SmithGroup brought company culture to life in the office design for Liv Communities, an apartment rental agency located in Tempe, Arizona

With a brand promise that reads, “We create uncommonly positive experiences” our team set out to design a space that would foster a positive environment through social settings that brings people together. With a “people first” mentality, Liv stands by their brand both externally at their various properties, and internally with their workplace.

Real estate development company Liv Communities creates senior living and multi-family properties “that make people live fuller lives.” This idea of a full life is reflected in its corporate offices, where the firm’s culture is one of collaboration, diversity and inclusion, ethics, and humor, creating an environment where employees can take a genuine interest in the company’s philosophy for its residents and the amenities afforded to them.

Liv Communities sought for a design for their new Tempe corporate office that would bring this unique culture to life. Three goals that emphasize the company culture would inform the design: bringing people together in a collaborative, comfortable environment; supporting new graphics and branding identity; and accommodating multiple modes of working.

In the design, layering a more residential aesthetic with their strong brand, one is greeted with elements reminiscent of hospitality-like spaces.

Throughout the work environment, the use of comfortable seating, wood accents and soft lighting meets a sophisticated palette of contrast marrying both the corporate and residential worlds. Visual connectivity was important in this space – one gets a sense of the layout of the office from a single standpoint.

Different work zones were created to accommodate varied personal styles. These include an area of intense quiet work at one’s computer, but also more casual seating areas where employees can bring their laptops and be productive away from their desks or collaborate with colleagues.

Conference rooms even have lounge chairs that speak to its “laid back culture.” The graphics used within the design were especially important because the firm’s rebranding was concurrent with the office fit-out.

SmithGroup’s design created a fitting environment for a company that hires teams that are passionate, outgoing, ethical and, above all, demand excellence from themselves.

Design: SmithGroup

Photography: courtesy of SmithGroup

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