LEAP Headquarters

Add To Collection

LEAP Headquarters

Firm

Type

Commercial › Office

SIZE

25,000 sqft - 100,000 sqft

Taking inspiration from the title of the studio course, Integrations, the design of this office building seeks to integrate the city with the office workers. Integrations as a studio is about integrating the design with structural and mechanical systems through a LEED accredited process. This project was about those crucial elements, while also integrating the unpredictable beauty of urban life with the protected comfort of office life.The concept of the building saw that there were two main public amenities in downtown Knoxville with this site near the center: Market Square to the north and the Tennessee River to the south. The formal concept of carving a void through the center of the building accomplishes several things. First it formalizes what many workers and residents of downtown do already: they crisscross the abandoned lot to get from point A to point B. Second, it allows for the relatively small square footage of the building to maximize along the street edge, further stitching together the urban fabric. Lastly, its sustainable impacts include more permeable surface area and allowing for maximized cross ventilation during Tennessee’s mild seasons.By having a shallow central courtyard, the design allowed for two distinct facades to occur. Due to the ratio of the height of the office to the depth of the courtyard, the sliced parti could be realized by having no sun-shading devices. On the two street facades, a series of terracotta louvers and balconies protects those from direct sunlight. By realizing this, the design allowed for the offices and work spaces to be placed along the street, while having the circulation routed around the courtyard. The stairs leading from one office floor to another are also located along this route, in the corners of the courtyard. Near the stairs are multiple areas for impromptu meeting spaces. All of these moves allow for maximum activity around the glazed courtyard facades. By angling the entrance to the street and having the lobby and a cafe open into the courtyard, activity is also maximized on the level of the city. The workers collaborate with each other, and they also have a staged collaboration with urban life.

Product Spec Sheet

Were your products used?

Join as a manufacturer to add your products.

Collaborating Firms

Was your firm involved? Add it now.

Team

Darren Jett

Architect

Were you involved? Add yourself.

Keep Exploring Architizer by Creating a Free Account or Logging in.

LEAP Headquarters

LEAP Headquarters

Product Spec Sheet

Collaborating Firms

Team