Lochmueller Group, a full-service civil engineering design firm, faced numerous challenges at its former, dated office space, which required a much needed redesign.
With a focus on retaining its exceptional talent and boosting its recruitment efforts, Lochmueller Group decided to relocate its St. Louis offices to City Foundry STL where an available white-box space offered the perfect opportunity for a branding reboot and a more comfortable and efficient work environment.
Lochmueller Group contracted with St. Louis-based Lawrence Group to provide architecture, interior design and graphic design services for its new 1,287m2 (13,861 sf) space within City Foundry STL—a transformative “live, work, play” community in St. Louis’ growing midtown neighborhood developed by St. Louis-based New + Found and designed by Lawrence Group. City Foundry STL is a $256 million adaptive reuse of former Century Foundry and one of the largest historic redevelopments in St. Louis history.
“The new Lochmueller workspace embraces a more flexible approach, offering sit-to-stand solutions at every desk while seamlessly integrating customer-focused technology for its staff,” said Lawrence Group Interior Designer Lisa Morrison. “The heart of their new home is the full-service work café with multiple styles of seating, technology, and an ability for staff to work and collaborate in the multipurpose space. New conference spaces feature technology specifically designed to accommodate the design needs of this firm and allow them to host educational seminars and virtual sessions with their other locations.”
Lochmueller Group’s new office is part of a historically preserved space within City Foundry STL that highlights the structure, masonry and architectural windows of the historic foundry.
“The space’s industrial design more closely aligns with Lochmueller Group’s culture and branding, with touches of muted brand colors that bring the outdoors into the space. The open office is planned around a two-story monitor in the original foundry roof that invites generous sunlight while creating an airy sense of volume in the space,” said Morrison.
Elements of Lochmueller Group’s culture, such as the firm’s “CARDIA Values,” were envisioned as a wall graphic at the main entrance and reinforced throughout the new office’s design. Biophilic elements such as a preserved moss wall create connections to nature, which is further enhanced by the site’s connection to City Foundry’s amenities and nearby Great Rivers Greenway Trail network.
