Kansas City Office Park Adds Value with Outdoor Spaces

Cloverleaf Office Park, recognizing the trend in outdoor work spaces, asked our firm to design a place where tenants could co-mingle with other organizations, connect with co-workers or work outside independently. They wanted to be an attractive office park for companies with a younger workforce, so creating a flexible environment was a top priority.

Together, we planned and designed an outdoor space complete with a kitchen, fire pit area, ping pong table, and other outdoor recreational activities, as well as the addition of attractive plantings to the new space within the interior of the office complex. Solar tables were an important component of the design, as the solar panels on the tables provide a source of electricity. To ensure the solar tables would be usable, we conducted a sun study of the area. Here, workers can charge their devices and plug-in while they’re outside. This connectivity allows companies to host staff or project meetings outdoors.

The new space is not intended to be used exclusively for work. In fact, Cloverleaf often hosts food trucks or ice cream socials here in the afternoons. We incorporated a number of seating options to increase the comfortability of the space. It was important to our team, as well as Cloverleaf, to create a place where people wanted to spend time. Plant materials, like lilac trees, artic fire dogwood, and fragrant sumac, also help to enhance the area.

To add these amenities, we worked around the park’s existing memorial. The space has a relatively small footprint, so it was important to find a contractor who could work within it and act as a partner on custom pieces, like the bench. To create one-of-a-kind seating, we had concrete formed and wood slats cut to create this focal area. Details of the design are illuminated at night by lights which have been spaced across the back of the bench.