AVANT
222 North LaSalle
80,000 square feet [Plus a 40,000 square foot expansion]
One of the fastest growing companies in Chicago, Avant is a financial tech firm that has originated over three billion dollars in loans since 2012. Support of internal communication was a key mandate of the program, resulting in a two-story town hall atrium for all-hands meetings, open meeting areas with a live feed to Avant's LA office, a 90ft long exterior terrace for social interaction and nearly 40 small huddle rooms for conference calls and heads-down work. Each staff station has a clear view to an exterior window and comes equipped with an electronic height-adjustable desk. The town hall break area comes complete with beer taps, a Coke Freestyle machine, a snack pantry and a serving island where both breakfast and lunch are provided to staff. The space is branded with custom wallcovering that morphs the Avant logo into a colorful geometric pattern weaving its way through the space. Unique elements include eight ‘secret' rooms hidden in the plan, each with a unique theme ranging from a Nintendo room with beanbag seating to a vintage video store.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
ARCHITECTURE
$85 psf construction cost
Outdoor terrace constructed at a building setback
Significant reuse including salvaged interior stair and ceilings
FURNITURE
$25 psf furniture cost
Over 500 Herman Miller adjustable height workstations
PHOTOGRAPHY
Steve Hall/Hedrich Blessing
2016
