The CenturyLink headquarters are nestled on 77 acres of a mature pecan tree grove in Monroe, Louisiana. The new Technology Center of Excellence is a 300,000 sq. ft., three-story facility that sits in the heart of what will eventually become a mixed-use “technology neighborhood”. Following the classic symmetry of the older building the new addition was strategically located and shaped to create a 2.2 acre courtyard with various outdoor spaces to work, socialize, and eat. The placement of overhangs, canopies, and plantings and the extensive use of flowing water and pools create comfortable micro-climates as well. The new addition curves around the existing building and is clad in a metal skin with strip windows featuring over 36,000 sq. ft. of View Dynamic Glass (view-glass for short).
The curved form slopes up to a high point revealing a three-story glass atrium at the main entrance. In order to stream line the roof and make room for a vegetated roof all of the typical rooftop equipment was moved into a separate mechanical building in the five story parking garage. The new design and placement saved as many pecan trees as possible by reducing the general footprint of the building.
The pecan trees that were unable to be saved were harvested and used in the design. You can see their placement throughout the building: elevator lobbies, hallways, flooring, coffee bar counter-tops and more. This not only provided a beautiful design element to the space, but displays the pride that this area has in their heritage of pecan groves.