Nestlé USA Harper Building

Project Details

Project Description

Employees in Nestlé USA’s newly renovated Harper Building prioritize where they work based on the tasks at hand, delivering on a key project driver to develop an environment where spaces are attributed to activities rather than individuals. Whereas the Harper Building was formerly more segmented, with offices, test kitchens, and conference spaces, the renovation reduces the number of closed spaces, and entirely eliminates the private office to better align with today’s employee preferences. The Solon, Ohio-office building is the first adaptation of Nestlé’s new global design standards in the North American market. Nestlé worked with DLR Group | Westlake Reed Leskosky to introduce a continuum of task-oriented spaces ranging from quiet rooms for deep focus; open office spaces for daily tasks and routine work; and shared social hubs and conference rooms for formal or informal collaboration. The plan is organized with attention to adjacencies for integration, so every employee can easily access any environment regardless of where they are working any given day. Floor-to-ceiling glass wraps privately enclosed spaces to consistently maintain transparency.

The project included selective demolition and construction of walls and ceilings, finishes and fixtures of all types, and FF&E. The global standards did not address ceilings or colors, so the team designed options geared toward imprinting the new activity-based organization. Ceiling and lighting patterns help distinguish shared hubs and workstation areas. A custom color palette favors complementary finishes attuned to northeast Ohio with a nod to European roots. The program includes phone booths and quiet rooms; open office spaces and huddle rooms; conference rooms of varying sizes; an innovation area with teleconference capabilities; and five large hubs across three floors for socialization and collaboration. DLR Group | WRL provided architecture, interior design, MEP engineering, structural engineering, fire protection engineering, telecommunication design, and FF&E services.