Farmer Mac

Farmer Mac is a lauded government-sponsored agency that, since 1988, has provided financial solutions to a broad spectrum of customers in the rural United States. Driven by its mission to increase the accessibility of financing for American agriculture and accompanying infrastructure, Farmer Mac is also an employer of choice noted for a “people-first, high performing” culture that prioritizes the health and wellbeing of staff. Farmer Mac turned to OTJ Architects to relocate and reimagine their national headquarters as a sustainable, tech-enabled hybrid environment that invites a return to the office while translating iconic farmland iconography into a rich tapestry of contemporary architectural gestures.

Our team of designers and architects partnered with stakeholders from the onset of the project to develop a series of incisive building analyses that allowed the client to engage in more informed and confident decision making while also realizing economies of square footage. These economies were achieved by revising the initial program to account for the selected base building’s suite of amenities, the use of which allows Farmer Mac to expand its footprint beyond the confines of the organization’s dedicated space.

Inspired by both the universally restorative act of sharing a meal at a communal table as well as the fertile soils of our fields, this new headquarters is designed to celebrate the rich heritage of the American farmer. Our concept, however, carefully eschews the literal interpretation of farmland references in favor of rustic elements examined through a discerning 21st century lens. Immediately upon arrival in the elevator lobby, guests and staff are greeted by a shimmering metal ceiling element that echoes a sunlit, rippling body of water. Behind the curvilinear reception desk, a black metal element recalls the rolled steel materiality of the barn roofs that punctuate the Midwestern plains. Further aesthetic and practical considerations converge throughout: ceiling baffles in the work café nod to rolling hills while improving sound quality in an open space; custom felt wallcoverings imprinted with pastoral iconography also attenuate reverberation in glass enclosed offices. In addition, agile programmatic elements such as flex zones complete with reconfigurable furniture, reservable offices, an innovation lab, and a “quiet car” for focused work empower individuals to select the setting best suited to the realization of the day’s objectives. Lastly, a large treasury office supports the organization’s bread and butter: trading agriculture-related stocks. The Farmer Mac headquarters is pursuing LEED and WELL certifications at the Gold level.