Uncovering a World Within

In the post-pandemic era where many workers have become accustomed to working at home, the market demand for new office buildings has waned and securing tenants has become increasingly competitive. Financing these projects is now seen as a risk, especially when developing speculatively. In response, it has become crucial to offer a distinctive architectural design that captures the attention of prospective tenants and successfully embodies their brand in a visually striking way. The Shady Brook office building off Northwest Highway does this; the obscure wood-clad object stands out from the adjacent strip retail centers and endless car traffic that characterize this busy corner of midtown Dallas.

Cunningham Studios’ design for the Shady Brook office building began in 2016 for Half Price Books as a secondary office site and for third-party commercial use. Half Price Books was interested in developing an office that was to be something different and design forward. The client gave Cunningham a few simple—but powerful—bullet points for direction. They wanted the design to be unique against its surroundings and include pockets of greenery, outdoor space, and a walkway wrapping the exterior. Cunningham Studios responded to these requirements and produced a design for a commercial office space with many layers that enhances one’s experience within it.

The major narrative of the layering is told through both the materials and the space. Here we see the relationship from the exterior, into the open-air hallway, and then into the finished space. The materiality goes from wood, on the exterior brise-soleil, to the concrete walkway, and to the metal and glass of the finished commercial space. The muted wood color and the modern glass balance with the concrete to be a seamless transition from a visual standpoint. This walkway serves to break down the harsh Texas sun before it reaches the finished space. The covered and unconditioned walkway saves energy along with maintaining the connection to the outside.

The most dynamic element of the design is the multi-story atrium on the south end of the structure, at the “point” of the building. The angles of the design come together to that point, with a two-level volume on the southern end from the second to the third floor. A triangular cutout set deeper into the building occurs from the second level through the roof, with the major “green pocket” placed within.

A tree in the second-floor planter reaches up to the sky beyond, and planters on each level hang down into the cutout and form benches on their respective floors. With the courtyard, air flows through the public spaces on each floor and a major “chimney” through the cutout allows hot air to rise and escape out. While shooting this building throughout the day and evening, the temperature within the open-air walkway was palpably cooler than outside. Aside from heat control, this atrium is an essential amenity; when one is sitting on the benches, one’s eye is often drawn upward through the cutout to the snippet of sky above, to gaze at the clear blue sky or watch clouds float by.

The public spaces along the walkway and in the atrium are raw concrete and metal, with exposed cables, lighting, and other systems. Such a look can come across as unfinished or messy but balancing these strong materials with delicate wood and glass fills the composition with intentionality. The light displacement along the walkway and in the atrium prevents these areas from feeling cavernous. One public area that is fully enclosed is the controlled entry on the ground floor. The hallway and the metal staircase are dark, cool, and rough, and emphasize the experience of arriving at the second level. Moving from the exterior into the entry and then out into the public spaces takes you through varying layers of enclosure and reveals the spectacular atrium that is hinted to those viewing it from the outside.

The exterior is striking in form but nondescript upon first look. The sharp south angle that greets you upon arrival is monumental and dramatic, and the wooden brise-soleil establishes a monochromatic façade that draws you in. Upon further viewing, the details of the wood and the slips and reveals begin to tell the story of the interior space. This is quite in contrast to the typical approach taken when designing the exterior of office buildings, where copious use of glazed façades is the norm. Shady Brook’s façade strategy maximizes one’s experience within, while keeping out aspects that tend to diminish the experience from the outside, such as glare and views into the offices.

A common piece of advice in relation to tower design is to choose one or two moves and stick with them. Cunningham Studios, in its design for the office at Shady Brook, followed this to great effect, creating a strong visual profile from afar that only becomes more interesting as you look closer and closer.