IKM Workplace Look Book

Workplace

IKM Workplace

IKM is an architecture, planning, and interior design firm that champions quality space solutions. Our experience with engaging a myriad of clients and markets enables us to bring a comprehensive and unique knowledge base to workplace design. Our process aims to facilitate an innovative, flexible, energized, and highly collaborative design outcome. Creating an integrated environment requires an approach that embodies the vision, culture, and mission of an organization. Our tools for engagement help strengthen community and foster collaboration that enriches, empowers, and cultivates industry advancement for future leaders.

Design Strategy

Our Workplace Design Strategy aims to align an organization's work patterns with the office environment by engaging with stakeholders to gather data, perform research, and analyze factors that affect the workplace. We combine multi-faceted elements, including design thinking, human behavior modeling, visualization tools, and synthesis strategies to frame and solve client challenges. These examples illuminate the valuable graphic analysis that we can produce through focused engagement activities.

Guiding Principles:

Identifying Guiding Principles during a visioning session with key stakeholders is crucial to ensuring that we address and gather data in all areas of importance.

Icebreakers:

During this quiet activity, participants write their answers on sticky notes and post them on a collective board. The answers remain anonymous to encourage honest results.

• Attract, retain, and grow talent

• Balance previous and new company culture

• Elevate how people work

• Provide cross pollination of departments

• Study the departmental synergies

• Alter perceptions of the office

• Provide equity and inclusion

• Incorporate sustainable practices into design

• Introduce community involvement

• Give people a reason to return to the office

• Improve technological capabilities for convenience and ease of use

• Plan for future growth and a seamless transition

• Create a positive experience for the employees in their space Number

"How many days are you in the office?"

Identifying Culture:

We use Guiding Principles to engage employees on key questions, such as why it is important to identify a company's culture. Larger bubbles in the graphic below signify commonly occurring themes, while smaller bubbles indicate less prominence.

WHY? HOW?

What will bring you back?

Employees gain a sense of ownership over their space during this activity, as they place sticky notes on the physical layout of the building to be occupied.

Design Strategy (Cont.)

Survey Results:

We calculate statistics from survey results to judge how much space owners need to provide employees, and if individuals require dedicated workspaces within the office.

63%

User Participation:

This data provides leadership with the tools to make informed decisions and evaluate staff policies.

How many days per week do you prefer to spend in the office for 4 or more hours?

Number of Responses

2%

FULL-TIME IN OFFICE FULL-TIME REMOTE

How many days per week are you expected to spend in the office for 4 or more hours?

Number

User Satisfaction:

Through user workshops, we identify areas for leadership to focus on and showcase selling points to bring employees back into the office.

How satisfied are you with the following aspects of your work environment?

Informative Data:

Demographic data informs leadership of who participated in the sessions, surveys, and studies. This example shows the age composition of employees who will be occupying a particular workspace, ranging from recent college graduates to staff nearing retirement.

University of Pittsburgh School of Computing & Information Bellefield Professional Building Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

PROJECT SCOPE:

The School of Computing and Information is currently housed predominately in the University of Pittsburgh’s Sennott Square and the Information Sciences building. The School is growing rapidly and has plans to ultimately consolidate into a new building in the future. Until then, the school needs immediate expansion space that will be used as an incubator space for culture change in the school, primarily differing in the way that staff, faculty, and graduate students work and interact. Instead of having all closed offices the new space will have a combination of closed offices with opaque glass doors, open hoteling spaces, and lounge spaces that double as meeting or touch down space. The space should be inviting and foster collaboration across departments.

Confidential Corporate Client Building Lobby Renovations

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

PROJECT SCOPE:

As part of a larger renovation of the existing office building, IKM was engaged to reimagine the entrance experience to the building lobby. Our process involved conceptual design engagement with Owner and Construction Manager to balance aspirational design with adherence to a strict project budget.

The design of the lobby was intended to reenvision a 1970s design that was cold and uninviting. Planning the sequence of layered security that meets modern expectations was achieved by repositioning of entrance doors, security desk and turnstiles. The use of modern materials (glass, terrazzo, wood) was paired with new lighting to help soften the entrance sequence. Historically significant bronze doors that were positioned as relics in the original design were kept in the space, but carefully restored and encapsulated in glass and designed lighting. The elevator entrance doors, controls and cabs were renovated to continue this new modern arrival into the elevator trip.

