Blinds To Go: Training and Development Center
The site at 101 E. Route 4 housed a two-story building that was wedged into an irregular lot next to a four-story office building. The property was crowded with cars and there was nothing buffering the rear-yard residential neighbors from the busy highway.
Enter the company Blinds To Go with its plan to establish a training and development center. The company turned to Peter Raymond Wells, whose firm designed a new three-story building that today is the Blinds To Go USA corporate office and signature retails store.
The building includes a conference room for 40 people and a tiered classroom for 60 to host monthly meetings and bi-annual corporate retreats. It includes a gym with showers and an indoor cafe for onsite dining and relaxation, promoting the Blinds To Go culture of a sense of community.
The building’s “green” components include roof-top solar panels, energy and water efficient mechanical, and the effectual use of insulation. The open floor plan and abundant use of glass allows natural light to pass entirely through the building.
Responsible commuting is encourage with preffered parking spaces for low emission, fuel efficient and carpooling vehicles, as well as bike racks and posted bus route information. To be considerate to rear yard neighbors, Wells created a buffer with a “soft wall of peoples uses” - a cafe and outdoor terrace, which look onto wooded wetlands.
The benefits from the $5 million property redevelopment have mushroomed: more than 100 contractors worked on the site for a year using high quality materials; the increased value in the property doubled the municipal taxes; and the nearly 50 employees, plus visitors (including Blinds To Go employees who come to the facility for meetings and training), contribute to the local economy and the spirit of corporate community.