A blend of biophilic and future-forward design

Syngenta Seeds North American Headquarters

Syngenta Seeds is a global biotechnology company based in Basel, Switzerland that produces agrochemicals and seeds and conducts genomic research. To be closer to its customers and collaborators, Syngenta chose to move to the suburbs of Chicago and wanted a space that would speak to its identity as an innovative, tech-forward company in an approachable and understandable way.

Our architecture and interior design team was engaged to realize Syngenta’s vision. We introduced a dramatic contrast between the pink granite building lobby and the crisp white elevator lobby to let guests know they’re in a unique place. A customer experience center with a touch screen display allows guests to immerse themselves in a virtual field of crops. An operable glass wall between the customer experience center and adjacent work café makes it possible to unite the spaces. We promoted employee wellness in the workplace design with height adjustable workstations, which are arranged along the window line to take advantage of natural daylight and views of Chicago.

There were a variety of key stakeholders, each with a strong opinion on the design priorities for the space. We were able to listen, synthesize key findings from our research, and create multiple options to present to the stakeholders, helping to bring their complex and unique vision to fruition.