Confidential Corporate Client Office Renovations

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

PROJECT SCOPE:

IKM was retained to provide professional design services for a confidential corporate client in Pittsburgh, PA. The project consisted of planning and interior design services for a full interior renovation of approximately 385,000 square feet of high-rise office space in downtown Pittsburgh.

Services include programming, verification of existing conditions, construction documentation, and furniture specification.

IKM executed the design by working with the client’s Corporate Workplace Standards. This project is multi-phased, and will complete over a five (5) year period. IKM worked with the client’s Sustainability Consultant, which will be submitting for LEED EBOM (Existing Buildings Operations and Maintenance).

Heinz Endowments Office 30th Floor, EQT Building

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

PROJECT SCOPE:

The Heinz Endowments’ mission is to help the Pittsburgh and Southwestern Pennsylvania region thrive as a community, while advancing knowledge and practice in the fields of Arts & Culture, Children, Youth & Families, Community & Economic Development, Education, and Environment. The Organization was interested in renovating their space with an eco-friendly and transparent design at the forefront of their solutions.

The Heinz Endowments retained IKM to provide professional architecture and interior design services for the 30th floor of the EQT Building in Pittsburgh’s central business district. The primary focus of the renovation was to redesign their private offices in a more transparent and organized manner, while creating touch down spots for collaboration and small break-out meeting rooms.

Program specific areas included closed offices with glass walls for transparency, small group meeting rooms, a respite room, and mail room, and finish upgrades for their conference rooms, lobby area, and main entrance areas.

A special aspect of the design transforms Heinz’s existing solid wood doors into decorative shelving that houses artwork.

Heinz Endowments Office Renovations

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

PROJECT SCOPE:

Desiring thoughtful, innovative and sustainable renovations to their existing office space, the Heinz Endowments retained IKM to provide professional architecture and interior design services for approximately 7,400 square feet of space on the 30th and 31st floors of the EQT Building located in Pittsburgh’s central business district.

The primary focus of the renovation would be the 31st Floor space with designs centered on two principle uses: flexible, collaborative meeting space and additional individual offices. The 30th floor design would possibly reorganize some of the offices and provide a select number of small, break-out meeting rooms.

Program specific areas included: closed offices with glass walls for transparency; small group meeting room, large group meeting room (for 50+); staff and catering kitchen space; and support space. To maximize the use of the space the client also requested flexible furniture options that could be easily reconfigurable.

Calgon Carbon Staff Café

Robinson Township, Pennsylvania

PROJECT SCOPE:

Calgon Carbon Corporation celebrated the grand opening of its new headquarters in September of 2015. IKM was pleased to provide the laboratory and interior design of 16,000 square feet of laboratory space in the new facility, branded the Innovation Center. This space designed to house their research and development efforts provided an opportunity to create a showcase for their work as a leading manufacturer of activated carbon providing purification solutions for drinking water, wastewater, pollution abatement, and a variety of industrial and commercial manufacturing processes.

Included among the design services offered by IKM was the opportunity to design the Staff Café. The café offers a variety of hot and cold meal options for the staff of nearly 200 on site. The space features industrial fixtures mimicking the high-tech look of the lab spaces located on the same floor. Bar-height tables and a mix of traditional rectangular and round tables allow the seating to be arranged in a variety of patterns accommodating about 40 guests per seating. Access to additional outdoor patio seating is also conveniently available from this space located at the ground level of the building. And, when weather doesn’t permit outdoor seating the walls of windows flood the space with views to the outdoors.

Carnegie Mellon University

Wean Hall Lobby & Cafe

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

PROJECT SCOPE:

The primary goal of CMU’s Wean Lobby renovation was to transform a secluded and imposing entry used heavily by students to connect to other buildings into a fresh and vibrant student portal. Key program elements include a coffee shop, more transparent curtainwall, and a living wall.

During the study, IKM communicated closely with the client to understand and capture their needs in the design and execution of the space. The study was also intended to help CMU show the need for the project and raise the funds needed to complete the project. IKM created compelling imagery to communicate the project vision to help aid in fundraising. As a result, the client was able to get the support needed to move forward with construction.

