2025 Blue Ribbon Brochure

Fuss & O’Neill Headquarters

Hartford, CT

Blending efficiency, sustainability, and flexibility in a modern, branded environment, Fuss & O’Neill’s new headquarters in Hartford, CT, exemplifies a transformative approach to workplace design. Relocating to Hartford from Manchester marked more than one milestone for the firm. With this move, Fuss & O’Neill strengthened their client service through improved accessibility for clients and partners, while contributing to the city's economic revitalization. It reinforced the firm’s regional presence, supported local businesses, and its highly visible downtown location also amplified their brand recognition and industry leadership, while unifying its workforce within a high-performance space. Befittingly, this past fall, Fuss & O’Neill celebrated their 100-year anniversary in this new, forward-looking home. Previously spread across a total of six floors over two separate buildings, this design successfully united the headquarters staff onto one floor, in a single, highly efficient, and collaborative space. The spatial efficiencies afforded by opening up the already favorable footprint of the Gold Building allowed a staggering reduction of leased space of 50% from their Manchester location. This optimization of square footage was strategic, with the goal of enhancing departmental connectivity. Navigating the evolving landscape of a hybrid workforce also required careful balancing of private and shared workspaces. Thoughtful space planning was employed (and rigorously tested) to develop a responsibly flexible environment with a wide variety of deliberately placed work settings, including private offices, dedicated and “hoteling” workstations, touch-down spaces, meeting rooms, telephone rooms, and private “Zoom Rooms.” Strategically placed infrastructure was built-in to seamlessly accommodate future expansion (such as the addition of more workstations) with minimal disruption. A focus on sustainability inspired several benefits beyond square footage reduction. The design approach also prioritized daylight and exterior views for all employees, whether seated in a workstation, an office, giving a presentation, or just having lunch. Additional sustainable and wellness-driven features include: Energy Efficiency: Upgraded lighting and electrical systems with wirelessly occupancy-controlled outlets and workstations. Material Reuse: Retention of ceilings and ceiling tiles to reduce waste. Biophilic Design: Integration of preserved moss, natural stone wall coverings, and wood ceiling elements for enhanced indoor environmental quality. Healthy Materials: CRI Green Label Plus-certified carpeting and Red List Free acoustic baffles To foster company culture and highlight brand identity, the headquarters incorporates custom-designed wall coverings and artwork showcasing the firm’s projects and achievements throughout the space. This branded environment, combined with the open sightlines and natural materials, creates an inspiring workspace, bolstering employee engagement. To ensure Fuss & O’Neill’s move would be complete in time for their centennial celebration, the project required meeting a tight timeline. Despite this need for an ambitious schedule, the project was delivered on time and under budget through a united team, who worked together to address challenges and realize the vision. The outcome for Fuss & O’Neill is a new standard in workplace design—one that prioritizes efficiency, employee well-being, and long-term adaptability all while reinforcing their commitment to Hartford.

Owner — Fuss & O’Neill

Project Size — 20,949 square feet (renovated area) Photography Credit — Red Skies Photography

Project Team — Tecton Architects, Fuss & O’Neill, InnoConn

16 Blue Ribbon Awards 2025