Access to nature helps people feel more productive, engaged and creative while also benefitting our health and well-being. With that in mind, we’re sharing some of the favorite outdoor workspaces our teams have designed in recent years.
1. Trammell Crow Center (Dallas, Texas)
HOK’s redevelopment of the Trammell Crow Center in Dallas transformed the building’s entire base into 1.4 acres of outdoor gathering space. The design converted a closed-off garden into an open site that connects to the adjacent Arts District and commercial spaces. The newly energized building base blurs the boundaries between inside and out. A ground-floor social workspace with dining areas and outdoor seating welcomes tenants and the public.
2. Stanford University School of Medicine – Center for Advanced Medicine (Palo Alto, California)
The design of this building takes advantage of Northern California’s mild climate by moving 20 percent of the program beyond the building’s walls. People can socialize and work in a diverse mix of outdoor spaces. Porches, balconies, sky bridges and covered walkways extend from the building. Upper terraces create the sensation of being in the trees.
3. LG North American Headquarters (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey)
Located just across the Hudson River from Manhattan, LG’s new North American HQ features landscaped grounds with outdoor terraces, restored woodlands, contemplative Korean gardens, an outdoor basketball court and a walking trail that weaves through the property.
4. 1771 N NW Street (Washington, D.C.)
The renovation of this office building in historic Dupont Circle included the creation of a new outdoor entry plaza with shade trees and serpentine bench seating. A new penthouse amenity space features a lounge and conference space that open onto a rooftop terrace with dramatic city views.
5. 700 Market St. (St. Louis, Missouri)
HOK’s renovation of this Philip Johnson-designed landmark included the addition of a new ground-level terrace and a new green roof with vegetated planters, trees, shrubs, a walking path and seating for work and dining.
6. Workday Campus (Pleasanton, California)
Workday’s self-sustaining landscape celebrates the flora of California’s iconic foothills while supporting resilience in a dry climate. New parklands, trails and outdoor work/play amenities connect more than five acres of open space. Sculptural landforms and seating areas link the park design to the surrounding Tri-Valley foothill topography.
7. LG Science Park (Seoul, South Korea)
A landscaped promenade unites the 26-building LG Science Park and serves as a gathering space for employees to collaborate, relax and enjoy the outdoors. Ground-level greens spaces throughout the campus function as public parks. Courtyard spaces include contemplative sunken gardens. The use of mostly indigenous plants ensures the landscape thrives and reflects the character of traditional Korean gardens.
8. Cargill Protein Group Headquarters (Wichita, Kansas)
Crowdsourced ideas from Cargill’s employees guided the design of this building’s collaborative spaces, including its expansive outdoor deck. With views over the Wichita streetscape, this bespoke work and entertainment space includes outdoor Wi-Fi lounges, game tables, grills and a fire pit.
9. Patelco Credit Union Headquarters (Dublin, California)
Patelco Credit Union’s new headquarters is a dynamic, collaborative and flexible workplace that provides a comfortable and welcoming environment for clients and employees. The building’s south courtyard extends the workplace concept into the exterior landscape. Surrounded by native trees and shrubs, HOK’s design for the courtyard creates a combination of private and social amenity spaces, including additional outdoor work and meeting pods with sheltered seating, an outdoor dining patio and lush gardens.
10. JPMorgan Chase Tower Plaza (Houston, Texas)
HOK re-envisioned the public realm of Houston’s iconic JPMorgan Chase Tower (formerly 600 Travis) to create a welcoming sense of place and integrate the building’s plaza into the broader fabric of downtown. The renovation weaves together the building’s interior and exterior amenities to enhance the workplace experience for tenants while creating a new public open space for the broader district.
11. Central + Wolfe Campus (Sunnyvale, California)
The design of Central + Wolfe sparks imagination and promotes wellness by connecting employees with their colleagues and nature. Northern California’s unique ecosystem is on full display throughout campus with open plazas, outdoor workspaces, sports courts, trails and landscaped green spaces of redwoods, live oaks and native grasses occupying more than half of the 18-acre site.