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Client: Houlihan’s Restaurants, Inc.
Location: 8700 State Line Road, Leawood, Kansas, U.S.A.
Situation: Amidst a brand overhaul and reorganization by a new management team, Houlihan’s sought to consolidate and move its headquarters to an existing suburban office building. Hoping to breathe life into its culture, Houlihan’s established the following design goals: improve its corporate image; create an invigorating workspace; and showcase Houlihan’s core competencies.
Solution: The space as leased did not provide Houlihan’s with a private entry, rather a long walk down a dingy fire exit corridor which we felt did not improve their corporate image. So we worked through a myriad of city reviews and were able to provide a unique entry sequence that gives them their own street identity.
Clearly our client is all about the restaurant business, so we placed their test kitchen adjacent to and clearly visible from the entry. Adjacent to the test kitchen is the tasting table, al-fresco tasting deck and employee break area which work to create a unique sequence of spaces whose functions revolve around the preparation and serving of food, just like their restaurants.
Other highlights include restaurant-like meeting booths carved into hallway niches, equipped with marker board painted walls and built-in marker holders for spontaneous bursts of creativity. Curved ceiling elements, lighted coffers and horizontal wood-slat walls break down what might otherwise be cubicle hell. Storefront glass walls and backlit polycarbonate sheeting further dissolves traditional solid walls, increasing the perceived size of the environment and allows for the borrowing of natural light deep into the office.
Quick Facts: The program required nine departments, a test kitchen, conference areas, food-tasting space and fifty work stations. In the entry, recycled tabletops offer a unique interpretation of common restaurant objects via a backlit, wall-mounted collage. Another cool feature is an operable glass garage door that separates two conference rooms, allowing multiple configurations.
Closing Arguments: This project was published in July 2004 issue of Contract Magazine. |
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