Project Description
CITGO Petroleum Corporation was looking to move their engineering and corporate teams from an existing refinery to a new office environment that would be better suited to support employee workflow and wellness. Partnering with HED, CITGO selected a space that had some existing conditions that could be reused while still allowing them to achieve their goals of a new and improved office environment.
The design goals were simple: move the staff from the refinery into a comfortable office environment, boost overall employee morale and satisfaction, increase employee socialization, and create a desirable place to work that doubles as a recruiting tool reflective of the CITGO brand. To accomplish this, the HED design team followed CITGO’s program requirements for the maintenance of existing private offices, reception, and conference areas, and created new communal spaces. These spaces include a catering and warming pantry, enlarged café capable of supporting office-wide gatherings and all-hands presentations, and new training room which is divisible from the adjacent café by a fully retractable glass wall, making both spaces multi-functional and capable of hosting a variety of events and activities.
HED utilized a sophisticated, warm palette of gray tones, natural wood, and soft accents and upgraded all the lighting to new LED fixtures with efficient controls. This new palette is reflective of CITGO’s desire to attract and retain talent by providing a polished and comfortable environment with ample room for individual and collaborative work. All offices and workstations have access to natural light, and the timeless palette makes the space more comfortable, accessible, and promotes a greater sense of wellness. Generously sized workstations were redesigned with ample space for engineers to work with, and store, large format drawings and to collaborate in both formal and informal settings. Lastly, branded walls were strategically planned throughout the space to tell the story of CITGO’s history as a community partner while materials used throughout the space were selected with sustainability in mind.