Penn Mutual overhauls ’80s vintage office space

Originally published in the Philadelphia Business Journal

Penn Mutual Life Insurance Co. moved out to Horsham, Pa., in the mid-1980s and time stood still for its office space – until now.

“You’re talking about a total workplace transformation,” said Kelly W. Ennis, principal at the Verve Partnership, an architectural firm in Baltimore retained by Penn Mutual to design the new space.

Penn Mutual’s space at 600 Dresher Road was a familiar scene to those who have inhabited offices before designs became sleek, sophisticated, bright, casual and cool.

It had high cubicles where workers could huddle down and hide. A narrow central staircase couldn’t fit two people going in any direction and had bulky solid wood railings. The bathrooms were…ugh. The lobby’s flooring was pink and gray granite. One of its main features that greeted visitors was a decorative koi pond with a bench!

The insurance company’s office space was caught in a time warp and, though it took a while, executives at Penn Mutual knew time had come to make a change. It started the process in 2008 but decided to hold off when the recession sank in.

It revived the planning process in 2010 and two years later started renovating section by section of its 140,000 square feet, said Robert G. Lauer, who oversees facilities in Horsham for the insurance company.

Penn Mutual had other goals in mind with the renovations and decided to seize upon the effort to also come up with new branding that it could incorporate in the refurbished space.

The project faced some challenges since the building was so old. One was finding ways to open it up and another was carving out pockets for people to collaborate and hang out. And where were there opportunities to incorporate the new branding into the built space?

Probably the biggest challenge of them all was the renovations were going to take place while the company continued business as usual, Ennis said.

Everything that wasn’t working by way of mechanicals and layout got fixed. Most of the space got opened up. Cubicles went down. Flexible workspaces built in. Bathrooms got the hotel treatment. The staircase widened. HVAC systems upgraded. The koi pond removed and its leaks repaired. The lobby looks like a contemporary living room.

The architect and company found a way to showcase its branding beyond a flag flying outside at the entrance. They put it on the walls throughout the offices where messages emphasizing Penn Mutual’s mission and values are showcased with photos from the past, along with timelines marking milestones in the company’s history and significant events that happened in the world.

While there has been much progress, there’s still work to be done and the project is expected to be completed sometime next year.