The team incorporated an outdoor plaza, enhanced connectivity and new restaurant space as part of the reimagined office environment
Design firm Cooper Carry has completed an extensive renovation of 101 West Ponce, a six-story, 112,828-square-foot office building located in the heart of Decatur’s historic downtown square. With the goal of radically reimagining an office building built in 1992, Atlanta-based Cooper Carry repositioned 101 W. Ponce to fully engage with the energy of Decatur Square, creatively repurposed underutilized space and infused modern amenities and design features throughout the building.
Surrounded by popular eateries, coffee shops and retailers such as Taqueria Del Sol, Dancing Goats Coffee, The Iberian Pig, Jeni’s Ice Creams and Pure Barre, 101 West Ponce was well-positioned for a transformation in line with its vibrant environment. Key design initiatives included:
- Creating an entirely new arrival experience to better connect with the street and nearby public transportation, enhance building visibility and draw attention to a new outdoor plaza and modern facade.
- Implementing a tenant amenity floor on the building’s lower level, complete with a fitness studio and communal conference facility
- Repurposing an existing annex building that was originally intended for office use into a 5,695-square-foot standalone restaurant venue.
- Upgrading the lobby spaces with enhanced lighting, new furniture and wayfinding devices to provide a welcoming and easy-to-navigate lounge for tenants and guests.
“Throughout this office revitalization effort, we took our design cues from Decatur Square’s energized, artistic atmosphere and created a place where people want to work,” said Gwen Kovar, associate principal at Cooper Carry. “This process challenged our team to think outside of the box. By utilizing natural materials and pops of color, we were able to create a unique office environment that seamlessly blends with the surrounding downtown fabric.”
The exterior facade of the building was redesigned to reflect a casual and modern aesthetic that complements its surroundings. At the street level, the team enlivened a formerly disengaged outdoor space with new lighting, upgraded furniture, shade elements and modern planters that bring in more greenery.
101 West Ponce is managed by The RMR Group, a leading alternative asset management firm with over $41 billion in assets under management. Following the property renovations, 101 West welcomed two new tenants, The National Association of Chronic Disease and Aristocratic Technologies.
For more information, visit 101wponce.com.
ABOUT Cooper Carry
Cooper Carry provides architecture, planning, landscape architecture, interior design, experiential graphic design, branding and sustainability consulting services. Founded in 1960, the firm specializes in the design of education, government, hospitality, mixed-use, office, residential, restaurants, retail, senior living, science + technology, and transit projects. The firm has designed projects in 45 states and globally in the Caribbean, Middle East, Asia, Africa and Central America. Cooper Carry approaches its work as a collaborative ecosystem. Its multiple studios and services come together daily to provide each project the depth of knowledge needed to meet and exceed objectives. Cooper Carry’s leaders are advocates and authorities for their specialties, empowered by decades of expertise to make decisions that prioritize placemaking, civic space, and the greater good of communities, tenants, residents and visitors. For more information, visit Cooper Carry’s website at coopercarry.com and follow the design firm on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
