Interface Headquarters Façade

Practice Area

Client

Interface, Inc.

Industry

  1. Interface Inc.’s new headquarters features a complex photomosaic façade – a pixelated image of a forest scene comprised of 307 panels sheathed in recyclable polyester. (Day)

  2. Interface Inc.’s new headquarters features a complex photomosaic façade – a pixelated image of a forest scene comprised of 307 panels sheathed in recyclable polyester. (Night)

  3. Close-up view of the façade at Interface Inc.’s Midtown Atlanta headquarters. The 307 panels feature a complex grid of pixelated apertures at varying scales.

  4. View of Interface Inc.’s Midtown Atlanta headquarters from 16th Street.

  5. LEFT: Close-up view of pixelated façade. RIGHT: Detail view of the façade at Interface Inc.’s Midtown Atlanta headquarters.

  6. Corner view of Interface Inc.’s new headquarters in Midtown Atlanta (Night)

  7. Interior view of the 6th floor at Interface Headquarters depicting common space with designed façade beyond.

  8. Interior view of the 5th floor at Interface Headquarters showing dappled light through designed façade wrap.

Project Vision

Perkins+Will’s challenge was to combine multiple Interface locations into a single headquarters, transforming a nondescript 1950s-era office building into a design-forward space that reflects Interface’s commitment to sustainable practices and biophilic design.

“Early on in the design process, we studied the site of the building and really tried to imagine it in its pristine original condition. We sought inspiration from the soil, water, and carbon conditions as they were long ago, back when the site was still an untouched deciduous forest, and wanted that inspiration to guide our design approach,” says one of the lead designers of the project.

In addition to numerous biophilic interventions throughout the building, the façade has been wrapped in a semi-transparent recyclable polyester sheath on which a life-size forest is depicted. In addition to making a bold statement about the company’s values (and the natural history of the site itself), it provides shade, privacy, and visual interest to staff and visitors inside.

The design of the façade wrap is comprised of square pixels—reminiscent of Interface’s modular flooring systems—that take on varying sizes in response to the density of a photographic reference image. The material of the panels is designed to be removable, replaceable, and fully recyclable to allow for future re-imaginings of the building façade. From an inhabitant’s perspective, the pattern creates a dappled lighting condition reminiscent of sunlight through leaves, while allowing for privacy and sunshade.

Project Details
Design Team

Katie Janson (branded environments, facade graphic design), Keith Curtis (branded environments), Christine Burton (graphic designer), Paula McEvoy (project manager), Sung Lee (interior designer), Ping Wong (lead interior designer), Bruce McEvoy (design principal)

Project Area

40,000 sq ft

Consultants

Angelina Giro (project manager, Interface, Inc.), Chip DeGrace (workplace applications contractor, Integra Construction), Parkside Partners (owner), Choate (interior contractor), JLL (project manager)

Fabricators

Lintech (material manufactuer), SunTech Tinting, Inc. (installation)