Microsoft Walkway Canopies
Re-use and renovation are prevailing methods for savvy owners, especially large corporate companies, to upgrade existing facilities. This approach meets changing needs with a more sustainable model than tearing down and building new structures.
In 2017, Microsoft embarked on an ambitious mission to modernize its headquarters in Redmond, Washington. Involving millions of square feet in new spaces and reconstruction, an immense plan like this called for the collaboration of many brilliant minds to create one enhanced campus. Our particular focus? Renovating existing walkway canopies to enhance wayfinding between the parking area and two buildings.
Our design-assist collaboration with the trusted teams at Howard S. Wright, a Balfour Beatty company, and B+H Architects was a dream – but how exactly did we help elevate these spaces?
DeaMor focused on determining the best way to change the existing metal roof to glass. In order to utilize the existing steel structure, we developed a custom attachment method and used 3D modeling to identify transition points in the space above the structure to properly align the glass. Unlike metal, glass cannot be cut to fit in the field, so we built custom measuring tools and physical templates of the trapezoidal glass shapes at the kinks and turns—happily, everything fit!
The glass is laminated with a gradient silkscreen ceramic etch providing varied daylight patterns on the path. Each completed canopy offers partial shade for pedestrians walking about or waiting outside.
It's an honor to have helped make the campus a brighter place. We applaud this substantial design-build overhaul and can't wait to see it shine for years to come!
