FirstChoice Minneapolis Tech Office Design

Tech Office Design Pictures

FirstChoice

Tangerine Energy in a North Loop Icon

PROJECT SNAPSHOT

THE SPACE BEFORE

The building had incredible bones — exposed brick, steel trusses, an atrium with dramatic skylights. But the office space itself wasn’t earning any of that. Empty shelving, leftover furniture from a previous tenant, and a layout that didn’t support how the team actually worked. On top of that, the company was mid-rebrand. They had a new identity, a vivid new tangerine brand color, and a space that said nothing about any of it.

THE DESIGN DIRECTION

FirstChoice wanted their office to match the energy of the company they were becoming — modern meeting and presentation spaces, better productivity, and an environment that made them a memorable standout to clients walking in the door. The design challenge was layered: introduce a bold tangerine into a building already rich with rust-colored steel, warm brick, and exposed ductwork. Get the balance wrong and the brand color fights the architecture. Get it right and they amplify each other.

WHAT WE WORKED WITH (AND AROUND)

A brand color that could easily clash with the building. Vivid tangerine against rust steel and warm brick is a tightrope. We approached it carefully — using the tangerine in precise, intentional moments: conference chairs, pendant lights, accent walls, door frames. The existing structural colors weren’t fought against; they were treated as part of the palette. The rust and the tangerine now read as a conversation, not a conflict.

A table nobody wanted — that became the brainstorming centerpiece. The previous tenant left behind a table that everyone wanted gone. We saw something different. Its rust-red tone grounded the tangerine accents and gave the brainstorming center a visual anchor with real weight. What was once despised became one of the most distinctive pieces in the office — and a story the team loves telling visitors.

Celebrating the architecture instead of covering it up. Historic North Loop buildings have character you can’t replicate. We punctuated the most intriguing elements — the steel trusses, the brick, the atrium skylights — rather than competing with them. Glass-enclosed conference rooms and calculated wall placement let daylight travel deep into the space while keeping the building’s story visible from every angle.

A budget that demanded creative discipline. The goal was a large functional and visual impact, but the budget required every decision to earn its place. We repurposed what we could, upgraded to LED fixtures for energy efficiency, introduced thermal control zones for comfort, and focused spend on the spaces employees and clients experience most. The result is a dynamic remodel that hit every mark — within budget.

THE OUTCOME

Walk into FirstChoice’s North Loop office and the rebrand isn’t something you read on a wall — it’s something you feel. The tangerine energy moves through the space in a way that’s bold without being overwhelming, grounded by the building’s own materials. The glass-walled conference room opens onto a lounge and entry that make the brand tangible for clients the moment they arrive.

The space is more functional, better lit, more comfortable, and more energy efficient than what came before. But the real win is simpler than that: FirstChoice now has an office that looks and feels like the company they’ve become. The building’s history and the brand’s energy aren’t competing — they’re one story.

RECOGNITION

Best Bang for the Buck, Commercial Design — ASID Minnesota