Nicholas Calcott for MillerKnoll
(Stamford, Conn.) — MillerKnoll (NASDAQ: MLKN), the global modern design collective, today unveiled its new retail headquarters in Stamford, Conn., welcoming employees back to a flexible workplace that embraces collaboration, creativity and community, while facilitating the evolving concepts of a hybrid workforce.
MillerKnoll has pioneered the evolution of office design for nearly 100 years and continues to be a thought leader in the future of work. The company leverages its design power, research, and first-hand experiences to help customers around the globe create modern, flexible workspaces at home and in the office.
Located within The Village, a newly developed waterfront campus in Stamford’s South End, the new retail headquarters at 4 Star Point, Suite #301, Stamford, Conn., reflects the company’s latest research and strategic insights and offers a prime location with an abundance of amenities for employees to enjoy. The new space addresses employee needs and rapid company growth while rethinking the future of the modern workplace through innovative design solutions.
Nicholas Calcott for MillerKnoll
“Opening our new Stamford office is a part of the work we are doing to invest in our retail operations. We created an innovative space where our team can work smarter and feel collectively productive,” said Debbie Propst, President of Global Retail, MillerKnoll. “We live and breathe what we share with our clients. Our office at The Village shows what we can do.”
The new location serves as the main office for the company’s Retail and Wholesale businesses across the Herman Miller, Knoll, Design Within Reach (DWR), HAY, Muuto and Fully brands, and complements the MillerKnoll Corporate Headquarters in Zeeland, Mich. It replaces the company’s former office above the Design Within Reach Studio at nearby 711 Canal Street in Stamford with a footprint to accommodate up to 30% more employees, a priority for MillerKnoll as the collective continues to expand its Retail business following the July 2021 acquisition of Knoll.
MillerKnoll has the unique combination of a strong contract business and a high-performing retail business. The company has invested in new channels, expanded its global reach, launched new product categories, and by July, will have more than 80 brick-and-mortar retail locations across domestic and international markets. As a result, the retail business has nearly doubled in the past two years.
“As a Connecticut resident, I know first-hand how incredibly active and vibrant the Stamford community is,” continued Propst. “The relocation of our retail offices provides MillerKnoll countless opportunities to grow as our new collective and our brands continue to evolve. We look forward to welcoming our employees into this new collaborative environment specifically designed to support the needs and values of our team.”
Nicholas Calcott for MillerKnoll
Leveraging extensive knowledge and foresight into the evolving role of the physical office, MillerKnoll developed an innovative and forward-thinking design approach to create an engaging space that recognizes the needs of employees today while anticipating the future.
“MillerKnoll is an authoritative name in the office space, and this new space is an opportunity to lead by example,” says Gretta Peterson, leader of Global Workplace Strategy and Development at MillerKnoll. “Backed by research conducted to specifically understand the needs of our Stamford team members and the insights our team has worked to collect since the beginning of the pandemic, we understand that employees are expecting flexible and agile workspaces with a sense of connection that working at home just can’t offer.”
Nicholas Calcott for MillerKnoll
DESIGNING AN ADAPTABLE WORKPLACE
The company’s primary objective for the new headquarters was to develop an office that can work as efficiently now as it will in the years to come. In collaboration with MillerKnoll’s dedicated workplace strategy and development team, Architect Vincent Bandy proposed defining an architectural strategy and logic that allows for a scaled division of space among individual workstations, meeting spaces and public amenity areas.
“With the design of MillerKnoll’s new retail office, we proposed to accept various forms of change and growth as ingredients of the formal design,” says Bandy. “We believe the new office will accommodate an expectation for change in meaningful ways.”
WELL-BEING AT WORK
The notion of well-being at work was another key consideration in both the design and function of the space. Concepts such as air quality and access to natural light along with easily accessible amenities were prioritized in the design of the workspace. In support of human health and well-being, and ensuring equal access for all occupants of the space, all rooms have access to natural light and beautiful views. As the first furniture manufacturer to enroll in the WELL Portfolio Program, MillerKnoll has continued their commitment to third party verified certification and has achieved WELL Platinum Certification of the 20,000 square-foot office space.
