Project Profile: Andrews McMeel Publishing

Seven years ago, Spaces Inc worked with Knoll and DIRTT on the Andrews McMeel Publishing office design. These offices are still a huge hit and were recently called Kansas City’s Coolest Office by ThisIsKC.com. The reporter, Kathryn Jones, wrote, “Want to know why we chose Andrews McMeel Universal for our inaugural ‘Coolest Office’ feature? Just look at the pictures. Seriously. There’s no denying this office is good-looking.”

It all started when Andrews McMeel Publishing purchased the old Boley building, an historic but neglected Kansas City historic landmark. Before Spaces could come in, it took a year to get the building into a workable design space. The previous building the company was in was very spacious, but was all private offices. As a creative company, they wanted an open office design that would inspire collaboration and creativity. The offices were designed by Helix and Spaces, in collaboration with Knoll and DIRTT, were challenged to furnish the 75,000 square foot space to capture the company’s innovation and imagination.

From the outside, the Boley building looks beautiful and historic. But once you walk through the doors, you enter a high-tech and beautifully designed office space. AutoStrada workstations were chosen to provide a comprehensive system combining furniture, architecture and high-grade material choices. The workstations utilize dry erase, magnetic communication tiles to allow team members to collaborate and sketch out their ideas.To fit in with Andrews McMeel’s brand, brightly colored furniture pieces were selected in conjunction with the workstations. The space in the Boley building has large windows that provide plenty of bright, natural light. The colorful furniture was used to add a pop of distinction to the clean white workspace.

For collaboration zones, Divina lounge chairs in conjunction with Saarinen coffee tables were used to create pops of color in private areas around the office, providing inspiration for quick planning sessions. A variety of KnollTextiles were chosen to generate an energetic feeling throughout the office while keeping a nostalgic and classic touch. Additional furniture pieces were selected for lounge areas around the space, including Saarinen Womb Chairs and Florence Knoll Sofas.