Michigan Farm Bureau Insurance

The redesign of the Michigan Farm Bureau office posed unique challenges and offered opportunities to transform a traditional workspace into a modern, efficient environment. Initially, the office layout consisted of perimeter offices surrounding a central area cluttered with uninspiring, beige workstations. This outdated design inhibited collaboration and failed to meet the dynamic needs of today’s workforce, lagging behind the modernized office spaces of competing insurance companies in the region.

Our design intervention began with a strategic spatial reorganization. By optimizing the layout, we were able to free up 6,000 square feet of space, subsequently leased, thus directly benefiting the client’s business objectives. One of the project’s signature elements was the creation of a “hole” connecting all three levels of the office. This architectural feature significantly enhanced visual connectivity and improved vertical circulation, fostering a more integrated and interactive workspace.

The project’s timing coincided with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a temporary pause and re-evaluation of workspace needs in a changing corporate landscape. This pause allowed for the development of a “pilot space,” a 6,000 square-foot area designed to test new concepts including a mix of private offices, meeting rooms, open work areas, and a social hub. This prototype space provided invaluable feedback from the staff on functionality and design preferences, directly informing the final design.

  • Location
    Lansing, Michigan, USA
  • ClientMichigan Farm Bureau
  • TypeCorporate Office
  • Size6,000 F²