There’s nothing new about the concept of designing and building an interior office space in breakneck speed. Yet, when the client is a German-based manufacturer who uses 3D laser imaging to design their luxury cars, a team feels compelled to maintain the same level of precision, speed and performance that Bentley cars are known for regardless of the ambitious schedule. The same distinguishing factors are what drove Allegro Interior Architecture and Columbia Construction to design and build Bentley Motor’s new North American headquarters at Copley Place, in Boston Mass.
Allegro and Columbia worked in collaboration with Bentley’s Midwestern corporate architect, Neumann/Smith Architecture. Since the company had to move from Detroit before the tenant space was secured, every day of construction translated to a day of temporary occupancy for the manufacturer’s operations and sales force. Fortunately, extraordinary teamwork ensured timely results consistent with the same unique image and perfection that Bentley embodies.
For design purposes, Allegro identified applicable planning criteria per the Massachusetts code at the same time as the space survey, rather than after schematics were roughed out. Frequent electronic transmissions between the design teams, Michigan-based project manager CB Richard Ellis, and the property manager, Simon Property Group Inc., allowed the group to develop a corporate office and training facility layout quickly. Once construction began, Columbia’s proprietary project management system facilitated and enhanced communication between the entire team due to its capacity for detailed tracking.
Simultaneous to construction documents being developed, the entire local team conducted research to address the details of custom design features envisioned by the Michigan team. This approach allowed Allegro and Columbia to facilitate solutions in a timely manner.
The most visible element was a Blue Ridge Hickory plank walkway which aligns with broadloom carpet nearly the length of the office. Alternative methods of subfloor preparation and flooring treatment were investigated, in advance of purchasing materials, to ensure that materials of inconsistent thickness remained level. The flooring subcontractor took this coordination further by establishing the full range of color variation apparent in the selected wood product to eliminate surprises in the field. For door treatment, the team explored several specialty hardware products to maintain the design of Bentley’s prototypical showroom entrance without compromising local regulatory concerns or the functional requirements of the building’s property management.
The result – a warm, clean space that reflects the European aesthetic of Bentley Motors. The space also provides an elegant backdrop for the futuristic illustrations of Bentley cars that don the walls of their North American corporate headquarters.