From Dining to Design
By K. Robert Wendel

The Arizona Center's food court is finding a new life as an architectural office in downtown Phoenix, with architects from the SmithGroup and contractors from Stevens Lienweber Construction creating a dynamic space full of natural lighting and plenty of opportunities for collaboration.

The SmithGroup has created an open and airy work space from the old food court, which called for the demolition of kitchen facilities and raising the floor 4- ft. to provide more than 25,000 sq. ft. of office space.

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"It's almost like a warehouse with windows," said SmithGroup principal Craig Randock. "It's an incredible environment that you couldn't get anywhere else."

Most of the space looks out onto the courtyard of the Arizona Center, where water features and extensive landscaping create a tranquil view for office workers.

Designers arranged the firm's studios radiating from the large front glass window to encourage the various teams to "cross pollinate," spurring the creative process with the easy exchange of ideas, Randock said.

The open environment doesn't have any doors, allowing free and easy circulation. None of the original shell has been modified, with designers choosing to keep a wood ceiling with heavy wooden beams as well as existing skylights.

A central "temple" in the main space serves as a resource library for the firm, creating an open room within a room that invites associates to browse through periodicals and technical bulletins.

"The installation of the heavy steel was the most difficult part of the project," said Stevens Leinweber Construction superintendent Louis Burgdorf. "It affected so many other things on the job."

Horn Construction provided the finish carpentry, with MKB Construction knocking out the drywall.

Most of the walled office spaces front the pedestrian sidewalks with large glass windows on the second floor, which will allow window shoppers to peer into the inner workings of an architectural firm. Only three offices for human resources, the president and operations are enclosed.

"It's a really creative design," said project manager and principal Mark Leinweber of Phoenix-based Stevens Leinweber Construction. "There are a lot of slanted and oblique walls all through the project and that suspended wooden ceiling is really unique."

While the Rouse Cos. performed the demolition, giving contractors and designers a clean slate, crews also had to coordinate with tenants underneath the project to install wiring and mechanical elements. Phoenix-based DP Electric pulled the wires, while Compton Plumbing helped to reconfigure that system.

The firm chose colors that evoke construction materials, such as reds for iron and steel and greens to represent glass. Designers were also careful on the amount of lighting that was installed because of the large windows.

"A majority of offices are really over-lit," said SmithGroup project designer Kai Ekbunair. "We want to take advantage of that natural day lighting and the lower light level works quite well."

Construction on the food-court-to-office project began in April, and SmithGroup moved into the space on Sept. 12.