Newell Rubbermaid

Atlanta, Georgia

Newell Rubbermaid’s 350,000 SF headquarter building houses approximately 1,000 employees, corporate executives and brands such as Goody. Perkins+Will designed the interior space for 14 stories including a company store, showplace/museum, 250 fixed-seat auditorium, dining facility, focus group rooms, testing and prototype labs and showrooms. The project is 100% open workstation plan, even for the CEO and his direct reports. A thorough planning process included interviews, surveys and observations.

The interior space was designed to increase the impact of the exterior light and views on the interior. A centrally located café on each floor is accessible immediately off the elevator, with a view through to the exterior. Rooms were minimized on the exterior walls and corridors were located at the perimeter to encourage all workers to enjoy the view and sunlight.

In order to develop the brand integration for the interior space, the design incorporated technology-integrated building signage, a media wall, product displays and a history wall. The workstation concept integrates a high-level finish and layout suitable for a CEO while incorporating a utilitarian approach to storage and collaboration that a product-intensive company requires. The central room flex concept allows for the standardization of each office floor workstation layout, while allowing for some customization of the interior space.

This LEED-inspired building uses high recycled-content products and low-VOC emitting materials. Perkins+Will encouraged a recycling program for a company that offers free bottled water and soda to its employees. Day lighting and views to the exterior were provided to all employee workspaces, as well as a majority of the circulation and meeting spaces.