office – CSO

SEP Corporate Headquarters

SEP is a local software company with a national footprint. When faced with the challenge of creating a new “forever home” for their headquarters, SEP and Pure Development turned to CSO. A site strategically placed along the US 31 corridor in Westfield became the front runner, and it aligned beautifully with their corporate culture and aspirations.

With the site selected, the design team worked hand in hand with key stakeholders to capture the essence of SEP and marry it with the natural environment of the site. Key architectural features, such as the random rhythm of the facade’s vertical lines, mimic the complexity, order and rhythms found in nature. This design statement allows the building to become one with the site while simultaneously establishing a strong brand presence to passing traffic on US 31. In addition, the large ribbons of glazing provide views and capture reflections of the adjacent protected wetlands and wooded surroundings, reinforcing the connection of SEP’s “forever home” to nature.

CSO designed the project holistically, integrating the building’s design with its rolling site and context. The parking fields were strategically scaled and designed as a series of smaller areas of paving separated by stands of native plantings and grasses. This site master stroke, which mimics natural sedimentary rock outcroppings, worked with the site’s topography to minimize the visual impact of parking and to provide a creative opportunity to address storm water management. The gentle bend in the building’s footprint also responds to and leverages the natural features of the site by nestling the building against the woodlands and pond in order to maximize views for the building’s inhabitants.

The design team worked seamlessly from exterior to interior to further enhance the user and visitor experiences. The symbolic rhythm found on the façade was “tuned” in order to contribute in specific ways to the various interior work environments – – enhancing collaborative spaces, peaking curiosity, and inspiring ingenuity. The natural assets of the site are further leveraged through the strategic placement of interior walls, the framing of views, and the selection of an intentionally restrained material palette.

SEP’s unique brand is on display throughout the design. Designers found inspiration and drew a connection between the view-accenting architecture and the company’s preferred style of work: scrum. In this method, employees will apply large numbers of post-its to walls. The shape of a post-it on a wall mimicked the shape of the building footprint, and designers used this connection to influence key design features. Upon arrival visitors will notice an artful series of back-lit metal tabs peeling from a feature wall. This artistic expression pays homage to the scrum process while serving as a subtle branding component of the design. The design team further embraced the holistic design approach by crafting one of a kind furniture pieces from timbers sourced from the SEP site.

The unapologetic blend of nature and technology is evident within the new SEP headquarters. Today’s technology infuses a sense of hustle, and SEP challenged this notion by creating a space to be present within. It is a space in which to relax and find refuge. It is space in which to collaborate and nurture new ideas. It is space in which to entertain and to welcome clients and friends. It is a space that is uniquely SEP, and in their own words, it is their “Forever Home”.

Saab Aeronautics

The facility includes a 27,000 square foot corporate office. The office space features a 3,000 square foot lobby with a 1/3 scale model of the T-X fighter, plus meeting/collaboration spaces, locker rooms, generous break areas, and 2 trellised outdoor patios.

The 87,000 square foot manufacturing area includes receiving, parts storage, subassembly, final assembly, and shipping areas with 5 beam cranes and specialized power, vacuum, and compressed air systems to support the manufacturing jigs.

IBJ Media Corporate Headquarters

After nearly 40 years in the same office, IBJ Media had the opportunity to move to a historic building overlooking the iconic Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis. CSO designed a space that features unique branding elements referencing the history of the printing industry while giving IBJ’s workplace a fresh new look.

Cursed with low ceilings and odd angles, the space presented challenges for space planning and capturing natural light. CSO’s interiors team focused on the positive – great views of Monument Circle and raw building materials that told the story of the building’s past. The designers embraced the odd building shape as an opportunity to carve out interesting spaces.

Upon entering the IBJ’s new offices, visitors are greeted by a custom art installation created from rolled up pieces of the IBJ’s past publications. Working closely with CSO, the artist took great care to highlight quirky references to Indiana, setting a sophisticated-but-fun tone from the very beginning. To the right, the reception desk sits in front of a black-on-black logo, representing raised printing press letters covered in black ink, a reference to the history of the profession.

