Location: Atlanta, United States.

Architect: Perkins+Will.

Interface, Inc., a modular flooring company, designed a new corporate headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, with a focus on sustainability and biophilic design. The existing 1960s-era building was deconstructed, and almost 90% of the interior and exterior materials were diverted or recycled. The new design incorporates the conceptual metaphors of a Cave, a Forest, and a Bluff, with each area serving a unique purpose. The “Cave” houses the refurbished parking garage, the “Forest” comprises the three floors of existing office structure, and the “Bluff” consists of the new penthouse. The building’s skin is a high-performance curtainwall with a semi-transparent polyester sheath, on which a life-size forest is depicted. The sheath’s square pixel pattern is reminiscent of Interface’s modular flooring systems and draws an unequivocal connection to the site’s natural history of eastern-US Piedmont Forest. The interior features new high-performance HVAC and lighting systems, a cistern that collects and treats rainwater, and wellness and “restoration rooms” for employee relaxation and meditation. The design is easily adaptable and changeable, including movable furniture, flexible seating, and modular flooring. The building is expected to earn prestigious LEED® and WELL® Certifications for green, healthy workplaces and establish Interface as a leader in Midtown Atlanta and across the globe.

Photo credit: Nick Merrick, Hall+Merrick Photographers.