Making "Work" Spaces Work Better
Whether it’s an industrial site or a university campus, “back-of-house” areas in office life, where people relax and recharge, are often the most used and yet, often overlooked.
We recently finished two projects that focused on exactly these types of spaces.Here is how we approached the specific needs of our clients, Henkel and UIC College of Medicine.
Henkel | Elgin, IL
The Project: Office and Locker Room Remodel
In an industrial setting, locker rooms and offices aren’t just “extras”. They are where the shift starts and ends. For Henkel, we focused on making these spaces durable but comfortable.
Locker Room: We upgraded the locker rooms with heavy-duty, easy-to-clean materials that can stand up to rigorous daily use while improving the layout for better traffic flow during shift changes.
Office Functionality:The office remodel was about creating a clean, quiet environment for the administrative side of the business. We focused on a straightforward layout that makes the most of the existing square footage.
Minimal Disruption: Because this was an active facility, we kept the footprint small and the timeline tight to make sure the staff always had the facilities they needed.
UIC College of Medicine | Rockford, IL
The Project: Kitchenette Remodel
At the UIC Rockford campus, the “break” in breakroom is literal. In a high-stress medical and academic environment, people need a place to recharge that doesn’t feel like a sterile lab.
Small Space, Big Impact: We took a standard kitchenette and turned it into a modern, efficient hub. We prioritized high-traffic surfaces and intuitive storage to keep the area organized.
Built for Use: Breakrooms get a lot of wear and tear. We used commercial-grade finishes that look high-end but are built to be scrubbed down daily.
The Recharge Factor: By updating the decor, cabinetry, appliances, and fixtures, we made the room feel more like a space where students and faculty actually want to take five minutes to reset.
The Bottom Line
You don’t always need a 50,000-square-foot overhaul to change how a building feels. Sometimes, the most important work happens in the rooms where the team takes their boots off or grabs a cup of coffee.