Other creative decisions were guided by the mostly-linear layout of a newspaper and by the idea of the old meeting the new. As we sit at a crossroads between digital and printed news consumption, this new office tells a beautiful story of those things working in harmony with each other both in function and aesthetic.

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.

GE Waukesha Engine Factory

During a competitive, qualifications-based selection process, CSO was chosen as the designer for the flagship GE Brilliant Factory in Ontario, Canada. CSO was the successful candidate due to a unique combination of prior experience with similar GE projects and the ability to develop high-level design solutions and functionality required for manufacturing and logistics projects.

The facility was designed to manufacture GE’s Waukesha reciprocating gas engines; components for compression, mechanical drive, and power generation; and components for GE transportation diesel engines. As the project neared completion, Innio acquired the building along with GE’s distributed power business.

GE charged the design team to deliver an engine manufacturing facility for state-of-the-art manufacturing processes that would be fully connected to the industrial internet, providing real time data analytics and feedback to the manufacturing floor personnel. The facility was designed to provide inspiring and collaborative work and meeting spaces to empower and uplift GE’s self-directed workforce. The facility incorporated numerous sustainable building and site design strategies, including efficient HVAC and electrical systems, recycled content, an energy efficient exterior envelope, and an abundance of natural light in both the office and manufacturing areas.

The project design principles included: creating brilliant, luminous working environments within the plant and office spaces by introducing generous amounts of natural daylight; putting the Multimodal Assembly Area on display from the Main Lobby, providing a large window wall between the 2 areas; and using daylighting as a metaphor for the “Brilliant Factory,” illuminating GE’s advanced engine manufacturing technology.

CSO served as the design architect on the project and collaborated with B+H Architects of Toronto, Ontario, Canada to deliver the project. CSO also provided interior design services for the office portion of the project.

BMW Group Training Center

The design for the building incorporates BMW Group’s guiding principles of modern architecture: monolithic, compact and cubic volume; asymmetrically composed and well-proportioned openings employing visual combination of smaller openings; a greater proportion of wall area to openings; and pure, simple detailing from a concise pallet of materials.

The training areas are set up to train for specific functions and each includes a classroom for theoretical instruction, practical training workshop areas, equipment prep, and storage area. Additionally, there is office space and conference areas for full time personnel, and a break room with seating for 60.

The building is designed with expansion capabilities for four additional classrooms totaling approximately 11,000 square feet.

Honors College and Residences

Purdue University envisioned an interdisciplinary living-learning community that would serve as a centralized hub for the students, administration, and academic spaces associated with their Honors College program. As their only academic residential college, the University’s goal was to provide students with an environment purposefully designed for state-of-the-art active learning.

The academic spaces consist of approximately 40,000 square feet to accommodate faculty and staff offices, classrooms, innovation space, and study spaces. Learning and leadership opportunities include a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and agriculture, math) research lab, active learning studios, and an Innovation Forum – featuring an interactive, programmable floor – provides a showcase for student projects.

The “Great Hall”, a flexible space that can be configured to seat more than 400 for lectures, presentations, and events, is the centerpiece of the Honors College. The space is located in the center of the community with access to a primary campus path and greenspace.

The two buildings that make up the community – each with academic space and residential space – are located within the University’s “student success corridor.” Over 800 students live in clusters of roughly 24 students in pod configurations complemented by community and social areas designed to foster informal interaction and collaboration.

Forty540

Forty540, a speculative office building, was developed as Phase I of a two-building master-planned office park. The 5-story building includes expansive, interrupted floor plates of over 40,000 square feet, allowing for maximum flexibility and minimal disruption of interior space planning for large tenants while still maintaining common area efficiencies for small and mid-sized tenants. The building design includes high performance clear floor to ceiling glass to maximize visibility while minimizing solar heat gain within the building.

