Among the 12 "Coolest Offices in Chicago” selected by the weekly Crain’s Chicago Business (CCB) from 78 submissions sent in 2019 was Turf, offering acoustics solutions. Working with Vertical Interior Design and Rivetna Architects, they created an office that is customer friendly, "adaptive and responsive,” according to a write-up in CCB.
Clockwise from top: redesigned Turf office; exterior resembling a fire station;
main engine hall before remodeling; conference room and flex space
A cool office, according to the three judges, is a well-designed workplace that is a good representation of the business and allows employees to work comfortably and efficiently. Should it be homelike, with lounges, table tennis and the like? No, said judges Richard Wright of Wright Auctions, interior designer Michael Del Piero and Crain’s assistant managing editor Jan Parr.
"At Turf’s design and sales office, acoustics meet aesthetics in a most unexpected venue: a century-old firehouse that had been abandoned for 60 years. A group of the company’s designers live nearby and had a loud and clear vision for the locale’s potential,” noted CCB. The open office in the former firehouse garage — an "echo chamber” — showcases Turf’s sound
installations, which aim to "fight the tyrannical disturbance of the open-space echo.” Magnetic strips on the ceilings of the conference room and offices allow different sound products to be displayed seasonally. Fire-engine red is a visual theme carried throughout the midcentury modern decor.
"It was a true collaboration between client and architect. We provided spaces which they used to display their product,” stated Cyrus Rivetna (pictured on pg 36), founder of Rivetna Architects. "We collaborated with them to design a new office on the ground floor, and residence for the owner above. Much of the historic character was retained including the vintage spiral stair, slide poles, decorative columns, vintage wood floor and glazed tile walls.”