When consumer products testing company UL hired Perkins & Will to design a new office in Evanston, Illinois' tallest building for two of its research divisions, the nonprofit organization told the architecture firm it didn't want a typical office. That's because its visitors aren't typical.
Underwriters Laboratories, as the group was previously known, examines and assesses product safety risks. Its stamp of approval can be found on such items as batteries, fire extinguishers and children’s toys. It's funded by industry partners that have a vested stake in making sure their products are safe, and representatives who visit come from the highest ranks of corporations, the military and academia for discussions, not ceremonies.
That led Perkins & Will to suggest an office design with a certain degree of formality befitting the gravitas of UL's guests but without seeming too exclusive, said Sarah Busch, senior project manager at Perkins & Will.
“We wanted the office to be appropriate for the leaders ... but not be too showy,” Busch told CoStar News. “The people coming in are highly educated and incredibly well-known.”
The result is 53,075 square feet of office space with clean-looking and modern furnishings, earth-toned fabrics, hardwood floors and light-colored wooden cabinets and accent walls. There are no video-game arcades, no chairs hanging from ceilings, no neon signs of UL’s signature round logo or any other trendy interior design flourish.
"We ... chose materials that would provide an uplifting feel as you walk around," Kevin Mehaffey, UL director of facilities and expansion, said in a statement on the new office. "The tonal selections complement the natural surroundings" that can be seen through the office's expansive windows.
The two UL divisions — UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement — moved into the space in November. They share the top four floors of Orrington Plaza in Evanston, a suburb that's on Chicago's northern border along Lake Michigan.
Who's who
UL's guests are a who's-who of corporate, civilian and military leadership. Its board includes executives from companies like Pfizer and composite material giant Owens Corning as well as a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general and an investment officer with the George Kaiser Family Foundation. UL’s partners that consult with the organization on testing and policy include professional trade organizations like the International Facility Management Association, the U.S. Green Building Council and the International Fire Safety Consortium.
The office was designed with both meeting rooms for large groups and non-assigned desks and cubicles. Staff and visitors use software to reserve a space.
Befitting an organization like UL that’s known for its analysis of safety issues, the office’s furniture and fixtures had to be top of the line, Busch said. All mechanical, electrical and plumbing products and furniture used in the headquarters are UL-certified for safety and quality.
The two divisions housed in the office represent some of UL's recently announced high-profile initiatives. In 2022, the company revealed a funding round of $1.8 billion to expand UL Research Institutes' mission to conduct studies on human safety risks stemming from artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and privacy concerns in the digital age.
UL Standards & Engagement was established in 2022 from the same $1.8 billion financial commitment. The goal of ULSE is to form partnerships between UL and the public and private sectors and to make policy suggestions based on findings from UL’s research.
Evanston was chosen because Northwestern University frequently attracts executives and industry leaders, said Terrence Brady, CEO of UL Research Institutes, or ULRI.
The organization sought to "relocate to a lively downtown area with greater accessibility for our employees, visiting scholars and stakeholders," Brady said in a statement.
The $1.8 billion came from special dividends generated by UL’s for-profit division, UL Solutions, that provides consulting and testing services.
The laboratory-based product testing for which UL is perhaps best known is located at different UL locations, including a facility in nearby Skokie, Illinois. UL’s main corporate campus is in Northbrook, Illinois. The company last year also opened its first office in downtown Chicago since moving its headquarters out of the city in 1979.
In Evanston, UL hoped to create a destination that could be used to expand its community-focused mission, said Kristen Delphos, a spokesperson for ULRI. Floor-to-ceiling windows on the building’s top floors provide visitors with sweeping views of Lake Michigan, the Northwestern campus and downtown Chicago. UL plans to host school groups and local civic organizations.
“Our commitment is to bring our organization to the Evanston community,” Delphos told CoStar News.
But the Evanston office also needed to provide technical support to its frequent visitors from other UL offices and from outside the organization. A technology help desk is staffed by a UL employee when the office is open.
The help desk is situated in a prominent, central location in the office and clearly visible. That was an intentional statement to let UL staff and visitors know that an organization known for safety and product testing is available to help with product issues as they arise, Delphos said.
“It really helps take the stress out of it when you run into a technical issue,” Busch said.