CSO’s interior designers worked with the owner to provide a lobby design that capitalizes on the concept of using the public area as an integrated community space. A social gathering lounge directly off the lobby provides space to meet, relax, and play. The finishes from the lobby stretch seamlessly into the lounge to create a connection and remove perceived barriers, thus breathing life into the lobby as well. A variety of seating options welcomes visitors and encourages them to utilize the space to meet their needs.

The architectural design reinterprets the classic base, middle, and top composition of commercial/public buildings in a more contemporary aesthetic. The exterior precast concrete skin uses three different colors and textures transcending from dark at the bottom to light at the top. The majority of the façade is composed of floor to ceiling punched windows, but incorporates sections of vertical precast panels and glass curtain wall to accent the main entrance and corners of the building.

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.

Medical Office Building

CSO worked closely with the clinic’s administration to design a building that would provide a new home for the clinic, administrative areas, and a pharmacy.

The overall clinic layout is focused on limiting steps for the clinical staff while still maintaining a patient flow that is easily observed by staff. Treatment rooms allow patients to control lighting and audio/visual features while undergoing treatment. The design also successfully responds to check-in/check-out procedures, with a focus on efficient use of space. Administrative areas are predominately located on the second floor to provide a distinct separation between administrative and clinical staff. A communicating stair not only links the first and second floor, but it also serves as a sculptural element and, via overhead skylight, allows an abundance of natural light to penetrate into the interior of the first floor.

The exterior façade is a mixture of natural stone, masonry, and metal shingles with curtainwall accenting the large conference space on the second floor. An artistic glass tile feature wall extends from the façade to further enhance visual interest on the exterior. A sleek, modern employee break room opens up to a large outdoor dining/gathering terrace designed to accommodate a wide variety of staff functions.

River North at Keystone

The River North office building is strategically located on the scenic 25-acre lake of Keystone at the Crossing. The east face of the building embraces the morning sunrise and capitalizes on serene water views. Simple forms frame the glass openings and pay respect to the nearby existing architecture. The multi-tenant building further leverages the site by incorporating small retreat terraces overlooking the lake and centrally positioning the vertical circulation adjacent to the large two-story gathering hub, while enhanced exterior spaces lure tenants to the outdoors to work, relax and play.

Upon entering the 116,836 square foot, 5-story building, visitors are immediately drawn to the pass-through views to the lake. The interior design is intentionally subtle, but sophisticated. This design philosophy encourages the eye to continue outward to reinforce the connection to nature. Biophilic patterns can be found throughout the interior design, which is a unique concept for a multi-tenant development. The views to the water and connection to nature were leveraged, and to further the biophilic story the design team incorporated biomorphic patterns within the interior wood cladding, utilized simple-natural materials, and honed in on the human desire for an identifiable but safe risk situation at the glass railing overlook. The natural beauty of the walnut wood is observed from the main floor on the underside of the stairs and is intended to symbolize the complexity and order found in nature.

The River North office building at its core incorporates a simplistic design approach. However, digging deeper, the design is extremely complex and unique to the market. The design provides a piece of serenity within a continually evolving and very desirable area of Indianapolis. Visitors and tenants enjoy, within walking distance, many of the City’s most highly regarded restaurants and retail shops. This building is part of a holistic redevelopment of Keystone at the Crossing, including a five-story, 198-unit apartment building and parking garage, and a 129-room Hampton Inn & Suites Hotel.

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

Zionsville Town Hall

Prior to building this new Town Hall, the administrative offices for the Town of Zionsville were housed in a former church. A lack of functionality prompted the need for a new building that would allow public service officials to better serve the community. The new building provides an efficient workplace for Town offices including Clerk/Treasurer, Planning and Permitting, Mayor, Information Technology, Fire Department Offices, and Town Council Chambers.

Designed with the public in mind, the building features a large community room for meetings and events. The design included 5,000 square feet on the second floor to accommodate future growth. The building is also designed to allow for expansion on its southwest side, as the needs of the community continue to expand.

CSO provided complete FF&E services in addition to the design of the building. The design features a central lobby with various departments and payment centers, space for planning and economic development, and offices for the mayor and other staff.

