Socium Advisors sought workplace design experts Lawrence Group to create a boldly individualistic style for its expanded Northwestern Mutual workspace in St. Louis, MO.
Located in the Creve Coeur Center campus, the result is an “elevated western” aesthetic that transports visitors from a corporate financial office to the essence of the American frontier. Socium Advisors is one of the largest investment management practices at Northwestern Mutual and manages more than $2.7 billion in assets with offices in St. Louis, MO; Fayetteville, AR; and McLean, VA.
“Lawrence Group designed Socium Advisors’ initial workplace in 2014, pushing the envelope then on what a typical financial investment office looks like by incorporating much of Founder/CEO Scott Underwood’s personal style into the space. With the recent expansion design, we pushed even further and honed in on his aesthetic and vision for the next chapter at Socium,” said Lawrence Group Associate Principal and Project Interior Designer Lisa Morrison, NCIDQ, WELL AP, Fitwel Ambassador. “We introduced an organic, maximalist western look to a Class-A suburban office building, which demanded creative design solutions from the team. The experience is curated down to the space’s custom scent air system.”
The design team used 3D modeling and renderings to develop the look and layout of the 10,000 sq ft workplace while incorporating reclaimed and rustic design elements throughout the space; weathered tin adorns the conference room and cafe walls, rough face bricks and a timber mantle held in place by wrought iron straps create the cozy fireplace, while heirloom wooden doors from the original Socium Advisors offices are repurposed as sliding doors for private offices. Strong masonry arches define the office’s central corridor, offering visual and acoustic separation between the open workstations and enclosed private spaces.
The final Socium Advisors workspace is a perfect mix of rustic hospitality design and modern workplace technology, curating a blend of furnishings and vintage accessories that faithfully achieves the client’s vision while striking out on a new frontier of workplace design.
“Socium Advisors is thrilled to mark the continued growth of our firm with a brand-new office space designed to provide a comfortable yet upscale experience for both our existing and future clients,” said Underwood. “The inspiration for the new office was to provide an elevated yet relaxed and welcoming space designed to help clients feel like they can come here anytime to chat with an advisor or hang out and relax in a familiar, comfortable setting. The Socium office is designed to support the needs of our clients today as well as the firm’s future team growth.”
Read more about this project at Socium Advisors.