The office addition and renovation of Everence’s corporate headquarters were completed in multiple phases to allow for continued business operation. The project provided a new street-facing façade, additional office space and conference rooms, lobby, client lounge, staff break room, and employee wellness center, along with three new office suites. Incorporating a variety of sustainable design features, this building achieved LEED Gold certification by the USGBC.
This first phase of the office addition and renovation to the existing corporate headquarters of Everence allows for an increased staff as well as more generous workspaces. Large expanses of windows, vaulted ceilings, and clerestories in the office areas create a sense of openness, provide natural light, and contribute to increased productivity through an improved work environment. The site design and reworked parking lot incorporate rain gardens and bio-retention ponds to capture, filter, and infiltrate water on site. These architectural, interior, and landscape design features, along with efficient HVAC and lighting systems, the use of sustainable building products, and environmentally sensitive construction practices contribute to this office addition and renovation’s LEED Gold certification.
At Phase 2, Everence presented Arkos Design with the opportunity to redefine its corporate image, replacing the oldest portion of its existing facility with a new addition that fronts onto a major roadway. A substantial brick façade gives the financial institution a sense of solidity and permanence, while its simple forms and restrained detailing respect the company’s roots and clientele in the Mennonite community. This second phase addition includes a new lobby, client lounge with coffee bar, conference rooms, breakroom, staff kitchen, and three office suites.
The area between the existing building and the new addition creates a central courtyard, maintaining light and views to interior spaces and also providing for outdoor meetings, lunch breaks, and gatherings.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a non-profit organization committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. Some of the sustainable features of this project include:
- Bicycle storage and shower facilities, in order to encourage a reduction in automobile usage and emissions, and to promote healthy, active lifestyles.
- Native and adapted plant species in the landscape design reduce the need for watering, while also reducing the use of fertilizers that can have adverse environmental impacts.
- Sunshades along the south side reduce solar heat gain, while light shelves reflect daylight deep into the spaces.
- During construction, more than 75% of waste materials were diverted from disposal in landfills to be recycled.
- Regional building materials and products that have been extracted, harvested, or recovered, as well as manufactured within 500 miles account for more than 20% of the building. This increases the use of local resources and reduces the environmental impacts of transportation.
Key Features
- Open office areas, private offices, and conference rooms
- Wellness center with fitness room, shower facilities, and massage room
- Site and landscape incorporating bio-retention and native plants
- The sustainable design for the office addition and renovation achieved LEED Gold certification
