For nearly half a century, architects at Hafer have shaped regional structures such as Deaconess Aquatic Center, United Companies Air Center, and Wesselman Woods’ Arwood Family Treehouse. But a recent project turned the firm’s design focus on itself.
Eric Rang, an architect and one of the firm’s principals, described the prior office design as “outdated.” “You walked in, and it was gray carpet, gray panel cubicles that were probably six feet high, and you couldn’t see anywhere,” he says. “We really wanted to open the space up to increase collaboration, create an open area where we could all communicate with each other better.”
The 10,000-square-foot office on the eighth floor of 21 S.E. Third St. also was overcrowded, so Hafer decided in 2023 to expand and renovate the ninth floor, where its engineers relocated. Back on the eighth floor, Hafer surveyed employees and used their responses to develop a new layout, starting from scratch.
“Then, we had another meeting that was just sitting down with everyone and saying, ‘OK, this is our idea.’ … We got great feedback … and since we’ve moved in, no complaints,” says associate and interior designer Rebecca Brady.
Employees could tour the concept through a virtual reality headset before Key Construction Company, Inc., began work in January 2024. Grays now are balanced with Hafer’s brand colors — deep blue and green hues — as well as warm wood tones. Employees’ workstations feature cabinets for storage and the ability to transition between standing and sitting. “It was something that came up quite a bit in the conversations with the employees,” Brady says.
Large sliding whiteboards encourage collaboration and brainstorming, plus provide hidden storage. Employee feedback inspired the six “hotel rooms” (personal workspaces with more privacy) and small conference rooms called “hubs.” The materials library keeps textiles, tiles, and more in one location — something Brady, as an interior designer, appreciates. “Our work stations were inside our material library, and it was just chaos,” she says. “Being able to create our own material library and design it for ourselves just makes my life so happy.” Rang’s favorite aspect is the “openness and energy of the space … not feeling so compartmentalized,” he says.
To wind down, employees grab a coffee in The Hotspot breakroom or play ping-pong, Scrabble, and checkers in the multi-purpose Hangout. Employee ping-pong tournaments “give us a chance to break out and get to know each other,” Brady says.
Key Construction completed the bulk of the renovations in five months. Through the redesign, Hafer kept its purpose front and center. Wall space is devoted to displaying the firm’s core values: Give It, Check It, Share It, Own It, Challenge It, and Imagine It. Its mission statement — “designing what matters most” — greets everyone, guest or employee, in the lobby. All touchpoints underscore the bright, airy office’s emphasis on creativity and collaboration.
“From the start, we wanted the new office to reflect Hafer’s core values — people-first, creative, and collaborative,” Brady says. “It’s an investment in our team: a space that energizes them, supports different ways of working, and creates more opportunities to connect. Ultimately, the goal was a space that works as hard as our team does.”