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.

Bulldog Park

Bulldog Park includes a National Hockey League-sized ice rink, an outdoor amphitheater, and a two-story building. The area between the building and ice skating rink is designed to serve various seasonal purposes and includes a splash pad feature for summer use. The ice rink is the only outdoor NHL-sized ice rink in Northwest Indiana.

The ice rink is designed for use at temperatures up to 45 degrees. This enables the City to offer ice-skating without having to wait for the temperature to drop to freeze the ice naturally.

The city anticipates hosting various events at the venue including a farmer’s market, car shows, and performances. They also expect that the public will use the various spaces for private events such as wedding receptions.

The two-story building provides a new home for the city’s Special Events and Parks Department offices and Senior Center.

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.

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.

Union Associated Physicians Clinic

This $18.5 million, 129,517 square foot clinic includes over 100 exam and procedure rooms. UAP provides services such as radiology; cardiology; ear, nose, and throat; urology; pulmonology; gynecology; endocrinology; surgery and internal medicine. The building consists of a structural steel frame with exterior brick masonry, embedded insulated precast concrete panels, and a curtain wall system. In addition to the functions that support patient care, the interior build-out includes a conference center and a pharmacy. This was a design-build project in partnership with Garmong Construction.

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.

South Central Indiana REMC

The goal of this project was to provide functionally efficient, flexible, and expandable areas within a facility that can be easily updated as workspace, technology, workflow processes, and number of employees change. The South Central Indiana Rural Electric Membership Corporation project includes a 50,000 square foot office, 37,000 square foot warehouse, basement, and community center that spreads over two stories.

The building was constructed with precast concrete walls, structural steel frame, and a metal roof. The design features include new LED lighting with sensors that provide more than 50% in energy savings, thick walls for better temperature and sound control, and restrooms equipped with sensor sinks, low-flow nozzles, low-flow toilets, and energy efficient hand dryers. In addition to the building features, there is a vehicle storage building that is approximately 18,000 square feet and a parking lot pre-wired for future electric car charging stations. Garmong provided construction services for the project.

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.

HealthNow New York

Prominently located next to the New York Niagara Section Thruway on an abandoned brownfield site, the largest building in 20 years in Buffalo helped encourage economic development in the area. The design utilizes an 1859 stone façade to maintain historic preservation of the site’s past while incorporating a curved glass curtain wall. The curtain wall not only offers magnificent views of Lake Erie, but its southern exposure provides a valuable component of the building’s sustainable design.

The north, east, and west façades are a detailed colored architectural precast concrete with large window openings, recalling brick waterfront warehouses. The entry plaza reflects the shifted city grids of the waterfront and downtown. The building is set back from the thruway, allowing the site development of a landscaped “greenway”, and screening a 1,500-car employee parking structure with an enclosed employee pedestrian bridge connection.

Sustainable design features include the development of an urban brownfield site; the southern glass curtain wall with low-e glazing and sunscreens with motorized shades and light sensors for solar control, day lighting and views; energy efficient mechanical and electrical systems; and the use of “green” building materials and construction practices.

Limited Army Aviation Support Facility

This new facility services three aviation units, utilizing three UH-60 Blackhawks and two 0H-58 Kiowa helicopters. The hangar portion of the facility is comprised of three heated maintenance bays and two unheated aircraft storage bays. The adjoining office area houses administrative areas, an aviation life support equipment shop, lockers, restrooms, and training areas.

One of the major challenges presented to the project team was the need to comply with the FAA’s building height limitation requirements while accommodating the minimum height required by the Indiana National Guard’s aviation equipment. Due to these constraints, the hangar structure was limited to a total height of 13′-4″.

This facility was the first of three phases in a $25.5 million, federally funded project “intended to enhance the Indiana National Guard’s ability to successfully perform its missions, from fighting world-wide terrorism to providing support in time of natural and manmade disasters to the citizens of Indiana.” The facility earned the Army’s SPiRiT Silver self-certified rating and gave the Guard much-needed access to the Chicago/northwest Indiana metropolitan area.

