Client: athenahealth, Inc.
Scope: Adaptive reuse/renovation of the Seaholm Power Plant; meeting rooms, open workstations, food service, social and recreational spaces, conference rooms, auditoriums, IT integration
Charles Rose Architects designed new office space in a former industrial building, the Seaholm Power Plant, for athenahealth, Inc.—an IT company that provides cloud-based services for electronic health records, medical billing, and patient engagement. The interior design and architectural interventions are inspired by the Art Deco structure and the era’s iconic advertising posters.
With rapid projected growth, the space employs flexible design strategies throughout. Turbine Hall—the large central space—provides a “field” for open workstations and glass meeting rooms. These glass meeting spaces, known as “huddle rooms,” are capped with colorful, faceted roofs that punctuate the length of the vast space with the company’s brand colors.
Integrating modern technologies and amenities is central to the design, but also key to its success is the inclusion of historical artifacts and celebrating the building’s existing buildings and features. The company’s work methodology centers on collaboration; the design provides a variety of spaces and tools that support as well as engender interaction and exchange. Different meeting spaces, technological devices, and surfaces—like writable walls—allow for planned forums as much as impromptu discussions.
Materials: Cast-in-place concrete; steel; glass; stained oak
Awards:
American Institute of Architects Austin, Design Award
Austin Business Journal, Commercial Real Estate Award
Boston Society of Architects, Design Honor Award
Building Design + Construction, Gold Reconstruction Award
Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association, Urban Light Award
Engineering News Record Texas & Louisiana, Top Texas Starts
Preservation Austin, Merit Award for Rehabilitation
Society of American Registered Architects New York, Design Honor Award
Society of American Registered Architects, National Design Honor Award
Urban Land Institute Austin, Influence Impact Award
Collaborators:
Consulting Architect: STG Design
Preservation Architect: Clayton & Little
MEP Engineer: Bay & Associates
Structural Engineer: Structures + Haynes Whaley Associates
Contractor: Flintco LLC
Photographer: Casey Dunn