Asmodee — Lino Lakes, MN
Update: The new Asmodee office has been featured as a Cool Office in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Read the article.
Asmodee North America is a leading games publisher and the world’s leading games specialist distributor for an audience increasingly interested in gaming as a form of entertainment and lifestyle. Their fan-favorite games include Catan, Star Wars: X-Wing, Ticket to Ride, Jungle Speed, Arkham Horror, Pandemic, and Timeline, among many others.
For Asmodee’s new sales and distribution center in Lino Lakes, MN, they wanted a space that reflected them as a company and get employees excited. Since they are a physical game producer, PlanForce incorporated elements of game pieces into the design. The geometry of dice — such as the dodecahedron — and board game designs themselves influenced the design choices. Everything from the cabinet knobs and decorative lighting to the reception desk and acoustical panels were designed using the geometric patterns we see in board games and game pieces. We also used bold colors to highlight what you see throughout various games — but in a subtle way.
A Curvy Challenge
The largest challenge we faced was with the curved wall throughout the office area. The glass fronts on the offices were originally planned to be uninterrupted across the whole face with the wall above to give it a floating effect. Originally, we had planned to suspend the wall from the roof joist, but the sheer weight of it was too challenging, because the distance from the floor to the deck is 30 feet. It would have been too expensive and time-consuming to reinforce the joists. Our solution was to put steel columns and beams between every office and conference room to support the wall.
The curved wall includes a really unique branded environmental graphic. Imagery and imaginitive play are a large part of the physical gaming experience, and this was an excellent opportunity to feature prominent characters from Asmodee’s bestselling games. We lit the graphic from below, and took advantage of the soffit by running it around the whole perimeter. This really helped frame the office and break areas.
Designed for Growth
Asmodee’s new space also provides a training room for employees. The training room and break area can be combined when they have bigger events and company gatherings. The new space was designed with growth in mind. As office usage continues to be fluid (think COVID-19), the flexibility built into the office will be a big asset.
Everything from the cabinet knobs and decorative lighting to the reception desk and acoustical panels were designed using the geometric patterns we see in board games and game pieces.
Shawn Wochnick, CID, Interior Designer, PlanForce
