CSO’s interiors team was able to express Goodman Campbell’s own approach to healthcare.

MJ Insurance Corporate Headquarters

MJ Insurance is a national insurance firm headquartered in Carmel, Indiana. The company opened in 1964 with four employees and, upon moving into their new headquarters, had grown into a national firm with over 150 employees at their Indiana location alone. The design team led MJ Insurance through an involved visioning process, culminating in a series of principles to guide the project. These principles had a central theme: capitalize on and enhance an already positive company culture.

While many companies in the insurance industry build offices with high walls, MJ Insurance set out to buck norms. They moved to a highly collaborative open office environment unique to their industry. In order to support this culture-promoting design decision, the team included conference rooms, enclaves, and focus rooms of many shapes and sizes to ensure that both morale and productivity would increase in the new space. Designers worked to provide the right furniture solutions to support an open work environment with a strong need for both collaboration and privacy. Company leadership showed their commitment to the design by joining the employees in open office workstations.

The culture at MJ Insurance centers around six core values: Passion, Leadership, Personal Development, Incremental Growth, Innovation, and Fun. These values drove the entire design – from the open office configuration to the centrally located social areas – but they are most evident in a consistent branding concept. MJ’s boardroom connects to the lobby with a glass storefront, which allows a branded art installation to span the two spaces. At the far end of the conference room is a white grid with vibrant yellow plus signs at many of the intersections. That grid becomes a series of extruded white-and-yellow plus signs of various heights and sizes, suspended from the ceiling and streaming into the lobby until they end over the monumental stair. The grid represents the discipline required for leadership, personal development, and incremental growth while the shape and color of the plus signs connect to MJ’s values of passion and fun. The company instantly connected with the installation and used the concept to relaunch their national brand.

MJ Insurance asked for an infusion of fun in their space. Sliding felt panels, a carpet pattern developed, and a unique series of branding elements did just that for this hard-working group.

Gateway Hancock Health

CSO conducted extensive visioning sessions with administrators, doctors, nurses, community members, and others in order to capture the spirit of Hancock Regional Health (HRH) and the people who would use this new campus. It was very apparent that the residents were in need of community-gathering place that would provide options for walking and biking along with spaces to hold meetings and events.

Phase I of the project is the Gateway Clinic, which provides urgent care, imaging services, and a lab. Using the data gathered during the visioning sessions, the design team developed a concept for a single waiting room to support all services, with views of the existing forest on the property. The waiting area breaks the healthcare mold and offers café and lounge seating, encouraging patients to work or play while waiting for their appointments.

The idea for this café-lounge waiting area became the backbone of the design and drove the architecture from the inside out. Working closely together, interior designers and architects were able to create a building that prioritized the needs of the community, patients, and employees without sacrificing efficiency or design aesthetic.

Allied Solutions Corporate Headquarters

CSO designers conducted extensive visioning sessions with focus groups from Allied Solutions to guide and inspire the design for their new headquarters. The Allied Solutions team had the following to say about the visioning process: “When you ask employees what they want in a new space, they are limited to envisioning only the environments in which they have personally experienced. The Visioning exercise developed by CSO draws out attitudes and ideas that employees otherwise would not be able to voice when asked, ‘what do you want in your space?’ This was a key part in the overall design strategy for Allied Solutions’ new headquarters, allowing our employees to voice their unique input for the company’s new space.”

The holistic interior design, and seamlessly incorporated branding elements are apparent immediately upon arrival to Allied’s second floor lobby. There, employees and visitors are enveloped by Allied Solutions’ “Blue Culture” with views to an atrium with a grand staircase, an informal mid-level conference room, social gathering spaces, and a 3^rd level conference room. By design, the activity of the office is put on display in response to feedback provided by the user groups during their visioning sessions. Research and careful dissection of information from the visioning sessions gave designers the opportunity to carefully parallel Allied Solution’s unique culture in its interior environment. The result is a unique space that embodies the company’s cultural and business aspirations.

The Taft Center

The Taft Center, located in the Regions Tower in downtown Indianapolis, was conceptualized by the law firm to achieve multiple goals: to establish a ground floor presence within one of the most well-known buildings downtown, to provide a venue to entertain and host, and finally, to expand the conference spaces currently located on floors 31-35 to meet a growing need. To achieve these goals, Taft partnered with the CSO Interior Design Studio.

Designers incorporated simple forms with classic material choices, balanced by distinctive design features. These elements, coupled with the playful constellation of lights and identifiable repetition of the signature Taft forward slash, create a space that is fresh and exclusive in the legal profession.

