Client: AIA Nebraska

Overview

AIA Nebraska wanted to move its office to a space that offered more access and visibility to its members and the public. Partnering with Lincoln Haymarket Development Corporation, the two organizations agreed to combine and renovate LHDC’s office space with an adjacent vacant space in a 1920’s warehouse, around 2,000 SF. The design challenge was three-fold: maximize the given footprint shared by the two entities; strengthen the brand and distinct identities of the two entities; and transform the historic space into a contemporary and modern environment that acknowledges its history through the use of raw and industrial materials.

Goals

The AIA NE office space maximizes engagement with its members and the larger public by creating an interface that is both physical and visual. A ‘Folded Red Plane’ element connects and serves as a common thread for three primary spaces (backdrop and separation for the Executive Assistant’s workspace, the informal conference area, and the Executive Director’s Office). It also creates a highly visible signature feature with its “AIA Red” color and supergraphic logo that reinforces AIA NE’s brand identity. The coffee table is at the center of the 'Folded Red Plane' and becomes a sort of focal point.

Process

The coffee table is fabricated from a locally harvested walnut tree and ½” thick hot rolled steel legs, this coffee table was designed specifically for a client’s new office space. The raw materiality and simplicity of form allows the natural beauty of the walnut grain to emerge. The architect served as the designer and fabricator of this piece.