When sister companies Cordia Partners and Cordia Resources were looking to share space for the first time, we knew we would need to create an office that works for both businesses. Our goals were to accommodate each company’s business models and workstyle considerations, while supporting the culture and community they both have in common. We also set out to enhance the client’s brand reputation and identity through the design of their new office.
Two wings provide dedicated space that supports the way each company works. For Cordia Partners, an open office supports the accountants’ quiet, heads-down work, with separate space for collaborative areas. For Cordia Resources, private offices enable recruiters to make phone calls and host small meetings. We connected these spaces through shared amenities that support the two companies’ shared community and culture: a centralized café, conference and huddle rooms, and a common front entry and reception area.
To convey the client’s brand identity of strength and reliability, we carried the geometric concept of overlapping arches throughout the space, implementing a classical form that connotes these brand characteristics in a modern way. A procession of arches leads through the space, bending toward important meeting points such as the conference rooms and café. In the café, a second set of arches intersects with the first, representing the joining of two companies in one space. Additional design solutions and finishes carry the arch motif, such as glass film on office fronts, wall coverings, wall sconces, acoustic panels, and standing-height telephone nooks.
The high impact of Cordia’s new office begins the moment you step off the elevator. A striking symmetry is created by the centering of the main doors with the elevator lobby, and the reception desk with the main doors. This thoughtful geometry invites visitors into the space, where the unique architecture further guides them toward important meeting points.