You’ve probably heard some form of the saying “The shoemaker’s children are unshod.” That’s the reaction you might have had upon seeing the old headquarters of SCB (formerly known as Solomon Cordwell Buenz), an architecture, planning, interior and urban design firm based in Chicago. As Sheyla Conforte, SCB principal and executive director of interior design, reported to Architectural Record, the old space was low-ceilinged and dark, and obstructed with columns. In other words, not an ideal place to bring clients.
"We have had a great working relationship with Syska for many years, including ongoing tenant installation work. There was a trust and comfort level that made them the right choice for us."
Sheyla Conforte, SCB Principal & Executive Director of Interior Design
SCB’s new headquarters, in contrast, is a perfect venue for client visits, not only because of its aesthetically pleasing environment and amenities, but also because the space demonstrates innovation and design excellence, in full alignment with SCB’s reputation and brand.
To discover what makes this new headquarters so special and how it was created, Connections spoke to Sheyla, who led SCB’s in-house team for the project’s interior design, and Jeff Martin, Principal in Charge of the Syska team that engineered its MEP systems.
"The sense of pride that people have in the office is something we all feel really good about. We’re all designers at the end of the day, so we want the space to tell a positive story that dovetails with our brand.”
Sheyla Conforte, SCB Principal & Executive Director of Interior Design
Design Emphases
Two key features of the 34,000-square-foot space, located in a Mies van der Rohe building at 330 North Wabash in Chicago, influenced SCB’s original leasing decision: the large floor plates and full-height windows overlooking the riverfront. These features enabled SCB to house all of its 130 employees on a single, open-plan floor, while maximizing sunlight and views.
The layout was the first step in achieving SCB’s design principles of legacy and context, community and culture, and flexibility and wellness.
According to SCB’s blog, subsequent steps included the use of a refined material palette, thoughtfully designed communal spaces, a central café, and the Jewel Box – a technology-free room for quiet inspiration and conversation. The overarching impression is an “agile, personalized environment that supports movement and employee wellbeing.”
LEED Gold standards further influenced the design, which incorporates sustainable and reusable materials, along with energy-efficient fixtures and systems.
"We’ve had folks come here to interview us and they say that they now understand what they would get if they were working with SCB. It makes us more competitive."
Sheyla Conforte, SCB Principal & Executive Director of Interior Design
Syska’s Contributions
Sheyla notes that it’s “no simple feat” to work with an architecture firm on its own space, which is why SCB brought in Syska. “We have had a great working relationship with Syska for many years, including ongoing tenant installation work,” she says. “There was a trust and comfort level that made them the right choice for us.”
One of the most daunting challenges the two firms tackled was hiding the placement of diffusers and devices so that there was no impediment to the open-plan environment. In some cases, they had to position boxes above drywall ceilings and coordinate locations of access panels, Jeff recalls. Sheyla notes that by hiding such elements, the teams could maintain “the craft and beauty of the space.”
The same principle guided the teams on the placement of perimeter diffusers. “We situated them as close to the glass as possible with a custom solution,” says Jeff.
Syska also designed lighting controls that respond to people’s circadian rhythms as well as to external conditions, which improves wellness and also supports LEED Gold certification. In the conference rooms, where Syska specified AV systems, lighting controls allow users to adjust illumination according to meeting type. As Sheyla explains, optimal illumination for the review of physical samples on a table differs significantly from that of a meeting with lots of screens and technology.
Sheyla and Jeff agree that ongoing coordination was the secret behind the successful integration of interior design and engineering. The two teams met weekly and shared Revit models that showed all of the MEP elements. They also regularly reviewed mockups of MEP solutions under consideration.
"The MEP design allowed SCB to tell the story it wanted to tell. That’s so rewarding."
Jeff Martin, Principal in Charge, Syska Hennessy
Results
Sheyla reports that her SCB colleagues are very happy with the space. “It’s been an overwhelmingly positive response,” she says. “The sense of pride that people have in the office is something we all feel really good about. We’re all designers at the end of the day, so we want the space to tell a positive story that dovetails with our brand.”
She adds that for external audiences, the space demonstrates that SCB cares about the quality of the space, the furniture, and the overall design vision. “We’ve had folks come here to interview us and they say that they now understand what they would get if they were working with SCB,” she says. “It makes us more competitive.” Some clients even use parts of the space for their own meetings and events.
Best of all, clients from a wide range of industries appreciate the space. That’s important to SCB, given its diverse project portfolio.
Jeff pronounces the space “beautiful.” But what makes him especially proud is Syska’s role in helping SCB achieve its vision. As he explains, “The MEP design allowed SCB to tell the story it wanted to tell. That’s so rewarding.”
He concludes: “As longtime partners of SCB, we hope this story has many chapters.”
Photography © Kendall McCaugherty, 2024
"As longtime partners of SCB, we hope this story has many chapters."
Jeff Martin, Principal in Charge, Syska Hennessy