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.

Monarch Beverage

Over the past six decades, Monarch has distinguished itself as an industry leader through its efficient operations and customer service and a community leader through its sustainability and service initiatives. They are focused on providing an ever-escalating standard of service to their customers and their ability to do so is directly impacted by the operation of their distribution facility. CSO worked with Monarch to ensure that their facility would meet the needs of their operation.

The distribution area utilizes an automated material handling system to palletize products for more than 80 daily delivery routes. The entry façade features an integral loading canopy anchored with a 2-story curtainwall and precast entry feature. The 2-story lobby, conference/training spaces, and a tasting room are all featured within the interior.

The facility includes 55,000 square feet of corporate headquarters office space, 457,500 square feet of warehouse space, 21,300 square feet of cold storage, and a 19,000 square foot fleet maintenance building.

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.

Seng-Liang Wang Hall

The 4-story, 147,000 square foot building is designed to house research and laboratory space for Purdue’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, as well as 22,000 square feet of commercially-leased retail space and 60,000 square feet of Class A office space. Its beautiful common areas include an open, light-filled 4-story atrium and indoor and outdoor gathering and seating areas.

The building received LEED New Construction Gold certification recognizing Wang Hall’s best-in-class “green” building strategies and practices. The building was completed on a sustainable project site and is located in a community setting within existing residential and commercial infrastructure. In addition, the building and site were designed to minimize the impact of urban heat islands on neighboring developments and habitats. The design is mindful of both water efficiency and energy efficiency, and was designed with low-flow and high-efficiency flush and flow fixtures to reduce potable water use within the building.

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.

St. Thomas Medical Center

The Jasper Medical Office Building includes a four-operating room ambulatory surgery center, an imaging suite, exam rooms, and facilities for the nearby Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center just south of the project site.

In keeping with the goals for the project, the building is LEED Certified for Core and Shell. CSO’s design included tenant guidelines for tenants to design and build towards LEED certification.

Sustainability and energy savings, resulting in LEED certification, were achieved through a number of initiatives, including but not limited to sustainable site development, solar orientation, integrating solar shading devices, increasing thermal insulation in the walls and roof, using high-efficiency glazing types, reducing overhead lighting levels where applicable, using low VOC materials, and by using materials extracted & manufactured within a 500-mile radius of the site.

The first level includes Memorial Hospital’s Outpatient Surgery Center and Outpatient MRI Suite as well as medical offices. The second level consists of medical office space, on-site physical therapy including aquatic therapy, and a chapel. A blend of brick, glass, and metal composite material panels, the building’s design is a modern twist on the nearby Memorial Hospital building.

Walmart Apparel Distribution Facility

Walmart consolidated two existing, older distribution centers into one new state-of-the-art apparel and footwear distribution center. The 1.2 million square foot building, located in Walmart’s back yard – Bentonville, Arkansas – serves up to 1,000 US Walmart stores.

Inside the building, CSO assisted with coordinating the infrastructure required to service a footwear sorter, apparel sorter, shipping sorter, multiple pick modules, extensive ceiling hung conveyors, design of multiple automation platforms, and a centralized corrugate waste vacuum system as well as planned expansions of the material handling systems within the building footprint.

Other features of the building include remote start-up areas with gathering space, personal lockers, device charging cabinets and workstations, multiple restroom and breakroom locations throughout the building, and conference and training rooms located adjacent to the main associate entrance.

CSO’s ongoing work with Walmart includes the following services:

- Continual improvements and refinements of multiple distribution and fulfillment center prototypes
- Architect of record for active distribution and fulfillment center projects
- Tenant Architect for developer-delivered distribution and fulfillment center projects
- Post-occupancy renovations across multiple fulfillment centers
- Developing, documenting, and maintaining prototypical components utilized across new builds and renovations of distribution and fulfillment centers

Festool

Festool relocated its central hub for U.S. and Canadian operations to just outside of Indianapolis. The facility includes a production warehouse, training facility, and a repair center.

