SMRT Architects & Engineers helps L.L.Bean consolidate to create a Headquarters to celebrate their past while making room for inspiration and the future.
SMRT’s design for global retailer L.L.Bean dramatically transformed a 365,000-sf warehouse complex in Freeport, ME, into a sustainable, expansive, show-stopping headquarters. Through extensive renovation work, the facility effectively consolidates multiple remote office campuses into a single contemporary, tech-enabled office space that promotes collaboration, attracts talent, improves workflow, promotes a healthier work environment, optimizes energy usage, and fully engages employees.
Inspired by a shared joy of the outdoors and an unwavering commitment to both the environment and employee wellbeing, the incredible building celebrates L.L.Bean’s storied history with the outdoors by bringing the outside in and connecting employees to each other and the natural world.
Visually showcasing connection to the outdoors was a key design driver, and the building parti ensures dynamic views of nature from every interior vantage point. The energy-efficient building houses up to 1,500 employees, and includes a fitness facility, conference center, 10,000-square-foot courtyard, health clinic, cafeteria, and kitchen, as well as a grab-n-go snack and coffee bar and multiple breakout spaces. Two treehouses project out of the building into the 10,000-sf courtyard, providing an ideal space for relaxation and informal meetings.
The Sustainability Story
An outstanding example of adaptive reuse contributing to sustainability, designers strategically carved out the interior courtyard to bring more natural light into the core of the large building footprint while at the same time, adding a floor level to a portion of the building.
Further, by reusing the existing building and converting a warehouse to office, the design team was able to save 1033 metric tons of embodied carbon vs. constructing a new building.
The project scope incorporated the principles of Activity Based Planning, WELL™, and LEED™. Equitable access to daylight and views, campus walking trails, healthy food options, and varied workspace settings support employee wellness. High-efficiency LED lighting is installed throughout, with a building-wide lighting control system that helps reduce light pollution. As a part of L.L.Bean’s commitment to the environment and the supporting the local fauna and flora habitat, native plantings were used in the landscaping, porous paving was used in the parking lots, and a new stormwater management plan was implemented to restore the surrounding wetlands. In addition, bird deterrent film was applied to the exterior windows to mitigate bird strikes during migration season.
Project Planning
The project team adopted an Integrated Project Delivery approach to the design. The client, architects, engineers, construction manager, and key subcontractors, were all engaged from the outset of the project. This ensured continual budget and schedule tracking and early decision making for systems and materials. Construction was originally planned to be phased over 2.5 years to allow the building to remain occupied. However, COVID presented an opportunity to have employees work from home during construction, allowing the building to be completed eight months ahead of schedule.
Working in conjunction with an employee council of L.L.Bean team members representing a diverse cross-section of departments and tenure was integral to design. These internal champions not only contributed to design development but also played a vital role in continuous communication between the building’s users and designers throughout the project. Employees participated in the Leesman Index survey, facilitating engagement and providing critical information about primary user tasks, space utilization, and employee satisfaction. This survey, paired with a variety of research and metric-based data, allowed the design team and L.L.Bean to establish performance benchmarks and track the project’s overall success.
Consolidating numerous departments from various locations required a change management process focused on educating staff. This effort required participation in company-wide town hall meetings, monthly department manager meetings, an online weekly update forum, and Leesman engagement for company-wide surveys.
SMRT also participated in several community meetings in Freeport, presenting the design and explaining the specifics of how the community will be able to use some of the facility’s spaces.
Project Details
Experiential Graphics
The L.L.Bean tagline “Be An Outsider” is the core inspiration for the design. The building celebrates the natural environment with visual connections to the outdoors, integrating natural materials and expansive graphics that support the concept of well-being and remind us of the importance of the outdoors to our everyday lives.
Branding and Materials
The L.L.Bean brand inspired design elements throughout the building, from the triple-stitch pattern found on the iconic Bean boot to the heritage plaid used in floor patterns and rugs.
Exterior Cladding
Cladding the building is a wood-slat screen system arranged in an undulating wave pattern that softens the building’s geometric façade. Generated in Dynamo, a parametric modeling tool, the pattern was derived from a series of local tidal charts beginning with the store’s first sale. The slats provide sun screening and act as a bird-strike deterrent.
Fitness Center
The 11,000-square-foot fitness center is a prominent component of the new headquarters. A versatile multipurpose room houses an integrated TRX bar system accommodating up to 15 individuals. Adjacent to this area, a dedicated spin classroom caters to a high-intensity, immersive experience for up to 20 participants, integrating audiovisual technology to enhance the user’s experience. The design incorporates the natural environment, with 20-foot-tall windows providing views of the surrounding wooded area.
Supplementing the indoor facilities, the project has a dedicated 5,000-square-foot outdoor fitness terrace seamlessly linked to the gymnasium. The terrace is a platform for outdoor classes and yoga sessions alongside a lush turf area for a complete range of exercises. The fitness center is interconnected with on-site occupational, physical, and massage therapy facilities and renovated restroom and locker room facilities.