Understanding the sensitivities of the business that Taft conducts, and their desire to maximize the glass within the conference rooms, the design team worked closely with CSO’s acoustician to design an all glass system that maximizes acoustic benefits. This resulted in nearly uninterrupted walls of glass, which terminate at a back-printed glass panel that features downtown’s iconic Monument Circle.

The café space, which is strategically located to incorporate a street-front presence, offers an inviting urban feel with a natural palette.

Basketball Locker Room

Upon the successful completion of the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall addition project, the Indiana University Athletic Department discovered an opportunity to enhance an area of underutilized space within the building. The space located under the lower bowl was being utilized for storage, back of house restrooms, and various ancillary needs. With direct access to the basketball court, it made sense to reclaim this space as game day locker rooms, a players lounge, shower/restrooms, and coaching conference spaces – all of which did not previously exist within the facility.

After early discussions with the University it became apparent this space needed to be on par with many of the universities IU competes with for talent. The current coaching staff indicated that, while the space needed to be improved, there was also a strong desire to have it be modest. Above all requirements, the space needed to speak to the rich history of Indiana University Basketball with an eye to the future.

In order to meet the goals for the project, the design team incorporated wood, limestone, and back painted glass as the foundation of the finish palette. These finishes would serve as a clean backdrop to the iconic branding components found in the furnishings and implemented throughout the design. The overall composition created the motivational and energetic space required to attract new athletes, while reminding them of the honor involved in representing IU.

In a press release, Coach Archie Miller stated, “As a program we want our players to experience the best of the best, and as we took inventory on how we wanted to do things as a new staff, one of the things we really approached was a new area for our team and creating an environment that is cutting edge and second to none. I think that’s what we have been able to create here.”

Health Sciences Building

Part of the University’s efforts to economically revive the south side neighborhood and attract new students, the Health Sciences building provides a new gateway to campus and an integrated hub where faculty, students, and healthcare professionals can collaborate on education and research.

The new Health Sciences building is reflective of the University’s commitment to inspiring excellence by providing learning opportunities that respond in innovative ways to the needs of all students. The building design presents a transparent, flexible concept that allows for current and future needs of the programs housed within. The building’s prominent location creates an ideal venue for an outdoor seating and interaction area adjacent to the indoor café.

The building consolidates several departments into a collaborative and integrated learning environment that promotes intellectual and social interaction among students and faculty. Included in the design are teaching spaces, faculty areas, research labs, and wellness-related areas for the Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Nursing, Kinesiology, and Psychology Programs.

LDI, Ltd.

Recognizing that an up-to-date work environment would be a tool to help them enhance their culture and attract top talent, LDI hired CSO to guide them through a cultural shift to energize the office. Their goal was to provide an environment that facilitates interaction, collaboration, and the use of technology.

The interior design team at CSO led visioning sessions to determine the project’s guiding principles and interviewed representatives from each department to determine staff, work-flow needs, growth, and goals.

The interior design and corporate branding pay tribute to the rich heritage of the company in subtle ways such as the incorporation of the “Lacy Knot” in the pattern of a suspended ceiling and a custom conference table. Additionally, the design includes a new staircase to connect their two floors of office space. The stair features custom sculptural details to pay homage to the company’s history in the corrugated paper industry and milestone dates. There are a multitude of details that the design team was able to incorporate into the final design through careful research, in-depth visioning, and interview sessions with the client.

American Red Cross Indiana Region Headquarters

Through collaboration and funding with the City of Indianapolis, and donor support, Red Cross was able to achieve their goal of building a new, more efficient headquarters. The new building’s reduced footprint and efficient use of space allows the American Red Cross (ARC) to commit more dollars to what they do best: always being there in times of need. Flexible training rooms, a community center, teaming areas, local office spaces, and huddle spaces encapsulate the programs within the headquarters, creating an environment that promotes interaction where employees and volunteers feel energized and accommodated. Employees are not assigned desks or specific work spaces so the design of the facility is very flexible and adaptable. Amenities include a rooftop terrace that creates a respite and wellness destination, and a coffee house that connects and creates community.

