The Headquarters Terrace project is part of Sentry's larger lobby update to enhance and support the employee experience in a modern workplace environment. Built in the late 1970's, the original terrace suffered from lack of use due to a lack of privacy and seating areas. The project purpose was to reactivate the terrace and drop-off spaces, provide outdoor seating and meeting spaces, redefine the overall paver patterns and colors, and create a heightened sense of privacy and enclosure for users. The project also served as a template for future outdoor terrace improvements.

Working directly with a team of architects, interior designers, structural engineers, and lighting designers, the landscape architect led the design of the entry drop-off and upper terrace and was responsible for conceptual renderings, design presentations to the client, materials coordination, specifications, and construction documentation and administration.

Improved circulation paths, flexibility and variety in seating options, shade canopies, views to nature, and new paving patterns led to a seamless connection between indoor and outdoor spaces, establishing a sense of place and pride for employees and visitors alike. Working alongside a multidisciplinary team and maintaining a collaborative approach with the client, this project serves as an example of the invaluable contribution landscape architects make in the design process.

The headquarters building’s brutalist architectural style and elevated, 360-degree views from the interior to terrace spaces presented a challenge when designing for a heightened sense of privacy and enclosure on the terrace. The team met this challenge by carefully arranging seating areas, circulation patterns, shade structures, lighting, pavement patterns, and planters to alleviate the sense of being seen from the upper levels or from the lobby itself. Close coordination between the interior and exterior material palettes further blurs the distinction between indoor and outdoor space, contributing to the overall sense of enclosure.