Dining/Kitchen/Canteens
The cafeteria, or “Beanery,” is equipped to serve 1,500 employees daily. With a focus on healthy eating, the 4,000-square-foot server offers multiple hot and cold stations, a pizza oven, an extensive salad bar, and grab-and-go options. It is supported by a 3,200-square-foot commercial kitchen with numerous prep stations, four walk-in coolers, dry storage, and a dedicated kitchen office. The 4,900-square-foot dining room provides ample access to daylight and views and offers an outdoor seating option on an outdoor terrace. Durable yet warm finishes aligning with the brand are incorporated throughout the space. Dispersed throughout the space are five 1,400 square foot “canteens” – or staff kitchens. A coffee bar with grab and go snacks is located near the main entrance to the building.
HVAC Systems
During the design of the building, several HVAC systems were considered and reviewed with the owner in terms of first cost, operating cost, and long-term maintenance. The building was ultimately heated and cooled by distributed water source heat pumps. A new 16 MMBtu boiler plant consisting of 4×4 MMBtu natural gas fire boilers provided the heat pump loop’s heat source. Heat rejection from the heat pump loop was provided by two closed-cell cooling towers, each sized for 440 tons. Five dedicated outside air systems (DOAS) provided the building’s ventilation, each with a passive energy recovery wheel.
Controlled Environment and Product Testing
The Product Testing lab at L.L.Bean is a controlled lab environment located in the heart of the corporate headquarters. Various tests are performed on L.L.Bean products to test durability and performance on various products, from Bean boots to Adirondack chairs. The lab is equipped with a rain room that has the capability to produce a perfect raindrop via a recirculating water system to test products for water resistance and durability.
Workspace
The new space increases efficiency by collocating teams and streamlining/organizing storage solutions. In addition, it triples access to meeting space (150 conference rooms, up from the previous 58), aligning the work environment with the diverse needs of a collaborative, creative, and hybrid workforce.
Sustainable and Green Energy
High-efficiency LED lighting was installed throughout the office with a building-wide lighting control system that helped reduce light pollution. Bird deterrent film was applied to exterior windows; porous paving was used in the parking areas; roof ballast from the original building was restored and reused; and native plantings were used in the landscaping.
In addition, the building achieves the following performance measures:
- Ecosystems:
- Achieves a 1.5-acre reduction in non-vegetated surfaces.
- Applies porous pavement in parking areas.
- Replicates the adjacent natural woodland corridor through the use of native plant species and acts as an extension for native fauna.
- Reduces heat-island effect within the parking area through the implementation and positioning of landscaping beds.
- Features a walking-trail network for employee and community use.
- Utilizes a bird-deterrent film “Feather Friendly” on glazing, protecting birds from injury.
- Energy:
- Features a high-performance building envelope
- Exceeds the ASHRAE 90.1 -2013 requirements, which were 30% more than the adopted code at the time of construction
- The primary HVAC utilizes distributed water-to-air heat pumps that utilize a tempered water loop to allow energy transfer between heating and cooling zones. Dedicated outside air systems with energy recovery provide ventilation
- Electrical distribution systems are designed to allow advanced metering of all connected loads based on system type
- High-efficiency LED light fixtures are installed throughout
Additional design for employee wellbeing included:
- Increasing daylight access from 15% to 85%
- Multi-stall restrooms transformed into individual restrooms
- Inclusive wellness rooms supporting nursing parents, prayer, meditation and respite
- A health clinic and fitness center
- Promoting movement with wide, clear circulation paths, highly visible connecting stairs, and outdoor walking paths
- Height adjustable work surfaces
- Sensitivity to indoor air quality through responsible selection of interior finish materials
Products
Cladding on the building is a wood-slat screen system – Knotwood
Bird deterrent film was applied to exterior windows – Feather Friendly
Comfortable, flexible workplace furniture – MillerKnoll
Carpet – Mohawk Group and Interface
Ceilings – Armstrong Ceilings
Tile – Daltile & Stone Source
Tech Solutions
High-efficiency LED lighting was installed throughout the office with a building-wide lighting control system that, in turn, helped to reduce light pollution. Additionally, meeting rooms are Teams-enabled.
Overall Project Results
Working with Leesman to perform workplace surveys and with the change management experts at MillerKnoll provided L.L.Bean and the design team the data and tools to ensure a successful transition to the new office. This engagement proved especially beneficial in a return to office post-COVID.
“From the moment we were first introduced to the experts at SMRT, we knew we had found the right architectural and engineering firm to help us realize our vision for a new, state-of-the-art headquarters building. The SMRT team was a creative and responsive partner who played a key role in guiding us through the largest facilities project in L.L.Bean history.”
– Shawn Gorman, CEO, L.L.Bean
Contributors:
Construction Manager – Zachau Construction
Roofing and Façade – Industrial Roofing Company
Site Engineer – Sebago Technics
Exterior Curtainwall – Cumberland County Glass
Electrical Contractor – ES Boulos
Mechanical Contractor – Johnson and Jordan
Furniture and Demountable Wall Systems – Creative Office Resources
Flooring – Paul White Company
Ceilings – Landry and Sons
Audiovisual and IT – Connectivity Point
Design
Ellen Belknap, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB, Principal in Charge
Andrew Bradley, Project Manager
Nicole Rogers, Project Architect
Jeana Stewart, Workplace Strategist
Lodrys Gomez, Architectural Designer
Lisa Laflamme, Lead Interior Designer
Kerry Dineen, P.E., Mechanical and Fire Protection Engineer
Lura Wade, PE, RCDD, Senior Electrical Engineer
Matthew Kramer, P.E., Structural Engineer
Photography
Trent Bell Photography and Ben Gancsos Studio
