This LEED Gold interior evokes water in many guises as the client company’s focus is on providing water solutions in 150 countries around the world. The architect worked closely with the client’s branding consultant to echo design themes that are present in the corporate identity.
Because of complications and the maintenance headaches of actually using water in the interior, the architect opted for a subtle approach through color, materials, finishes, furnishings, and décor that suggest the globe’s most valuable resource. There are allusions to water in the reception area — blues and greens accent walls in a predominantly white interior. The staggered placement of ceiling fixtures suggests a water-flow chart — a common tool used by the company.
The reception area features sheet acrylic with tiny bubbles suggesting water, while carpet designs and textures are abstract renderings of cascading waterfalls. Near the entry and in several key locations around the office are mural wall coverings that feature the company’s graphic portrayal of the planet’s water cycle — for the benefit of employees and visitors alike.
There’s also an interactive map of company project locations around the world. The CEO’s office suite was purposely located far from the entry, so that visitors would take a walk through the space, learning the company’s story. Visitors ascend an open staircase that rises along a two-story wall, etched with an image of microscopic capillaries that conduct water from the soil to a plant. The botanical term for these capillaries is the company’s name. As one journeys to meet the CEO, success stories are graphically portrayed — the last image shows the company’s work in helping to save children in Africa through water solutions. At this point, one enters the CEO’s office, and hears the rest of the story — a wonderful convergence of interior design and corporate mission.
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