The building is extremely sustainable, with the exterior wrapped in red brick, seamlessly blending in with the surrounding architectural aesthetic. The headquarters has large windows that welcome natural light creating a community-oriented atmosphere and providing views of the surrounding neighborhood of downtown Indianapolis. In addition, a key branding focal point is incorporated on the interior corridor that displays historical Red Cross artifacts, local to Indianapolis. The iconic, ARC-branded “red” is carried throughout the headquarters. The American Red Cross new Indiana Regional Headquarters is the first Red Cross facility to reflect new design standards developed for the organization by Perkins + Will.
Photography: © James Steinkamp

GE Aviation LEAP Engine Facility

The GE Aviation LEAP Engine Facility is the second of its kind in the United States and the third project of this type CSO has designed for GE. The facility features some of the most advanced manufacturing techniques in the world and represents a major milestone in technology development in this country.

The 35’ clear height manufacturing space included 80’ structural spans with 12.5 ton beam cranes, 10” thick, ultra-flat, polished concrete floors and generous amounts of natural light provided by expansive clerestory windows. The tiered ceiling panels within the assembly space help humanize the scale. They serve as a space transition and a subtle representation of flight. The finishes are intentionally light, clean, and neutral. This notion relates directly to the GE brand and the idea of intentional design without compromise.

The office/administrative portion of the building was designed to express the aerodynamic curvature and the composite construction techniques of the LEAP engine, most notably its fan blade, by dramatically incorporating several overlapping layers of sinuously curved metal, glass, and steel.

The interior design reinforces the intentional nature of the engine while embracing the technology. The central greeting point is a reception desk designed as a seamless, clean cone and constructed of solid surface. Beautifully crafted metal composite triangles are suspended above the reception desk representing the combustion technology present within the LEAP engine. In addition, this sculptural element contributes to the notion of movement so dominantly present within the architecture.

Biddle Hotel and Conference Center

Located just steps from the iconic Sample Gates, the Biddle Hotel provides visitors and distinguished guests of the University with an opportunity to experience Hoosier hospitality at its finest.

The renovations at Biddle focused on enhancing the simple elegance of the boutique hotel as well as bringing the telecommunications infrastructure up to current standards. Upgrades included new finishes in the hotel’s guest rooms, suites, and corridors as well as the reconfiguration of bathrooms to improve accessibility. Additionally, the 1,320 square foot Federal Room was refreshed with new carpeting. The Metz Suite, which occupies the entire sixth floor of Indiana Memorial Union and is used for accommodating distinguished guests and visitors, also received renovations to its window treatment, cabinets, and woodwork. CSO provided architecture and interior design services to update the hotel.

Regal Beloit

Wisconsin-based Regal Beloit Corporation is a leading manufacturer of electric motors, electrical motion controls, power generation, and power transmission products serving markets throughout the world. Regal Beloit decided that it needed another distribution center along with the main one in Indianapolis, and this location was the right fit to service the western half of the United States.

CSO designed a new facility to house heavy industrial goods used to make metal components for HVAC and refrigerator applications, and to provide logistics support to Regal’s manufacturing plants across the border in Mexico. The facility is expandable to 300,000 square feet and was completed in less than a year.

Fairfield Inn & Suites

CSO was commissioned by White Lodging Services to design a new, five-story hotel adjacent to the University of Notre Dame campus. Located within walking distance of the football stadium, the Marriott Fairfield Inn & Suites is a 119-key, custom designed hotel. The exterior building design incorporates brick and stone masonry to compliment nearby retail and commercial development. The interior design of the hotel, featuring the Notre Dame Fighting Irish’s blue and gold, celebrates the University’s long-standing traditions. The hotel amenities include a fitness center, indoor pool, two meeting/event rooms, business center, and dining area. In addition, the hotel has spacious, contemporary rooms and suites equipped with work desks and ergonomic chairs. Construction for the new hotel was completed two months early.

GE Aviation Components Manufacturing Facility

The CSO-designed expansion of this facility, including equipment, represents a $50 million investment to modernize and grow GE Aviation’s existing Hooksett manufacturing facility. The facility, with nearly 900 employees, manufactures rotating parts for GE’s military and commercial jet engines. The expansion will significantly increase manufacturing output and technological capacity for key components of GE’s next-generation LEAP engines.

This was the fourth large-scale project CSO has partnered with GE Aviation on, including two plants in Mississippi, $100 million LEAP assembly plant in Lafayette, Indiana, and a $120 million Brilliant Factory in Welland, Ontario, Canada.

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.

Roche Diagnostics Building G

For many years Roche relied on a standard footprint for their open office areas, originally developed because of the need to reuse open office cubicles and their components, in various configurations as workplace needs evolved. In an effort to modernize their headquarters, Roche recognized the need to focus on leveraging workplace trends such as mobility and sustainability.