“We look forward to sharing news of this achievement as part of our ongoing commitment to advancing human health and well-being for our employees, clients and guests,” adds Peterson.
The architecture establishes a backdrop for an airy, active workplace that serves as a showroom featuring all of MillerKnoll’s brands, while also serving as a functional space where employees can gather, work and move freely about.
A selection of foundational and residential furniture and accessories from the collective’s family of brands combine a welcoming mix of color and texture typically not present in a corporate office environment. Within the design itself, the color palette acts as a visual partition to help define and differentiate various areas of the office. Neutral furnishings ground more formal and quiet spaces with a sense of calm, while bolts of color bring vibrancy to tactile shared studio and workshop spaces to inspire creativity and conversation.
Nicholas Calcott for MillerKnoll
A NEW FRAMEWORK FOR “THE FUTURE OF WORK”
The team created an arrangement of distinct workspaces dedicated to various work styles and support to minimize distractions in the workplace.
“By establishing designated zones allocated to both group and individual work, we’re empowering employees and allowing them to decide which environment works best for them,” says Peterson. “Based on our original research, we know that professionals want the flexibility to choose how, when and where they work, leading to the creation of more flex spaces and community-oriented layouts. In addition to our employee-first approach, we wanted to create meaningful workspaces for the present and embrace this notion of adaptability for years to come, which is paramount to MillerKnoll.”
The office can seat up to 310 employees at a time within three different types of workspaces – individual, group and community, which provides a significant 60% increase in variety of workspace styles in comparison to the previous retail offices. The new organizational framework gives employees more options than ever before with a 173% increase in group and community seats as a focus. Unassigned flex workstations and a 26% increase in work points from the former office allow for more choices of posture, along with the option to work from an array of settings each with varying energy levels and benefits.
Individual Workstations for Focus & Concentration
In the spirit of prioritizing employee choice, individual workspaces offer a level of support for concentration on focused based tasks while allowing staff to concentrate on focused independent tasks. Throughout the offices, there is a strong volume of high-performance desking and secluded nooks for employees to find a quiet place and enjoy a change of scenery. Whether working alone or together in a more communal style, the office features fully enclosed acoustically private spaces for video conferencing or hosting webinars.
Nicholas Calcott for MillerKnoll
Shared Workspaces for Collaboration
To celebrate the company’s ethos as a purveyor of modern design, MillerKnoll created a series of themed rooms each depicting a different style of modern design. From Bauhaus to Nordic Minimalism, Costal Modern, and Italian Contemporary, these smaller meeting rooms are inspired by real livable settings and feature color and materials not typically seen in a traditional office setting. These too highlight the breadth of assortment of the MillerKnoll family of brands.
Additional smaller collaborative spaces, including flex studios, encourage collaborative meetings while granting employees the power to design their own workspaces based on personal preferences and needs for various projects.
Nicholas Calcott for MillerKnoll
Community Hubs for Gathering & Connection
At the heart of the floorplan, larger community areas encourage socialization and a greater sense of culture, where employees can enjoy floor-to-ceiling views of the nearby sound while comfortably seated in a series of residential-inspired lounge areas across the northside of the building. design. All furnishings are directed to capture the office’s prime waterfront view and allow flexibility to break up the traditional work routine as a more casual alternative to independent workstations.
The cafe and auditorium, along with a number of lounge spaces can be used for workshops, training sessions and larger team activities. Also included in the community category is the communal library, a glass enclosed quiet zone that houses inspiring content and artifacts courtesy of MillerKnoll.
Having a cross-pollination of new and upcoming furnishings across the MillerKnoll collective was an additional priority. MillerKnoll will continue to incorporate noteworthy product launches within the space to show the company’s expansive retail offerings.