CREJ

/ BUILDING DIALOGUE / JUNE 2017

/ NetApp: Making Nerdy Look Good /

future. While everyone was behind it, SolidFire was especially passion-

ate about staying on Pearl Street. It was an important part of their iden-

tity and an amenity that helped attract employees.

Second, the team would integrate the character and requirements

of both companies without losing cohesiveness or employees’ sense of

culture. SolidFire, says Loftus, had a “more traditional Boulder feel, with

earthy tones and fun and comfortable spaces.” NetApp was more focused

on the technology company identity, requesting that the team “nerd [the

office] up.”

Perhaps most importantly, everyone on the team agreed that project

success meant an office that made employees happy. Attracting and re-

taining top-notch employees – and specifically millennials – was critical

to continued growth.

With these three guiding principles in mind, and joined by general

contractor Swinerton Builders and Project Manager Sara Lounsberry of

CBRE, the team set to work. Together, they would successfully fuse all

these requirements into an office that is both serious and playful, func-

tional and comfortable.

The Pearl Street space does have its quirks: It actually spreads across

two floors of two buildings, connected by a glass walkway. It also has

fairly low ceilings for a commercial building, at about 8 feet.

To overcome the first challenge and help employees feel more con-

nected, the team created common spaces designed to encourage min-

gling. Instead of several break rooms, they built a single, centrally located

one. Described as “the social hub of the office,” it offers plenty of seating,

a stocked refrigerator, a variety of snacks, even a Kegerator. “We wanted

this to be a draw for people, to keep them engaged and mingling,” Loftus

said. A common game room similarly entices with pingpong and video

games that allow employees to break from intense coding sessions.

Even the centrally located open stairwell is designed as a gathering

place. Light and spacious, it features a steel structure complemented

by wood treads and a glass handrail – and a bleacher seats just off to

the side where people can informally meet, relax or gather for large all-

hands meetings. Echoing the thoughts of several on the team, Swinerton

Project Manager Connor Madigan says the stairwell is “a highlight of the

space.”

The low ceiling meant low ductwork. This had the most pronounced

effect on the bleacher area, which was originally designed to span the

two floors. Says Madigan, “We really had to look hard at the mechani-

cal ducting, AV, the acoustical tile, and make sure everything would fit.”

With close coordination with the subcontractors, the equipment was re-

worked to accommodate bleachers.

The team used several tactics to achieve NetApp’s goal of “nerding up”

the space while acknowledging the culture and character of SolidFire.

Among other things, they designed glass dividers custom printed with

pieces of the company’s computer code and used pixelated photos of the

nearby Flatirons as a graphic element in the common area. As Loftus

says, “We had to respect both clients” with a design that merged their

cultures in a cohesive, meaningful way.

NetApp, as a more established company, came with more formalized

brand standards and a few unique requirements. They specified no pri-

vate offices, instead requiring a mix of open cubicle seating and shared

meeting spaces. The caveat was that meeting spaces had to provide “liter-

ally a seat for every person at all times,” says Loftus. (A more typical ratio

is 10:1.) The final design includes a wide variety of meeting spaces, hud-

dle rooms and individual workstations that give a change of scenery. The

spaces stay busy in part, Loftus suggests, because, “There are enough of

them around, all employees feel free to use them, unlike in some offices

where the meeting rooms are reserved for certain levels of meetings.”

While having so many stakeholders could – and sometimes did – lead

to an abundance of good ideas, the team thrived. Loftus credits a strong,

collaborative team with mutual respect and a willingness to compro-

mise for the good of the project. Madigan agrees, “Everyone came togeth-

er and really kept focused on project success.”

OPENING ART:

By using the opening created for the

core-shell crane between the two floors

for an open stair, Elsy Studios was able

to create an obvious physical and visual

connection that opens up the entire suite.

TOP:

A vibrant graphic representation

of the Flatirons on the wall across

from the bleachers provides a

backdrop for a mix of comfortable,

stylish lounge chairs located to facilitate

impromptu meetings or breakout huddle

space from the large bleacher area.

BOTTOM:

Behind the bleachers, Elsy Studios

created a backdrop with pops of color

mimicking diagonals found throughout

the space. Bright colors create a

vivacity that energizes the area.