Step Inside Electric Works High Performance Workplace By CannonDesign

CannonDesign created a variety of of work environments for Electric Works to empower organizations of all types and scales.

Illuminate opportunity. Unleash unexpected innovation. These beliefs were hallmarks of General Electric (GE) as it forged breakthrough paths around lighting technology, motor power, female empowerment and much more through the late 19^th and 20^th century.

Today, one of GE’s epicenters in Fort Wayne, Indiana, that originally opened in 1883, has been reimagined to ignite that ingenuity culture again. Once a manufacturing campus from a different era, Electric Works has become a novel mixed-use district of innovation, culture and community seamlessly integrated into the city’s downtown.

The importance of this GE site to Fort Wayne’s history cannot be overstated. At its peak in 1944, GE employed about a third of Fort Wayne’s workforce. And, in a Bloomberg story about the project, Josh Parker, CEO of Ancora (who acquired the property in 2017) said, “The emotional weight that (this) industrial complex has on this community can’t be overstated.”

In its entirety, Electric Works spans 39 acres and creates new opportunities for work, recreation, housing, retail, education and more. It is a stunning urban solution that charts a brighter future for Fort Wayne. CannonDesign proudly partnered with Ancora, Carr Workplaces and others to help design high performance workplaces and office space throughout the complex. Here are some deeper looks at key themes:

Innovation culture unleashed

There is an incredible diversity of office space possibilities infused throughout Electric Works including a coworking floor, office suites and build-to-suit offices on longer leases. The spaces make the most of the remarkably strong existing “bones” of the building, creating opportunities for wonderful juxtaposition between old and new that differentiate the complex. There is also a building equipped with conference spaces that can hold anywhere from 6 to 100 people with full-service event coordination.

This breadth of work environments allows Electric Works to empower organizations of all types and scales, from start-ups to long standing companies and even short-term project teams. Surrounding the workspaces are state-of-the-art amenities, wellness offerings and indelible energy and culture.

The design of these spaces is true to the history of GE and focuses on innovation. Just as GE sought to unlock discovery at every turn, Electric Works is reimagined to fuel entrepreneurship, foster diversity, equity and inclusion, forge connections, embrace and invite its community in…all while establishing a new center for innovation in the heart of Fort Wayne.

Innovation for generations

Given the immense scale of the Electric Works redevelopment, it is a multi-phase effort that will span years. The design team is excited the workplaces have now opened amidst other resources including a food hall, areas for galleries, farmers markets, an education lab and more. Reflecting on this project, it is exciting to see it already helping blaze new trails.

“Throughout our work with Ancora and Carr, there is this ever-present theme of history and the future. Electric Works is a testament to innovation of the past. GE reshaped our economy and society in profound ways,” said CannonDesign client leader Michelle Rotherham. “As we designed these modern solutions, we preserved Electric Works legacy and future. We asked ourselves, ‘what will people say decades from now about the solutions we are shaping right now?’ and we’re proud of the outcome.”

It all adds up to a remarkable new chapter for the storied GE campus in Fort Wayne. Electric Works is ready to redefine its purpose, and in doing so, redefine how work and ingenuity drive a community forward.

Project Planning

The goal for Electric Works was to create a dynamic district of innovation, energy and culture that respected and amplified the City of Fort Wayne’s legacy of ingenuity. This is a large project in the heart of the city and a beacon for Fort Wayne’s future, we took our role as design stewards of the city’s legacy very seriously.

The design team began with deep research around Fort Wayne’s innovation history and more specifically the impact General Electric (GE) had on the community. The company alone has contributed breakthrough inventions including the first street light system, fractional motors, and turbo super chargers for fighter planes during World War II, home appliances like the washing machine motor, kitchen garbage disposal among others – everyone has been impacted by GE and Fort Wayne’s innovation. Fort Wayne is even where copper magnet wire was invented, which is critical to generating the electromagnetic field needed to power GE appliances.

In addition to this legacy of invention, General Electric defined Fort Wayne’s business economy through the 20^th century. At its peak in 1944, GE employed about a third of Fort Wayne’s workforce. So, beyond just celebrating innovation, we also wanted to create a design that paid homage to the sheer impact this place had on its home city.

Through conversations and exploration, CannonDesign, Ancora and Carr Workplaces all realized the new design solution needed to authentically reflect Fort Wayne and create exciting opportuniti8es to bring people together to carry forward this spirit of innovation. The team identified three definitive project goals

• Connect this project to the legacy of General Electric
• Celebrate local artists and makers
• Create energized spaces that encourage interaction and innovation

Project Details

Local Art

The local art infused in Electric Works is another area through which this project absolutely shines. Our design team and Ancora partnered with Field Trip Art Advisory to identify diverse muralists and artists who called Fort Wayne, Indiana home. The art proved another way for us to celebrate Fort Wayne, innovation, and GE all through this concept of energy.

For example, muralist Matt Plett created multiple pieces in Electric Works that focus on bright color, history, and context. A specific mural in the main lounge is a modern interpretation of a photo of the GE Elex Club’s basketball team. The Elex Club was a social club for women within GE and their motto was United We Build. Matt talks openly in interviews about how this mantra influenced his work in Electric Works.

In another instance we worked with Fort Wayne’s Lyndy Bazile (Afro Plump). Lyndy took old GE blueprints and reimagined them with fresh geometric forms painted over the top. Elsewhere, local woodworker Nicolas Kramer built a series of tables from trees removed during construction. The team truly seized every detail and opportunity to celebrate Fort Wayne and this site’s history.

Color and Light

The bold use of color and the wide variety of interesting light fixtures throughout are usually the first things people notice when they are in the spaces. Lighting was an important aspect of this project, both because of GE’s Arc lighting system and the limited access to daylight the existing structure provided. The colors, our creative lighting solutions, even the Calico wall coverings create these bold bursts of energy and light throughout, especially in the social spaces.

Development Driven

This was a development-driven project that had a specific financial model that delivers just an incredible design solution. It says so much about our design team, yes, but also the client Ancora and Carr Workplaces. Every design decision held true to the design story. We never lost sight of the need to focus on innovation, energy and/or culture. It is evidence of a talented team and the power of design.

Products 

Project Summary  

• Developer: Ancora
• CoWorking Operator: Carr Workplaces
• Core and Shell Architect: Elevatus / MSKTD & Associates
• General Contractor: Weigand Construction
• MEP: CannonDesign
• Furniture: CI Select
• Custom Furniture: Big Tooth Co., Nicholas Cramer
• Art Consultant: Field Trip Art Advisory
• Artists: Matt Plett, AfroPlump 

Design Team

Photography

• Kim Rodgers