Carmeuse Lime & Stone Office Space Renovation

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

PROJECT SCOPE:

Carmeuse approached IKM to explore furniture solutions to their lounge and breakroom spaces at their North American Headquarters in Pittsburgh, PA. What began as a furniture solution evolved into the need for a full architectural solution to make their collaborative spaces more casual and inviting to use.

Through a process of engaging small user groups and human resources, IKM developed a solution for opening their breakroom kitchen space by removing the dividing wall and adding transparency to the adjacent workstations. An assortment of booths, tables, and flexible lounge seating fill the space. As opposed to the previous aesthetic that intimidated employees from daily use, the new breakroom and kitchen create a beautiful, yet livable space for all of Carmeuse’s employees to gather. All design solutions complement the existing architecture of the office including built-in amenities such as café-style booths in the lounge area and a series of private phone booths for calls or focused work.

As with many clients who do not regularly undergo design services, IKM was tasked with educating Carmeuse on the process of undergoing an architectural renovation. This partnership involves not only working with key decision makers, but also developing strategies for communicating with the entire staff. IKM provided concept renderings to assist in sharing and building excitement around the new amenities.

Confidential Corporate Client Tenant Office Fitout

Charlotte, North Carolina

PROJECT SCOPE:

In a period of growth and acquisition, the client purchased several smaller financial services businesses in the North Carolina market. This project presented an opportunity to consolidate and centralize the core leadership team in one footprint. Team communication, open floor plans, flexible work environments, and employee amenities are all brought into careful balance to embody the office of the future. The design aesthetic is "forward-looking clean corporate" – timeless, light-colored, neutral, and substantial materials provide great durability and avoid trendy design touches that can "date" an environment.

IKM took special care to provide security for the office spaces while simultaneously allowing the public to have controlled access to the conferencing floor. During construction, the design team worked with the Core and Shell construction team to remove a section of the floor slab and reinforce the perimeter. IKM designed an internal, open communicating stair between the floors to add convenience to the security features. Hypo-allergenic materials, bright spaces, acoustic dampening, and a variety of work environments provide an energizing setting that lets the tenant focus on their mission.

Confidential Philanthropic Client Office Fitout

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

PROJECT SCOPE:

This philanthropic client wished to modify the environment of their 20,000 square foot workplace to better suit the evolving collaborative culture and growing population of young talent. IKM worked closely with their project team through the programming and design phases, utilizing our unique collaborative process to understand how best to achieve the client’s goals. The new space features an open concept café and soft seating for impromptu conversations. A large boardroom was designed to hold more formal meetings. Updated technology was incorporated throughout to support virtual collaboration. The renovation creates a safe and secure workplace while encouraging employees to interact in a variety of open areas distributed throughout the office. This project met with several scheduling challenges due to the time needed for building and procurement of furniture, as well as consideration of the current lease period. The client took advantage of the renovation as an opportunity to incorporate a new branding effort that IKM was able to thoughtfully showcase.

Krystal Biotech Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

PROJECT SCOPE:

This clinical-stage gene therapy company uses its proprietary platform to develop effective and innovative treatments for skin diseases. This research and development pharmaceutical lab is located in a old warehouse building on Pittsburgh’s South Side.

The ceiling heights in the existing warehouse facility make the project particularly challenging with the inclusion of nine Biosafety cabinets and two fume hoods. A liquid nitrogen system to support the ultra low freezers required for lab functions is also included. Careful attention is given to coordination of overhead services to allow for the required engineering of the space, while providing an open feel to the laboratories and designing for employee comfort. Extensive renovation of the space includes fume hoods, a cold room, lab gas systems, and a liquid nitrogen system.

This project allows Krystal Biotech to continue to develop life altering gene therapies and refine their processes. The thoughtful organization of the space reduces strain on workers and provides more opportunity for continued collaboration.

Animal Friends Wellness Center

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

PROJECT SCOPE:

Animal Friends challenged IKM Architects to redefine the concept of animal shelter. Innovation and revolutionary attitudes toward animal care were developed through a collaborative approach to create a new “community resource center” – not just a shelter or adoption site – as the home for this non-profit organization. The new 30,000 square foot facility nearly triples the amount of space the ‘no-kill’ shelter had in its Strip District location.