This project involved 28,844 square feet spread between two floors in an existing 69,632 square foot building. Through this design, CSO helped reinforce the value of the newly implemented alternative workplace strategies for Roche’s open office environments. The refreshed space focuses on overall flexibility and collaboration while allowing users to maximize resources and support Roche’s mission of innovation.

The updated work environment provides a free address system that allows individuals to make a choice about where to work depending on their individualized needs. It also provides ample space for collaboration and focused work as well as social hubs. CSO focused on re-imagining this workspace to create a work environment that aligns with the vision of the company, leverages technology to better support changes in the workplace, and incorporates sustainability and employee welfare as key components of the new environment.

Dallara IndyCar Factory

Dallara’s values of service, commitment, and excellence in engineering and the motorsport tradition in Indianapolis provided the catalyst for their decision to locate their American headquarters and engineering center in Speedway, Indiana, just a short distance from the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The building also serves as the headquarters for the Indy Racing Experience, which provides race-related experiences for fans and car enthusiasts in multiple venues and is the sole North American distributor for Dallara.

The building design features an architectural form that was derived from the aerodynamic shape of the Dallara chassis. Exterior materials were selected to reestablish the historical palette of the original downtown Speedway. The eye catching glass front of the building faces the town’s Main Street and houses an interactive fan experience area with a rotating display of cars, offering transparency that allows the public views of the Dallara design process and finished product.

Dallara’s production area includes space for fabrication, machine, and bodywork. Each of these areas have the potential of providing services for projects other than IndyCar and, therefore, it was important that they be kept separate from public areas and from the Indy Racing Experience spaces. The structural grid and bays were designed to provide maximum flexibility in the production area.

Alpha

Named by the students of University of Alabama, this 696-bed, 263-unit student housing community offers fully furnished one, two, three, and four bedroom apartments. The project scope involved two sites located on the north and south sides of 13th Street East in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The buildings consist of a combination of 3-story (Type V) and 5 story (Type III) wood framed construction. The northern site includes a 3 level precast concrete parking structure and the southern site includes a single level cast-in-place concrete podium parking structure. The Alpha features a broad array of amenities including a 24-hour fitness center, leasing office, theater and gaming area, computer café, private study lounges, an expansive clubhouse, and garage parking. Outdoor amenities include a grilling area, fire pit, resort-style pool, and sundeck.

ASI Limited

ASI Limited, an Indianapolis-based supplier, fabricator, and installer of architectural window and specialty systems, needed a new corporate headquarters after outgrowing their prior office, which was also designed by CSO.

ASI takes responsibility for enclosing a building’s exterior, including curtain walls, windows, metal panels, doors, and ornamental metals so the design needed to reflect the company’s progressive, forward-thinking corporate philosophy.

The building features 20,000 square feet of office space defined by a curtainwall at the corner of the building. The design incorporates Kalzip perforated screens that are attached using a specially designed grid system and concealed fasteners to anchor it to the curtain wall. The client was intrigued by the fact that, during the day, the screen was very visible as a design element but at night the screen took on a whole different appearance. In addition to providing a design element, the screen provided a shield from the afternoon sun on the southwest side of the building.

St. Francis Projects

St. Francis Medical Office Building I

Total Square Footage: 100,000

The four-story building is connected to the St. Francis Hospital South Campus by an enclosed walkway at ground level. Office space is leased to a variety of medical practices, including the St. Francis Hospital Physical Therapy Clinic.

St. Francis Medical Office Building II

Total Square Footage: 144,415

A four-story medical office building was designed for speculative tenants. The exterior of the building was developed to be compatible with the original medical office building. The exterior materials are architectural precast and aluminum store front.

St. Francis Medical Office Building Plainfield

Total Square Footage: 22,077

The Plainfield location was designed for both St. Francis physicians and speculative tenants. The project establishes a neighborhood presence for St. Francis and, as such, was designed to harmonize with the residential neighborhood and create a buffer from the commercial corridor.

St. Francis Medical Office Building U.S. 31 & Southport Rd.

Total Square Footage: 20,000

This location accommodates both St. Francis physicians and speculative medical tenants. The building occupies a prominent site at the intersection of U.S. 31 and Southport Rd. and is the first two-story variation on the architectural themes common to other St. Francis Health Centers.

St. Francis Medical Office Building Franklin & Southport Rd.

Total Square Footage: 22,000

Like other St. Francis Health Centers, this building utilizes a smaller massing and residential forms to harmonize with the neighborhood context.