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Architects: VLK Architects
- Year: 2012
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Photographs:Chad M. Davis, AIA
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Manufacturers: Nathan Allan Glass Studio
Text description provided by the architects. iProspect is a leading, global digital marketing agency. The existing iProspect office was located in the Historic Fort Worth Stockyards, and respect for that heritage was implemented into their new office space, situated in Fort Worth’s Cultural District. The design intertwines the familiar, historical elements of Fort Worth with the modern, high-tech industry that iProspect serves. The new space, previously a metal fabrication warehouse built in the 1950s, had plenty of existing character including concrete columns with graffiti and a few masonry partitions, which were incorporated into the design.
An open-office concept was developed for general work areas, including collaborative spaces for mini group meetings, conference rooms for larger meetings, phone booths for personal use and a specialty room, known as the brain room, which includes writable walls and tables, as well as projectable surfaces. Two game rooms allow for employees to take mental breaks. The main kitchen is housed in the center of the office space, making it the hub for all employees to use and enjoy. A large common area, adjacent to the kitchen, houses mobile furnishings, creating an ever-changing environment. Garage doors open the central space to a covered patio.
The lobby sets the theme for the entire office. Sleek glass panels, printed with iProspect’s own HTML code, create a floor, wall and ceiling around the reception desk. A wall made of railroad ties leads the visitor’s eyes to a mural wall with a historic photo of the Fort Worth Stockyards from 1905.
Furnishings mix vintage leather chairs and an old, wooden dolly, used as a coffee table, with modern light fixtures and a reception desk made from welded sheet steel. Reclaimed wood, sourced from barns set to be demolished, were used to create sliding conference room doors as well as a pivoting wall system, which separates the commons area from the work space.
The project owner appreciates the design’s functionality in this new space. “We have an open and collaborative work environment that provides our employees a living space in which they could contribute their best ideas. From the moment you walk in the doors you feel the energy of our company. It’s a great way to start the work day,” says iProspect Managing Director Price Glomski. Chief Marketing Strategist for the company, Misty Locke, concurs. “We love the new space and the great use of external elements and textures. Our office is an example of old Fort Worth meets modern Fort Worth,” she states.
