Sammons Financial Group Chicago Office

Sammons Financial Group wanted to encourage their hybrid workforce to spend more time in the office, but their headquarters were outdated. They chose to move into the historic post office building next door and update the space with new furnishings to create a warm, inviting atmosphere that would excite employees. “We wanted to use soft textures, curves, woods and brass tones, and make the space reminiscent of hospitality or high-end residential environments,” said Christina Brown, Design Principal, geniant + Eastlake Studio.

Sammons Financial Group also used this move to right-size their space. With remote work being the norm, they no longer needed such a large office. “It was time for a refresh and the post office space had a lot of things we were looking for in terms of being brighter and offering less square footage,” said Suzanne Chapa, Associate Vice President – Strategy and Corporate Development at Sammons Financial Group Companies.

The existing furniture was also quite large with high cubicle walls and little flexibility. With collaboration and flexibility becoming more and more important to today’s worker, Sammons Financial Group wanted to modernize the workspaces provided for their employees. “We had been in that space for 15+ years, the furniture was big, old and didn’t move and people wanted standing desks and brighter space,” said Chapa.

Moving into a historic space came with some additional design challenges. There were interior guidelines that the team needed to follow so the aesthetic matched the building’s art deco style. Additionally, the furnishings needed to both compliment the historic style and accommodate the need for flexible working conditions.

Henricksen was awarded the project based on their thoughtful attention to detail and the quality of the proposed furniture. “The details drove us to Allsteel,” said Brown. “We liked the curves on the screens and the finishes really tied in and fit the aesthetic we were looking for.”

“We also liked the sit-to-stand desks best,” said Chapa. “The Allsteel product was smoother and higher quality than others we looked at.”

In the new space, every person now has a view of the outside. Part of this is due to the layout. “When you look at the floor plan you can see it is a shallow space,” said Brown. This unique floor plan allowed every person to have access to light, “We focused on pulling as much light through the space as possible.”

The workstation itself is a semi-custom layout that includes privacy screens and towers. They are a longer and narrower configuration to meet the historic standards and also let light in. Everyone now has height-adjustable surfaces, which offers more flexibility for workers, allowing them to adjust their position throughout the day.

Since the initial installation, there have been some general service calls made to Henricksen to help staff adjust the screens and adjustable height surfaces. “They have been really responsive on issues and questions,” said Chapa.

“We love working with Henricksen,” said Brown. “From the get-go, you could tell they were on top of things and communicative, and we couldn’t have picked a better partner.”

Sammons Financial Group now has a Chicago office where employees want to work, which supports their motto of we’re better together. “They really do like the space,” said Chapa. “We have sales and other teams holding meetings here because they like the space and want to show it off.”