2015 HRACRE Award of Excellence | Faneuil Inc.

Inside Business Design Award

Best Interior

Faneuil Inc. - 10th Floor Office Build-Out

After considering several options, Faneuil Inc. decided to renegotiate its current lease and expand 
its headquarters on the 10th floor of Harbor Center in downtown Hampton to accommodate the 
company's growth. 

From the onset of the project, Faneuil wanted to create an open and collaborative work setting void of private closed offices. It took full advantage of the panoramic views of the Hampton River, the Chesapeake Bay and downtown Hampton by using full-height glass along corridor walls to increase natural daylighting and allow unobstructed views through the continuous ribbon of windows around the building's perimeter. 

As a counterpoint to the transparency of the glass corridor walls, a series of curved and tilted walls, inspired by Richard Serra sculptures, was included in the design of the office's inner walls. With the aid of 3D modeling, the contractors were able to construct the walls precisely and economically using standard metal studs and gypsum. The project also used sustainable products such as recycled glass in the countertops and floor tiles, occupancy sensors and LED lighting. 

Judges' comments:

"The interior space for Faneuil Inc. has a clearly understandable organizational concept (the isometric plan helped). The entrance lobby is in the center of the space along an expressive linear circulation path connecting destination spaces on the ends. The wavy walls of the circulation spine give definition and interest to the corridor and create a nice contrast to the rectilinear partitions. The jury particularly liked the "Zen view" quality of the angular windows that provide views to adjacent spaces and wondered if the triangular shapes are a subtle nod to the triangular form of the floor plan. The office spaces feel bright and cheerful. The palette is cool and calming. We liked the consistency of the spaces, which feel very comfortable. Nice photography."