THE MARTIN AGENCY

We were given the challenge of rethinking—and recreating—the spaces that act as home to some of the most creative people in the world: Richmond’s Martin Agency. The community spaces were the heartbeat of this project. Functioning as gathering zones for great creative minds, we wanted to create not only a sense of transparency but also deliver a blank canvas for idea generation. Glass box collaboration rooms, creative spaces ringed with walls of white boards, and a variety of inspiring public gathering spaces were created to cultivate connections and creativity. Conference rooms were designed to quickly convert to lounge spaces, and a library was added to deliver an eclectic style to speak to the wide range of creative talent at this world-renowned ad agency. The result was an elevated environment that now serves as a unique space for the top minds in the ad industry to learn from each other, generate new ideas, and perform their best work.

The ad agency’s 120,000-square-foot workspace didn’t include a central meeting point for its robust workforce. We wanted to design an atrium with vertical connections, where the entire agency could gather as a whole, or groups could break off into silos but still be in one central workspace. Outfitted with team meeting rooms, conference rooms, coffee bars, and café spaces, the atrium is now a visually inspiring space that anchors the building and fosters connectivity among its employees.

Portions of this project were done while principal at 3north