DESIGNWORKS 2018

Investors Management Corporation

Raleigh, NC

Gensler

Michael Wagner (Project Architect; Office Director Design Leader), Beth Mitchell (Project Manager), Chad Parker (Project Manager; Managing Director), Bea de Paz (Design Director), Sharon Crawford (Studio Director)

The project started with a neglected, decades-old storage shed. What it became through a transformation both inside and out is a vibrant space for a small Raleigh investment firm with deep roots to the city. Fittingly, its hilltop location overlooks downtown and has become a catalyst for the transformation of North West Street.

Inside, existing partition walls were removed to open the space into a single volume. The building was gutted and new finishes applied while existing steel frames were painted to give texture and rhythm to the interior.

The organization is rooted in a functional separation between focused work, collaborative, and social spaces. Given the building’s separation into two distinct volumes, public spaces like the entry, lobby, conference room and dining area neatly fit into the two-story volume, while the primary workspace was located in the one-story brick volume. A wider opening between the two integrates the volumes functionally, while interior details at the entry make the brick volume look as if it’s sliding into the taller two-story addition.

To address the dark interior, the designers crafted a linear skylight stretching the length of the original building, flooding the space with natural light. Roll-up garage doors on a loading dock were replaced with glass creating a direct visual connection to the outdoors while celebrating the industrial history of the building.

By re-envisioning what a headquarters can be, the project team brought new life to a neglected corner of Downtown Raleigh.

(Sharon Crawford)

Judges Comments:

“Stayed true to idea that it was a shed, with a contemporary, clean use of materials and color interplay of interior/exterior is strong.  Overall – really nicely done. Really glad they did not tear it down and start over. This project has so much personality.”