Capital One Labs

Financial Corporation Capital One actively pursues the development of new digital products that contribute to the expansion of their service offerings. Capital One approached OTJ Architects to create an agile, destination workplace that blurs the line between office and social environment.

Working in close conjunction with project stakeholders, our design team developed and analyzed an iteration of layouts ranging from entirely mobile to open newsroom concepts. The final floorplan is organized clusters of 6-10 workstations immediately adjoin huddle areas to accelerate the exchange of ideas. Pin up areas, writable panels, scrum tables with integrated technology, and vertical surfaces that double as whiteboards further promote visualization and productivity. To allay acoustic concerns inherent to an open floorplan transition, designers elected to pipe in ambient music and specified ceiling clouds that mitigate noise pollution and provide increased privacy.

Our designers were tasked by Capital One to disrupt accepted corporate standards and deliver an environment that reflects a more vibrant brand identity. We relied on modest materials such as plywood, raw steel, concrete, and reclaimed wood expressed through unconventional gestures to create circulation paths and visually impactful moments interspersed at key intervals in the floorplan. In addition, a custom mill-worked letter C and number one at the Lab’s entry prove an irreverent play on the financial giant’s brand.

The original Capital One Innovation Lab prototype has been adapted across a myriad of tech-enabled environments nationwide. The success of this project continues to redefine how this leading corporation conceives of the human-centered workspace with survey reports of increased workplace satisfaction.