The design for this tenant improvement project needed to embody Dental Select’s approach to business and its internal culture, defined by the phrase: “Simplicity that makes you smile.” Yet the company also wanted to relay a message that the space is home to a group of clever rebels who make noise, ruffle feathers and get things done.

While the project was defined by the need to highlight the company’s brand, the C-level owner team also provided the design team with creative carte blanche to express the company’s vision. The organization’s newly branded “sunny yellow” was used throughout the space, with accents that align on three planes. This was achieved by including canted shapes integrated into the primary pathways and circulation routes as a strategic way to provide “elevated disruption” to important areas—a key visioning concept.

The organization’s leaders wanted the new environment to be transparent and eliminate the messages they felt came from the sequestered executive office model they had been working in for the past decade. Executive offices now have glass facades. Spaces are designed to be flexible and serve more than one purpose. A priority was placed on maximizing the efficiency of amenity spaces, an important tool for employee recruitment and retention. 

The project team was challenged when construction costs came in 30% higher than originally anticipated, so they went to work to incorporate alternatives to bring the project back in line with the budget. This included more cost-effective options for lighting and a revision of the original concept for translucent yellow-resin panels intended for circulation accents with painted conduit and alternate materials. The team was also careful to select finishes such as carpets, window film, plastic laminate and fabrics that provided continuity for the bright, sunny colors of the brand without requiring customized materials.

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