The new facility will be a call center and general office building that will provide much-needed expansion room. Prior to opening the operations center, the existing Lincoln facility was full, with employees in two other remote locations. The new operations center allows the company to relocate selected departments under one roof.
Peter Styx, a principal with design firm Ellerbe Becket, said the company had a clear vision of how the building should look and function. “The design needed to be different from the existing regional office so that it did not appear to be an extension of the original building,” he said. “The facility stands on its own as an impressive office building.”
The Major Insurance Company's Manager of Administrative Services Glen Emswiler agrees. In a letter to Ellerbe Becket, he wrote, “One thing that I asked for in the building was a ‘wow’ factor. You guys definitely delivered. The lobby and exterior are particularly impressive.”
“We used cable as a decorative element in the lobby to join columns together,” said Ellerbe Becket Project Designer Les Chylinski. “People really like the rich and varied colors of the lobby brick. It works well with the color palette of the windows and metal panels above the windows.”
The operations center’s two identical wings each center on a 2.5-story, vaulted entry lobby. The north wing and the entry were constructed first. A decision whether to construct the south wing will be made later this year. Ellerbe Becket integrated its architecture and engineering services on the project.
The first floor lobby contains reception and security with access to a dining cafeteria and an outdoor terrace. The second floor has an employee break room with a balcony overlooking the lobby. Two stories of glass curtainwall enclose the front and back entrances.
“By combining the break room functions on the second floor and opening it up to the main entrance, we have an exciting two-story space in an economic footprint,” said Ellerbe Becket Project Architect Greg Bordon.
Other design features include a 30-ft. by 36-ft. (9.1-m by 11-m) bay system with raised access flooring for flexibility. Office planning consists of demountable partitions and open office furniture systems.
An innovator since its founding in 1909, Ellerbe Becket provides integrated architecture, planning, interiors, engineering and construction services on a global basis.
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