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June 2021 \ BUILDING DIALOGUE \ 45 C ochlear, the company that brings the gift of sound via hearing implants to thousands around the world, needed an updated North American Headquarters. The company want- ed a place reflective of its brand and culture, a place employees and investors could be proud of, a place where recipients and visitors would feel wel- comed, and a place for scientists and researchers to use labs for refining their discoveries. After exploring multi- ple site options, Cochlear decided to renovate a five-floor stand-alone building built in 2001 just south of down- town Denver. DLR Group’s design weaves together the threads of all who walk through Cochlear’s doors – employees, recip- ients, scientists, investors, families – into one unique space to come together and thrive. Enlarged photographs of recipients hang on the walls of the open-office corri- dors, reminding employees of the purpose behind their work. Going from an older, cubicle-heavy building with minimal amenities to this modern, open environment was a concern going into this project and the design team led the change-management approach to ensure that employee happiness was a key metric for Cochlear in this renovation. This 160,000-square-foot building is built for nearly 500 employees, with room to grow up to 600 strong. The wel- coming entry sequence directs practitioners to lab and training areas to the right, visitors and recipients to the experience center on the left, and employees to secure and social spaces straight ahead. Easy access, enclosed huddle rooms allow for quick meetings or interviews to take place outside of the secure employee zone. Each floor above is open-office seating with pops of Cochle- ar’s brand colors. The “woven” concept is highlighted vertically and horizontally on each floor via slat ceilings, colored stairwells, and seating layouts. • Innovation in action . The heart of Cochlear is the technical expertise that informs its cutting-edge im- plants. Placing the surgical training lab and related re- search spaces, including sound booths with a view into the board room underscores the crit- ical connection between Cochlear’s business and operational functions and its innovations through research and development. When confidential trainings or experiments are occurring in the lab, the flip of a switch turns the switchable privacy glass window wall opaque. The new headquarters includes four times as many conference and open collab- oration spaces as the previous offices, with eight types of collaboration rooms for a spectrum of size and tech- nology needs. A learning workplace emphasizes profes- sional development opportunities in dedicated training areas that seat over 200, lab and adjacent research spac- es, and customer experience spaces. Indoor environ- mental quality features include sound clouds and sound masking to attenuate acoustical distraction, and 100% LED lighting. Before starting design, the team learned that both Co- chlear leadership and its employees wanted to move to a more progressive, choice-based workplace. “The design team really listened,” said Liza McKelvey, Cochlear’s peo- ple and culture vice president. “They helped to challenge and educate us, and came up with great suggestions and guidance to ensure we had the best result.” This was an opportunity to leverage DLR Group’s research on work modalities, which identifies distinct task-focused cate- gories to inform the program and design and improve both employee satisfaction and efficiencies in their work space. The Cochlear Café offers options to fuel every employ- ee’s workday. In the café, employees can enjoy a hot break- fast or lunch from the full servery backed by a commercial kitchen, or grab a healthy snack from “quick eats” options, or from the barista-staffed café stand. Employees also can bring guests into the boardroom-style meeting room for a meal, looking out over the bustle of the cafe and the land- scaped courtyard through a series of garage doors. Cochlear World Headquarters: Weaving a Multisensory Experience Jeremy Reding, AIA, LEED AP BD+C Principal, DLR Group