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Architects: A+I
- Area: 8080 m²
- Year: 2013
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Photographs:Magda Biernat-Webster
Text description provided by the architects. The build-out of 87000 sq. ft. of phased construction for Hain Celestial, a natural foods company, is currently being completed. Hain Celestial relocated from a suburban office park to a historic building with a manufacturing history, occupying the entire building.
a+i was asked to design a space that exemplified Hain Celestial’s mission of globally providing products that promote healthy living. Hain’s previous space lacked identity and a sense of shared purpose for the employees. The new design addresses these issues to enrich the space, enable employees to better work together, and engage the visiting public in Hain’s mission.
It was important to Hain to have their products accessible throughout the space. Custom removable storage units in open areas and shared meeting spaces allow both the display of product and the ability to transport product easily from one location to another. A retail display lab/ employee store at the main entry display s the full line of Hain Celestial products. Also flanking the entry is a yogurt and prepared foods retail area. The penthouse floor holds a test kitchen and adjacent meeting space where new concepts are also developed and tested. A personal care products lab for research and development is located centrally, reflecting the importance of inhouse development of products. The executive area includes a large pantry with lounge seating, where the CEO can regularly invite visitors and employees to try products.
Employees previously in high-walled cubicles and opaque private offices are now visually connected, with open low workstations and glass partitions. A variety of meeting and collaborative spaces, largely centered on eating or on the products themselves, are integrated throughout the workspaces on all floors, giving employees space to collaborate easily and often. To give visitors a sense of the breadth of the company and the space, a+i opened the ground floor reception area to the floor above, and to the common stair. A dedicated yoga room, and access to the roof terrace are part of Hain’s commitment to employee well-being.
Graphics throughout the building integrate global agricultural images, reflecting sources of Hain’s products. All extraneous materials were removed from the space to reveal the building’s elegant concrete structure, allowing the product to take center stage.
