St. Paul’s largest architecture/interior-design firm (and the fourth-largest in the Twin Cities) has a diverse practice, designing education, recreation, government, and health care facilities, among other types of projects. With that kind of diversity, BWBR needs a flexible environment for staff to pool their expertise and creativity across markets and share insights. 

Its workspace layout is designed to allow staff to easily shift from one project type to another. Instead of cubicles, BWBR uses four-workstation bays that bring together project teams for more direct collaboration. When a project wraps up, team members can pick up their laptops and roll their portable drawer setups to another bay and a new project. The open work environment also is designed to encourage active listening and informal learning between staff.