GE Headquarters revived

The General Electric administration building has become the new feel-good space for Sacred Heart University‘s campus in Fairfield.

The task was quite a challenge per se. The fact that the building is located almost a kilometer away from the main campus, and that the students should not have the feeling of being completely out of the way, did not make the work any easier. But the architects and university officials did an excellent job, thanks to their creativity and willingness to embrace new things, and created a meeting place that could hardly be more inviting, exciting and unique.

Architects Tracy and Rick Herzer and a design team from SLAM (The S/L/A/M Collaborative) in Glastonbury, CT, brought unusual and creative ideas –including materials and products – to transform the plain office space into a bright, modern and student-friendly building.

For Rick Herzer, REHAU played an essential role in the design of the space. When he first laid eyes on a sample of the brilliant RAUVISIO Bianco surface, he couldn‘t wait to use the material. “I was just waiting for an appropriate opportunity where this would be the perfect material, because it’s so good looking,” the architect enthuses. Tracy Herzer adds: “It is a very modern interior, so we knew we were going to be using whites and greys. The challenge was to not make it look like a sports facility and still have the character of the building itself. I think we managed to do that very well.“

Unique materials such as the reflective RAUVISIO crystal slim Mirror and the curved RAUVISIO brilliant Bianco panels set unusual accents. For example, the Herzers used curved walls, lots of light and floating columns to design a truly eye-catching area that, with large TV monitors on the wall and group tables, serves as a break area, or a student collaboration space, and has what it takes to become a favorite spot thanks to its bright, modern atmosphere.

In the lobby, two columns rise into the ceiling with video screens on all sides. RAUVISIO crystal slim Mirror was used above these screens to reflect the video walls. This is what successful redesign looks like.

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