When other businesses had to send employees home and shut down their commercial offices because of the pandemic, one St. Louis architectural design firm was able to keep its doors open, its employees in place and its projects underway essentially seamlessly.
RemigerDesign made it through the past year and a half in large part thanks to how they designed their own office space.
Remiger’s building at 2921 Olive Boulevard in the Historic Locust District is 6,120 SF, dates from about 1894, and is actually two former storefronts that the firm combined into one office. It’s now on seven levels, with an alley between the original two buildings incorporated into the interior space with a stairway and connecting elements.
At one time a historic mansion, the property featured several additions and what architects like to call “good bones,” even though it was in bad shape. A need to expand was behind the move and design.
“We were out of space in the Marquette Building downtown,” said Courtney Padgitt, IIDA, Fitwel, NCIDQ, managing principal/shareholder with Remiger, told MetroWire Media during a visit to the firm. “We wanted to build our own space.”
They lease their current space from GI (Guarantee Interiors) Construction; it is one of several buildings that GI owns in the same block.
The firm started the design process in May 2018 and moved in that October. While the initial goal was to create space that would reflect a commitment to work-family balance and provide hybrid uses well before that concept was in common use, the project turned out to be prescient for the current era of limiting contact among co-workers and keeping office space safe for both clients and the firm’s eleven employees.
The challenges included “finding creative space rather than the standard corporate feeling,” said Padgitt; the historic setting contributed to that sense. “The owner said it would need a creative tenant. We took everyone’s input into account.”
Key elements of the redesign included relocating a staircase; creating a wellness room for nursing moms and relaxation time; a substantial library of references, supplies and tools; space for 20 open-style workstations; and rooms that can be closed for privacy and quiet, or for meetings.
There is no elevator; that expense was prohibitive, but there are bathrooms on all levels to minimize moving from floor to floor as well as accommodate users with mobility issues. Skylights in the studio enhance a sense of openness and airiness. All the windows can be opened. The conference table is in pieces, so it can be reduced, increased and rearranged to fit a variety of meetings; other tables can be moved to accommodate social distancing and technology. A small phone room gives employees privacy for calls. An old barn door covers a supply closet.
“We added sound-masking, using speakers placed strategically throughout the space. The hum of the conductors provides a soft background sound so people’s typing is less intrusive,” said Padgitt.
The current year was a revelation of sorts. In 2020, we saw how we had to play into the pandemic,” Padgitt said. “We were prepared ahead of time. With so many building levels, we could still meet and be collaborative. We could spread out and still have all the tools we needed.”
The hospitality space in particular, and the design overall, has been so successful that “clients are asking us for similar approaches in their projects,” Padgitt said. Its flexibility is the main attraction: It can be used many ways.
The complete project team includes Guarantee Interiors, Inc., contractor; Lighting Associates; Sondare Acoustics and Gaus Acoustics; Color Art and Warehouse of Fixtures, furniture; and Fast Signs, graphics. While the firm prefers not to publicize project costs, they made a significant investment that paid off when the pandemic hit.