Confidential Corporate Office

A corporate client in Houston needed a workplace that could support growth while giving employees better options for collaboration, focused work and daily well-being. HOK’s interior design for the 53,000-sq.-ft. office spans three floors of a mixed-use high-rise in the heart of downtown.

The design draws on the firm’s culture and the office’s prime location overlooking Houston to create an environment where employees can connect, concentrate and recharge.

Design Solutions

An Efficient Layout

The building’s curved form and offset core shaped the workplace organization. HOK placed workstations around the perimeter to take advantage of floor-to-ceiling windows, while offices sit closer to the center so daylight and views can reach deeper into the floor plate. More than 75% of occupiable spaces have access to daylight, improving comfort and supporting a clearer connection to the adjacent Discovery Green, a 12-acre urban park.

The plan organizes spaces by work mode and level of activity. Large conference rooms sit on one side of the 12th-floor reception to support higher-traffic meetings, while case team rooms, meeting rooms, phone rooms and focus rooms on the opposite side provide quieter settings for heads-down work. Workstations are grouped into neighborhoods to support team-based collaboration. Rooms that flex between private offices and meeting spaces give the company more adaptability as needs change. Enhanced technology throughout the office supports the company’s hybrid work model.

Neuroinclusive Design and Employee Well-Being

The office’s neuroinclusive design offers a broad range of work settings that give employees more choice and control over where they work throughout the day. Sit-stand desks, wellness rooms, a mother’s room and a central stair connecting all three floors further support movement, health and individual comfort.

Outdoor access strengthens the workplace’s focus on well-being. A courtyard balcony on the 12th floor gives employees direct access to daylight and views of Discovery Green and downtown Houston. Lush landscaping, varied seating options and outdoor games create an inviting setting for breaks, informal meetings and social connection.

Celebrating Houston

HOK’s Experience Design and Interiors teams created design details that highlight the company’s employees, local impact and Houston’s culture. At the 12th-floor reception, a marble desk faces custom textural terra cotta walls that reference the Buffalo Bayou cistern, a Roman-inspired reservoir that provided Houston with fresh drinking water for nearly a century. Large-scale artwork by a local artist anchors the reception area, while sculptural birds on a brick wall near the central stair reference the office’s bird’s-eye view over Discovery Green.

Near reception, a world map mosaic made of custom wooden blocks spans the wall. Magnetic green squares in the map represent employees and their hometowns, recognizing the company’s diversity and inclusive culture. In a staff refreshment zone, a custom wood railing displays photos of city landmarks taken by employees, while a wood letter set encourages staff to leave messages for one another.

Each floor carries a regional theme with consistent colors and signage that supports wayfinding and reinforces the office’s local connection. One level highlights Houston’s woodlands through a digitally printed wallcovering of the historic Three Sisters of Montrose oak trees. Another level uses terracotta pink wallcoverings to reference nearby bayous and wetlands.

The office’s Space City Café pays homage to NASA’s Houston Space Center with a custom metallic wallcovering that resembles constellations. A staff pantry on a different level also features a custom wall map of Houston with a heart marking the city center and the office location.

Sustainability

The LEED v4 Platinum-certified workplace prioritizes sustainability and wellness strategies throughout its design. The project includes outdoor air ventilation and enhanced filtration. Material choices emphasize sustainability and well-being with products chosen for performance, transparent environmental declarations and high marks for human health and safety.

Impact

The workplace serves more than 200 employees across three floors, giving them a broader range of spaces for collaboration, focused work, social connection and individual well-being.