The 13.5-wooded acre property in Pittsburgh’s North Hills provides the ideal site. A new weathering-steel bridge to accommodate the flood plain greets visitors and announces the arrival to a truly unique location. More than 1.5 miles of walking trails, outdoor play yards and re-use of an existing gazebo capitalize on the beauty of the well-groomed site. Ample parking adjacent to the facility is a small luxury only the long-time staff can genuinely appreciate.

The state of the art facility includes the firstever, in-house medical surgical suite. The education wing is complete with an interactive classroom and a resource library. The innovative wellness suite enables positive, lifeaffirming and therapeutic interactions between people and animals. The Center features a new retail shop and spacious new caging and living arrangements for nearly 300 animals.

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Byham Center for Dance

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

PROJECT SCOPE:

Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, as part of a 20-million-dollar capital campaign, embarked on a 6.5-million-dollar project to expand their existing practice facility and school. IKM worked with the Ballet over a three-year period to vision, program, plan, design and construct a 14,000 square foot addition for the Ballet that houses two state of the art practice studios, one of which is adaptable into a small scale performance space, and additional facilities for fitness and training. An important objective was to create a facility that was iconic and meshed with the Ballet’s progressive branded image.

As a non-profit entity, funding of the project relied heavily on donations. IKM collaborated closely with the Ballet to provide a comprehensive set of workshops to engage the Company, Students, Parent and the larger Donor community. Event included fund raising events, town hall meetings, internal workshops and presentations tailored to private donors. By utilizing a process that was designed to comprehensively reach out to, bring together, and engage the Ballet community, the Ballet was able not only to secure funding for this project but to also satisfy a larger percentage of their capital campaign.

CMU Mellon Institute Collaborative Habitat

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

PROJECT SCOPE:

Derived from the IKM planning study as one of the projects for the renovation of Carnegie Mellon University’s Mellon Institute, the Collaborative Habitat project evolved from an initial concept to an innovative design to engage science students. The result is a dynamic space that fosters gathering, promotes informal social collisions and provides opportunities for collaborative research interactions. Originally conceived as a collaborative lab, the space has evolved to comprise a gathering room and the revitalization of a well-used corridor.

The collaboration room includes flexible furniture that can be rearranged by students as groups come and go, and comfortable seating for breaks in between classes, small group encounters, or just hanging out with classmates. The room also houses the department’s mailboxes driving faculty and students to the site regularly.

Design solutions sought to infuse the space with natural light in an iconic building that otherwise does not suggest light and airy to the casual observer. Interior walls were removed to connect the space to the existing building light wells to flood the collaboration room with day lighting and views to the outside. Lighting design infused the dark corridors with creative techniques to enliven the space and promote the energy.

PNC Bank Allegheny Center Training Center

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

PROJECT SCOPE:

IKM was hired by PNC Bank to design expansion space at the Allegheny Center complex on the North Shore. The design work included furniture layouts, interior design, and MEP engineering services for flexible high density workstation seating and staff training center spaces. New Toilet Rooms, Break Areas, Conference Rooms, Team Rooms, Private Offices and Open Workstations were all incorporated into the program.

The training classrooms accommodate up to 25 staff per session and provide power and wi-fi. Classes typically included consumer lending services providing continuing education to existing departmental employees. The space doubles as orientation and education center for newly hired staff as well. The in-room technology permits sharing images from individual workstations to the main display screen at the front of the classroom.

The project was submitted for LEED-CI by an independent party for the client. The design achieved the Silver Certification Level.

IKM Office Renovation 11 Stanwix, 22nd Floor

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

PROJECT SCOPE:

IKM has recently completed the design of the interior renovation of approximately 12,400 SF of office space on the 22nd Floor of 11 Stanwix in Downtown Pittsburgh. Programming of the space includes the reduction of individual work spaces with greater emphasis of collaborative and flexible team areas. Open office areas around the perimeter take advantage of unobstructed exterior views and daylighting strategies. Communal spaces are interspersed with workstation “neighborhoods” to create differing spaces for different office functions. Interior finishes, furniture, and lighting are carefully designed to accommodate different working environments.