CSO’s first project with Festool included a new building to house the North American corporate offices, a distribution/warehouse facility, and a national training center. During the design process, CSO worked closely with the parent company and their architects in Germany to provide a building that represented the corporate image reminiscent of their German facilities while utilizing traditional U.S. construction materials and techniques.

Ten years later, due to an increased presence in the North American and the need to add manufacturing capabilities to their facility, CSO worked with Festool again on a $6.8 million project that doubled their space and provided a new 2-story office space. CSO was tasked with providing an expansion that would complement the original building and that could be completed without interrupting day to day operations.

Just three years after the office expansion, Festool called on CSO once again to design an 80,000 square foot expansion that will be used primarily for assembly and distribution.

St. Joseph Medical Office Building

This project ensured that a network of medical offices are directly connected to the hospital at all levels to provide a better care experience for patients, visitors, and providers. The offices provide a wide range of medical services, from primary care and sports medicine, to imaging services, rehabilitation, and acute specialty care. 136 parking spaces are provided in a below grade parking structure. The project was designed using sustainable design principles and is certified LEED Gold.

Geddes Hall

The building features the University’s traditional blend of brick colors with light colored cast stone accents, copper gutters and downspouts, and a slate roof. The façade is punctuated with regularly spaced operable windows. The detailed profile of these windows exactly match the historic wood windows installed in the two buildings adjacent to the project, which were built in the 1940’s. The Geddes windows, however, reinterpret the window design in long lasting, energy efficient, and maintenance free anodized aluminum frames with high performance glazing.

The interior is distinctly arts and crafts inspired. Warm yellows, earthy reds, and muted deep green colors are used throughout the building giving it a cozy earthy character. Wood wainscoting used heavily in the public spaces adds to the building’s inviting nature and historic feel. Informal gathering spaces of various sizes are found throughout the building. Of particular note is the student library, found on the first floor, which features a fireplace centered along the north wall flanked by traditional built-in bookcases and classic arts and crafts furniture. Two of the other focal points on the first floor are the chapel and coffee house, located just off the building’s main entrance.

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.

Carr Workplaces – Convergence

At the outset of the project, the Purdue Research Foundation partnered with Carr Workplaces to create a building unlike any other on Purdue University’s campus. This building was planned to serve as a catalyst for idea exchanges and idea incubation. The vision included entrepreneurs, established Fortune 500 companies, university faculty and students all converging in a single location. “Convergence” evolved as the concept.

The space includes 68 private offices, drop-in workspaces, meeting rooms, and event space on the first two floors of the center. The project included the design of the building’s public spaces along with the space for Carr Workplaces.

Upon entering the building, visitors are entrenched within the convergence ecosystem. Collaboration spaces including: community tables, informal lounge settings and private conference rooms surround the dynamic 2-story atrium. The artfully woven lighting above the atrium is symbolic of the idea exchange concept and serves as a subtle branded component. The balance of exposed structural steel elements and refined details speaks to the synergy between “Boilermakers” and corporate partnerships.

The Carr space continues the subtle color story of the atrium, and reimagines it as bold patterns and strategic color blocking. A neutral foundation of the iconic Purdue “black and gold” translates to steel and wood, and enables bright blues, oranges and greens to take center stage.

The artwork contributes seamlessly to the dynamic color integration, and reveals another layer of the complex design. Carefully curated art reminds users of the rich Purdue University heritage, and their contributions to Agriculture, Aeronautics, Engineering and Space Exploration.

A diverse assortment of work settings allows users to tailor the space to meet their needs. The incorporation of neighborhood plazas places the opportunity to collaborate at the user’s doorstep. Both formal and informal settings support this exchange and further the opportunity to choose. Strategic circulation paths facilitate impromptu exchanges, and are designed to encourage wellness.

Convergence is where private industry is strategically located at Purdue University’s front door. It is an incubator for innovation. As Purdue states, it is “where ideas will be turned into discoveries and global challenges translated into innovations and impact.”