Embracing All The Angles For Workplace Roommates
Highlights
Size: 8,000 sq. ft.
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Timeline: Completed 2025
Typologies: Commercial Architecture - Interior Remodel - Biophilia
Collaborators
Mortenson Construction (General Contractor)
Juxtaposition Arts (Custom Artwork)
Blu54 (Lighting Consultant)
Twin City Acoustics (Ceiling Subcontractor)
Sonus Interiors (Carpet Subcontractor)
Setting the Scene
Two organizations wanted to share this space. One was an investment advisor aiming to grow capital, the other a foundation aiming to give it away. Although they were opposites on the surface, they were united by a common purpose: to do their work for the benefit of the community. We sought to bring both organizations together in a way that encouraged co-mingling while preserving the privacy and identity of each.
Making It Happen
The pre-existing building layout imposed a prominent 45-degree angle in the middle of the space, which we approached as an opportunity instead of an obstacle. It became a locus for the two organizations to intermesh.
To further resolve the geometric tension of the angle, we cut carpet and ceiling tiles diagonally, creating right triangles that we then arranged into unique patterns, like eight-pointed stars. The eight-pointed star represents different peoples all around the globe, offering a nod to the traditions of Dakota quiltmaking and Islamic decorative art in particular, which are both central to the communities that the two organizations serve.
Carpet and ceiling tiles are stock items of virtually every office renovation, but here, they transcended the sum of their parts.
