3rd Place, Adaptive Reuse
Dating back to 1910, what once was a historic stove factory had been vacant for nearly 50 years before redevelopment began. Having survived the aftermath of a significant fire in a connected building, it now houses 140 legal professionals from Missouri’s largest injury law firm, Brown & Crouppen. Firm leadership wanted a space that bucked the “formal legal office” trend. Featuring 48,000 square feet of dynamic space, HOK’s design team created a spacious courtyard and an innovative, fun approach to a post-pandemic workplace.
The new contemporary loft-inspired headquarters offers a range of amenities, including a fitness center with showers and locker rooms, an event space and a recording studio. From a mezzanine library with gaming functions to a central town hall space that flanks a newly integrated internal stair, each area is thoughtfully designed to foster creativity and collaboration.
An inviting lobby and reception area welcomes visitors to a comfortable environment that is modern and classic at the same time. The company name, written in the lead designer’s cursive handwriting, shines bright in neon as one enters. 
A notable new feature stair was designed to provide vertical connectivity. Solid copper stair pickets were cleaned, cut and repurposed from large-format copper bars that formerly powered manufacturing equipment in the building. 
BEFORE: The raw space had existing tongue-and-groove structural wood flooring and decking that was ultimately maintained and restored. 
Collaboration areas for employees to connect were located adjacent to the open office areas and adorned with fun graphic wallcovering. An upstairs library area overlooking the office provides a space for respite and focus. 
The social hub truly takes advantage of the remarkable 30-foot ceiling original to the building while opening up to an adjacent courtyard. With a variety of seating types, the space is a place for employees to gather and relax. 
BEFORE: A large space with 30-foot ceilings was the perfect setting for the client’s new social hub. 
Bright and open office areas adjacent to enclosed offices were designed to take advantage of natural light. The original tongue-and-groove structural wood floor and decking were maintained while the impressive windows were refurbished. 
Who says Airstreams are only for camping? The team incorporated one as a fun way to provide additional conference space directly adjacent to the open office area. Beyond, offices were designed for acoustical privacy but visual transparency and connection. 
As one moves upstairs, the original building continues to shine by highlighting the red brick. A landing serves as a waiting and collaboration area for a variety of conference spaces, flanked by another fun wall graphic. 
An impressive boardroom is bordered by a striking black and glass wall system, juxtaposed with the original brick of the building. In the distance, another graphic wallcovering designed by an HOK architect, this one showcasing the client’s signature phone number. 
Windows along the front façade were completely restored and painted black on both sides to juxtapose with the white interior walls. 
Old meets new where an existing 30-foot façade is now joined by a corrugated metal panel exterior storefront wall. Graffiti was purposely left on the existing façade as a transition between the natural and built environment. 
The design of the space and the orientation of zones was determined by taking advantage of the existing architecture of the building. Existing clerestory windows were maintained where possible, and exterior spaces follow the architectural grid from the original building. 
The site is flanked by a rail line to the south and an elevated roadway to the east. Part of the existing building was demolished to create space for additional parking along the back.
PHOTOS: Sam Fentress; BEFORE PHOTOS and DRAWINGS: David Yates, HOK
This visionary space celebrates the firm’s heritage while embracing a future of innovation and growth. Its exciting and inspiring spaces entice people to get out of their homes and back to the office. With a focus on creating connections and engaging the senses, the design integrates unique elements, like an Airstream trailer that doubles as a conference room, entertaining outdoor spaces and even several mini-golf greens that help employees to break up the workday with some fun. Amongst the whimsy, there are sophisticated conference and deposition rooms that reflect the seriousness of what the firm does while incorporating the need for hospitality for its clients.
The existing building was received in “as-is” condition, including its original tongue-and-groove structural wood floor and roof decking. Most of it was simply cleaned and left naturally finished, lending a warm glow to the entire space.
Another found element in the shuttered factory building was close to 1,500 feet of 2- by 1/4-inch solid copper bar, formerly used to power the manufacturing equipment. These bars were cleaned, cut and repurposed throughout the building for wall cladding, entry signage and monumental stair pickets.
The design team created a neutral yet warm material palette and inserted color using custom graphic wallcoverings. There is a mix of exposed concrete and textural patterned carpet on the floors and exposed brick on the walls. The columns were left as exposed wood and acoustic wallcoverings were added to enhance the overall design.
Judge’s Comment
Another great example of leftover industrial spaces creatively repurposed. A beautiful renovation. I’d Iike to work there!
Daryl Johnson, AIA, NCARB, president, Johnson Architecture
Retrofit Team
Architect, Interior Designer and Lighting Designer: HOK
Structural Engineer: KPFF
Developer: Third Man Development
General Contractor: Paric
Materials
Demountable Partitions: Double-glazed String2 from Maars Living Walls
Acoustic Ceiling Clouds: Serenade from G&S Acoustics
Acoustic Ceiling Tiles: Ultima from Armstrong World Industries
Carpet Tiles: Shaw
Walk-off Carpet Tiles: Bentley
Putting Green: Synlawn
Restroom Tile: Mattonelle Margherita from Mutina
Paint: Sherwin-Willams
Acoustic Wallcoverings: Zintra
Wall Base: Tarkett
Lighting: Acoustic Static Slim from Light Art, Finelite, SEEM 1 from Focal Point and USAI Lighting
