How About That HQ

The first time I walked into Bryley’s new headquarters I thought of TARDIS

Are you familiar with TARDIS, Dr Who’s time-travel machine? It looks unassuming, but inside …

I was interviewing Client Experience Specialist / Marketing Coordinator Courtney Leonard and she told me about her education in interior design. Even though she admits her knowledge is limited, she retains a lot of enthusiasm for the field, so I had to ask her about the Bryley building. Here’s what Courtney had to say about this former Clinton Post Office:

I also had a surprised reaction when I first came to Bryley. I was wondering if I was in the right place. When you drive up, you see a large, rectangular, brick building with four, tall, colonial-style windows and – right in the center of the front of the building – dual staircases leading up to what I assumed was the front door.

Historic and traditional (see what I mean?)

Of course I came to find out that it’s even more beautiful on the inside. With a touch of modernism, the inside feels even more spacious than it looks outside.

I love the interior’s open floor plan. It has the perfect amount of privacy and openness. It was a great idea removing architectural barriers so we can co-work easily between employees and departments.

The designers also knew how open space needs natural light. And we’re bathed in it here. When you shut off every light and open every door, you can light the inside with the windows alone. The natural light makes it such a comfortable space to work in.

but step inside and it’s pretty dramatically different! (don’t you think?)

One thing, even though it is an open floor plan – for example the kitchen leads into the techs’ offices, also the main hallway branches out into cubicles – each space has distinct flooring to differentiate the use of one space from the others – great design.

I also love how they preserved parts of the original industrial aspects of the building. You can still see the duct work and brick that was once part of the pre-renovated space. It gives the space a sense of history and ruggedness – not enough to make you think you are working in a factory but enough to give the open space character.

Also the designers did an incredible job making the building wheelchair accessible following 1997’s Universal Design principles.