Intro to Henricksen
To kick things off with our new YouTube Series “AEC All-Stars,” we got a behind-the-scenes look and tour of Henricksen’s new Minneapolis office!
Henricksen is known for their upscale, multi-dimensional commercial furniture solutions. Their work is featured in a multitude of stunning and high-functioning spaces, ranging from office and education to healthcare and hospitality. A rich company history rooted in family, service, and collaborative culture has fueled their industry success.
Simply put, if you know anything about the commercial furniture sphere, then you likely recognize Henricksen’s prestige.
The Details
Henricksen Minneapolis was originally located in an industrial area of Northeast Minneapolis. They were housed in three separate office suites that together produced the expected Henricksen magic.
Business was great – but something was missing. That something was a sense of togetherness and so began their relocation journey.
From both a company culture and touring standpoint, Henricksen knew the new space had to be something that enabled social opportunities, employee engagement, and a sense of community.
Enter: the 11,000 sq/ft TractorWorks Building – straight off of Washington Ave, situated nicely in the vibrant North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis.
The Goals
Fundamental to renovating any space is to first begin with the end in mind – Henricksen’s relocation project was no different. Chief priorities were:
- Create an altogether inviting atmosphere.
- Allow the inherent beauty of the historic place to shine while embedding state-of-the-art touches to make it a highly functional place of work.
- Build a dual-functioning space: an area where employees could effectively conduct business + a public showroom flaunting Henricksen’s commercial product solutions.
They knew it had to be done in a way that appeared most natural – as if the dual space just effortlessly came together.
And they did just that.
The Challenges & The Response
Along the way, Henricksen was not immune to some of the challenges synonymous with historical building renovations – you’ve got to be prepared for surprises!
Challenge 1: An unsalvageable, crumbling floor structure
Response: The in-house flooring team self-preformed to do a membrane and poured floor.
Challenge 2: Meld the old with the new
Response: A rich and inviting color palette splashed throughout the space harmonizes with the historic bones of the building.
Challenge 3: Being your own client
Response: Clients were always put first. Period. Henricksen fit their own project in & amongst their robust client deliverables.
The Highlights
The pain the team felt throughout some of the renovation process became worth it when the stunning successes of the space were actualized.
- Arrival Experience: There’s the warmth of an Allsteel fireplace that radiates about. Soft pendant lighting shines over varying heights of table tops and seating varieties. Different textiles, finishes, and fabrics come together to create a truly inviting feel.
- Boardroom: It’s a sight to behold. A seamless weave between historic relics and modern conveniences is struck in this room. It touts a jaw-dropping boardroom table made of reclaimed wood from Lake Superior. Acoustic materials address the contemporary needs of the space and various architectural products divide the space, allowing it to function in various ways.
- Makerspace: This space serves as an utterly brilliant technique for displaying a variety of products in a realistic, multivariable fashion. It can be transformed to display just about any product combination from Henricksen’s 300-plus manufacturing partners. Oh, and did we mention the wide-open view of the captivating downtown Minneapolis skyline?
The Outcomes
As it turns out, the renovation team wasn’t the only group to consider this project a huge success.
The first client to walk into the Henricksen Minneapolis’ relocated office called within hours of their departure to sign on. And, the office boasts the highest return to office rate within the entire company!
Special shout-outs to…
- Cushman & Wakefield for the introduction to the TractorWorks space
- TractorWorks management team & building architect
- HGA for artfully designing the renovated space
- JLL for project-managing
- Mission Construction for bringing it all to life
- Allsteel for masterfully providing their insights on products and materials
- Henricksen’s Internal team of designers, flooring experts, and project managers for working tirelessly to make this vision a reality
It was an all-hands-on-deck project and everyone brought their A-game: the results speak for themselves.
Like what you see?
If your firm has a special project you’d like featured in an upcoming episode of Vnzo’s “AEC All-Stars,” contact us at 952-252-8628. We’d love to showcase your greatness and deliver a unique behind-the-scenes look at your happening project!
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