AAA Arizona Tenant Improvement

Designed for an Unlimited Future

The design for this satellite office in Phoenix, Arizona consolidated the existing office space from 75,000 to 23,000 SF.  In addition to improving efficiency and reducing rent costs, the updated, right-sized interiors are designed to “wow” employees and inspire them to return to the workplace.

Since HGA had previously designed other office spaces for the client, stakeholders in the Phoenix office’s user group first identified key aspects of these designs that resonated with them. For example, they especially liked the road-trip theme HGA developed for the Walnut Creek Headquarters project, which expresses the timeless feeling of bonding with others on a journey toward a destination. They wanted us to incorporate similar elements, such as large scenic graphics, into the design of their new workplace while focusing on the client’s strong, steady movement toward an unlimited future.

Our design honors the client’s history while achieving a fresh, modern aesthetic appropriate for this office and its Arizona location. The imprint of the company’s history is subtly expressed through the textures and patterns of finishes, such as the “tire-track” carpet used for primary circulation paths, etched porcelain tile in the restroom and breakroom, and large-aggregate terrazzo that looks like it was sliced from a concrete road. The logo and corporate colors appear on the wall behind the reception desk in the main entry. The entry lobby features contextual details, such as a custom oak reception desk with a solid-surface facade, cut in a faceted formation to represent Arizona’s Red Rocks and large glass walls with floor-to-ceiling graphics of the rock formations. Within the space, there is also a legacy wall with 3D-icons representing the client’s services, which appears seamless but can be switched out as the business model changes via French cleats.

Whereas the previous space had large private offices, some assigned desks, and hoteling options for everyone else, the renovated interiors keep equity in mind. Employees have equal access to universal workstations, new phone rooms are large enough to accommodate employees using wheelchairs or other mobility devices, a new gender-neutral bathroom was added, and the mother’s room was updated.

Large-scale graphics that celebrate the beauty and diversity of Arizona’s natural biomes and varied landscapes help define distinct “neighborhoods” composed of offices and ancillary spaces. Each neighborhood has a theme, such as the “Rivers and Lakes” section with blue carpet and a waterfall graphic or the “Lush Forest” section with green carpet and a forest photo. Primary circulation corridors become tunnels that encourage and facilitate movement between these neighborhoods.

To be more sustainable, the design team kept the break room in its existing location, avoiding the waste and added expense associated with rerouting plumbing and other building systems. Films with images of nature were applied to glass to make the break room’s interior windows appear to have exterior views. These combine with cool-hued finishes and the sound-dampening qualities of the acoustic-cloud ceiling to make the break room a calming space for informal interaction and respite.