COMMERCIAL / OFFICE
CIRI Fireweed Business Center
| ROLE: | Architect |
| CLIENT: | Cook Inlet Regional Inc. |
| SUSTAINABILITY | USGBC LEED Gold |
| AWARDS: | Merit Award for Commercial Office Building |
| PRESS | Fireweed Business Center Windows |
This 110,000 SF, 8-story new office building is designed to achieve a high mark for sustainability while emphasizing a quality work environment within. Special features include daylighting that is enhanced through ten-foot high ceilings, and an open office concept that allows stunning views. Shared amenities include video conferencing labs, conference rooms, large break areas, and exercise rooms. The lobby features an espresso shop with an atmosphere similar to a living room, including a fireplace.
The building’s design provides enhanced technology for corporate offices and also reflects the values and traditions of the indigenous peoples of the region. For example, the light fixtures mimic traditional drums and salmon drying racks—prevalent in traditional society, and still in use today. Patterning and colors for the flooring showcase regional natural forms. First-Alaskan artwork, both traditional and contemporary, is featured throughout. The new headquarters building balances the familiar and the new—strengthening the image and identity of one of Alaska’s most successful enterprises.
