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5 Tips for Designing Your Corporate Headquarters

By Lauren Elliott, RID, NCIDQ Kelly Shields, LEED AP Kelli Warner

March 3, 2025
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Designing and building a company’s headquarters can be intimidating. The space needs to be functional and accessible as well as inviting. There is a lot to consider during the planning process and important questions to answer before getting started.

The team of architects and designers at Design Collaborative can help every step of the way. Here are five things they say you need to keep in mind.
ALEC Credit Union lobby with wood ceiling detail and soft seating area
ALEC Credit Union lobby with wood ceiling detail and soft seating area

Culture

“We’ve always said we can’t really create the culture that a company has, but we can definitely help to create the spaces that foster a company’s culture,” says Senior Interior Designer Lauren Elliott. “Space impacts behaviors, and over time, behaviors become your culture, so we’re always asking people, ‘What kind of interactions are you hoping to create within your team or within your facility and how can we build the physical space that supports those interactions?’”

Essentially, Elliott says, it’s important to focus on how you want people to experience the facility, whether they’re visiting one time or working there on a daily basis.

Create Opportunities for Connections

In many offices, teamwork is essential, which means employees need spaces where they can gather and interact.

“The main reason people are coming into the office is to collaborate. That’s where the best innovation is,” explains Project Architect Kelly Shields.

Think about how employees actually use the space in your headquarters, stresses Shields. Do they need open areas that can accommodate many people, the privacy of a smaller room or office, or a combination of the two?
Barnes and Thornburg - Community Hub 2
Barnes and Thornburg - Community Hub 2

Growth

Design Collaborative’s Workplace Market Leader Kelli Warner encourages company leaders to look ahead. “It’s not just thinking about people but also what services and offerings might be different in the next couple of years,” says Warner.

Flexibility

Providing flexibility in a workspace just makes sense, Elliott says. Give employees a choice so they can decide what environment works best for them.

“We don’t see many people looking for flex space but they want a variety of spaces built into their workplace. That variety could be open meeting space and as well as conference spaces that are heavy on technology. That mix is going to vary,” Elliott emphasizes.

Create a workplace strategy

In addition to a growth plan, it’s a good idea to develop a strategy for the future.

“We’ve had plenty of clients in the last couple of years who have been doing remote work and aren’t sure if they want to stick with it,” says Elliott. “They’re continually evolving their strategy and they’re trying to work with us to design an office while trying to figure out how they want to work.”

By considering these factors, it’s easier to design and build a headquarters that meets your employees’ and customers’ needs now and for years to come.
Fairmont Federal Credit Union – Headquarters & Branch collaboration area
Fairmont Federal Credit Union – Headquarters & Branch collaboration area

Curious to learn more about corporate headquarters design? Reach out to our team.

Article featured in Business People Magazine.

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