Strategic Property Partners is not your typical development company: it is a young, dynamic, creative firm responsible for changing the face of Tampa through its Water Street project. Not simply building buildings, our client is creating an integrated, mixed-use, vibrant community that encompasses residential, commercial, retail, institutional, arts and cuisine. The public realm, user engagement and experience are as important as the architecture.
SPP’s 2,356m2 offices have been created in the same spirit and reflects its workstyle and culture. Located in a former Cineplex theatre, the raw space is characterized by extremely high ceilings and exposed steel columns with metal crossbeams; new black gridded windows add to the industrial vernacular.
The reception gallery is a long, narrow dramatic entry. Two-toned brick walls and polished concrete floors are punctuated with wood niches: horizontal ones to display all-white scale models from various Water Street phases; and vertical ones for the concierge desk.
The marketing centre has an anteroom for project-specific collateral. Visitors are then taken into an emersion room showcasing a 16' diameter circular scale model of the city of Tampa, the first of its kind in Florida. Over 150-3D printed buildings, roads, and waterways, including 26 client-owned buildings, are illuminated by a state-of-the-art projection mapping system that brings the city model to life.
The town hall has tiered seating for staff meetings/community events. The cafe has a wood kitchen carved into the white walls, communal and high-top tables, and a lounge. A large island has cold brew coffee and beer on tap. A suspended sculpture with sponges in reclaimed fishing nets weaves its way through the space, a nod to Tampa's fishing history and Tarpon Springs sponge industry.
In the private areas, access to daylight is reserved for the open workstations: no offices are on an exterior window, but all have glass walls. The offices are clusters of 'buildings' and create architectural objects or neighbourhoods within the overall space.
Responding to the need for impromptu meetings, open and enclosed collaboration spaces are scattered throughout. All areas include TVs, whiteboards, and corkboards to encourage free flow thinking and idea sharing. Phone booths provide acoustic privacy and a secluded workspace.
Wellness and well-being influenced the design: access to daylight, water stations, mothers' room, a gymnasium, change rooms with showers, staff lounge, biophilia through planting and material textures, air quality and lighting.
The palette consists of white walls, concrete floors, wood millwork and black accents.
Industrial elements - metal mesh, plate steel and vintage-inspired lighting - connect the interiors to the building's steel structure. Area carpets and floor lamps add a residential feel.
The neutral palette is a fantastic backdrop for the artwork, which is whimsical, colourful and inspirational. The 'piece de resistance' is the 'white alligator in the room,' a 4.3m2 papier mâché sculpture on the wall of the cafe: tongue-in-cheek intended.
The offices are a vibrant environment that inspires and elevates the team. In an industry that is demanding, and deadline driven, the environment fosters creativity, excellence, community, and well-being.
