The Turtle Creek Campus occupies a unique six-acre riparian site near the center of Dallas and marks the urban homecoming for a multi-generational family corporation returning to their roots and community. The site, bounded on three sides by the meandering creek and riparian corridor, became the genesis of the design parti—a conceptual and physical integration between landscape and building to allow nature and open space to flow through the center of the campus as a braided channel of the stream.
Unity
The 185,000 sf building brings unity and connection to multiple business entities within the corporation that previously operated remotely and independently. The overarching goal was to bring these siloed groups together and create an environment of collaboration where spontaneous innovation could occur. The client envisioned a workplace that inspires the interconnection of ideas and conversations by connecting people to nature, and to each other.
The “Intersection”—a three-story mixing chamber of dining, gathering and a central communicating stair—is a central symbol of this aspiration. This space reinforces visual connection to the landscape beyond and physically links collaborative work and meeting areas with the welcoming landscape spaces adjacent to the building. The low massing of the campus, visible along the banks of the creek with its generous transparency, also reaches out to welcome the community of Dallas.
Integrating Site Ecology
Building footprints are carefully organized to respect the existing site ecology and foliage, including native restoration of the vegetated zones surrounding the site. An iconic existing live oak tree was preserved and now stands as the sentinel gateway element that welcomes visitors to the site. The dappled light of the live oak crown became a guiding force in the development of the interior architecture, which celebrates the play of light and shadow. The high-performing building utilizes strategic massing and siting to use the shade of these trees to temper solar heat gain, as well as to enhance employee productivity through strong visual connections to this lush landscape. The limestone planes of the building further echo the layered limestone slabs in the creek below, helping to connect the building and site as a holistic, sustainable experience for employees.
Wellness
Teams are horizontal, not vertical. This ethos guided the massing of the building, which utilizes three interconnected office levels well under the allowable site zoning to both respect the neighboring viewsheds and to create an interconnected stair culture that fosters collaboration and well-being. Health-focused interior work environments, generous daylight harvesting with narrow office plates, and sustainable food options provide additional resources for team health and wellness. The project also introduces a fitness and a new community park and linkage to the adjacent Katy Trail, a beloved multi-user cycling and running trail in the heart of Dallas for employees to use during and after work hours. This gift of park space reflects the family’s commitment to employee health and reaffirms the concept of connections—between individuals, communities and generations.
Material Used :
1. Indiana Limestone – Building Cladding
2. Leuders Limestone – Site walls
3. Valders limestone – interior flooring and exterior paving
4. Jet Mist Granite– interior flooring and exterior paving
