New Corporate Development Center of Steelcase Inc. is said to be the only pyramid-shaped office building in the world. Main entrance is at corner shown, while employee entrances at other corners are similar.

The $111 million building, dedicated in 1989, is the office furniture industry's most comprehensive facility dedicated to the research and development of new products. Surrounded by an 80-acre restored native North American Prairie near Grand Rapids, the 575,000 sq. ft. building houses approximately 675 employees involved in the product development process, including research & development, design, marketing and supporting functions. The firm, with almost $2 billion in annual sales, has about 21,500 employees and 38 manufacturing plants around the world. To ensure that the interior of the facility would be conducive to creativity, Steelcase worked closely with organizational and environmental consultants.

The building's design architect, Don Koster, of The WBDC Group, says that the pyramid shape was selected because it fosters interaction among people. "It centralizes traffic patterns throughout the building, thus maximizing the opportunity for chance encounters," he explains. "There was also the need for a statement that would reflect Steelcase's market leadership and commitment to design excellence."

Closeup shows how slim Von Duprin 33 Series design works well with narrow stiles on glass doors. Black devices, new for this installation, are now being offered in a new line of colored devices from Von Duprin.

Inside the seven-story structure, the loft-like floors provide visual access to all levels, while the sloped exterior walls reinforce the central clustering of employees that typifies the company's team approach to creativity. The firm's officials believe the way to shorten product development time is to create an environment in which employees working on various projects are constantly bumping into one another. All employees entering or exiting the building must come to a central atrium known as the Town Square, from which elevators and escalators lead to destinations on one of six floors. The focal point of the area is a kinetic sculpture, a 71-foot stainless steel pendulum suspended from just below the top of the pyramid. Doors leading to the Town Square from the lobby area are protected by exit devices with card readers. Due to the proprietary nature of the work done there, the building is secured, with all visitors entering a lobby from one corner of the structure.

Because Steelcase corporate standards call for several specific products, door hardware compatibility posed a unique challenge. Only a limited number of exit device designs were compatible with the German Hewi hardware used, and of these, only Von Duprin would accept the firm's standard Medeco locks. Finally, the aesthetics of the exit devices had to be compatible with the highly publicized pyramid-shaped structure. To meet these requirements and provide the desired combination of security with safe egress, architects at The WBDC Group, of Grand Rapids, specified Von Duprin 33 Series concealed vertical rod devices for all exterior and lobby doors. While these trim touchpad devices work particularly well with the medium-stile glass entrance doors, they are used on other doors as well, to achieve a feeling of lightness and consistency throughout.

For further security, Von Duprin's 33EL exit devices with electric latch retraction are used with Securitec proximity badge readers to restrict access to critical areas, particularly between the reception lobby and the central atrium.

The Steelcase CDC building is one of the first installations for Von Duprin's new line of colored devices. While the 33 Series devices used here were custom-finished for the application, they represent the same type of finish the manufacturer will supply in its newly-introduced line of colored devices. Exit devices on the exterior doors are all finished in black, to match the handrails outside. No simple handrails, they flank combination stairs and handicapped access ramps that nestle into each of the structure's four corners.

Inside, walls are finished in the neutral #2 gray that is also a standard on many Steelcase products. The color provides a calming, restful atmosphere that allows for creative expression without intruding in its own right. Exit devices on interior doors are white throughout, as are all other hardware items. In the creative atmosphere of the building, the quiet-operating touchpad devices help provide the necessary security and safety functions inobtrusively.