Designing an Elevated Employee Experience

Client U.S. Cellular

Location Chicago, IL

Size 332,000 SF

Project Type Corporate Headquarters

Is it possible to consolidate your real estate portfolio without sacrificing employee experience? Whitney helped U.S. Cellular find the answer with redesigned offices that celebrate its culture and empower people to choose how and where they work.

Many companies today are faced with the challenge of reconciling dueling goals: consolidating real estate and boosting employee engagement. But smaller square footage doesn’t have to mean unhappy employees. In fact, real estate consolidation can help people stay more connected to each other, their work, and the company’s purpose. That’s just what we had in mind when U.S. Cellular enlisted our help with streamlining four of its Chicago locations into two connecting office towers.

Planning Stages

We started by exploring a variety of options, from building a new office to suit their needs to redesigning the company’s current offices. To do this, we provided plans to supplement financial scenarios and conducted discovery sessions with key decision makers who could give us insight into the company’s culture. The resulting plan included a revamp of one of their current office towers and the addition of six floors in a connected tower that U.S. Cellular would lease.

Connection Points

We used the company’s tagline, “We treat you like a neighbor, not a number,” to guide our approach to the redesign. And since a big part of a fulfilling work experience is building relationships with colleagues, we created centralized connection points for people working in the two towers: a lobby, coffee shop, and café with an adjoining conference center. These spaces, linked by an ornamental staircase, serve as co-working spaces and social hubs.

Connection Points

We used the company’s tagline, “We treat you like a neighbor, not a number,” to guide our approach to the redesign. And since a big part of a fulfilling work experience is building relationships with colleagues, we created centralized connection points for people working in the two towers: a lobby, coffee shop, and café with an adjoining conference center. These spaces, linked by an ornamental staircase, serve as co-working spaces and social hubs.

Engaging Details

From architectural elements to furniture to hospitality, every space in the new office boosts engagement and creates an enjoyable work experience. The work café has a full-service kitchen that offers eclectic cuisine choices. This means fewer people are dashing out for lunch and more people are eating together onsite and getting to know each other. Other places to connect include residential-style lounge seats outfitted in warm metallic tones and arranged in groupings that encourage conversation.

Brand Building

One of our goals was to ensure that the design communicates U.S. Cellular’s brand—both to employees and guests. That’s why we outfitted the new office tower’s floors with décor that celebrates the regional markets the company serves. In addition, we brought the reception area forward to give visitors an immediate welcome. And, to pay tribute to the company’s history in the communications industry, we repeated subtle design references to cell towers throughout the space.

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