Perma Offices – Charlotte
Perma’s new 43,000 square-foot North American headquarters was designed by McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture to blend functionality with aesthetics, featuring open office spaces, large windows, and contemporary elements.
For six decades, Perma has established itself as an innovative leader in the realm of industry lubrication systems, supplying more single-point lubrication systems than any other manufacturer worldwide. Committed to creating value and making a difference, Perma develops, tests, and manufactures its products in its headquarters in Germany, adhering to the stringent quality standards of “Made in Germany.”
Perma embarked on an ambitious journey to establish a new headquarters to enhance its North American footprint. Originally in a 12,000 SF building, they significantly increased production with the design of a new 43,000 SF building. The new space includes 13,000 SF dedicated to two-story office space and 30,000 SF to production and distribution, designed to cater to a growing customer base in the US, Canada, and Latin America. Located in the Westlake Business Park this German Foreign Direct Investment project is a testament to Perma’s unwavering commitment to fostering strong customer relationships and expanding its presence across the Americas.
The MPS and Perma team worked closely to develop ideas regarding the overall design of the building, defining scope and requirements through design workshops. The design harmoniously blends functionality with aesthetics. The exterior of the building positions the office front-facing while maintaining direct communication with the production space in the rear. The façade boasts an angled soffit condition, recessed large storefront windows, and a thoughtful design to mitigate harsh thermal heat gain during the summer months while maximizing natural daylight.
Inside, the open office concept prevails, with contemporary elements like exposed ceiling structures, resilient surfaces, and carpeted workstations. The layout promotes “built transparency,” offering daylight access to every workplace through large interior storefront glass windows. A large communicating stair connects the two office floors, with wood handrail details relating to the workstation surfaces, to foster a sense of connection between different groups.
On the first floor, visitors are greeted by a secure lobby with a video board showcasing Perma products and a striking red accent wall with display cases. The light and bright open office design positions workstations near the storefront windows for access to natural light and outdoor views. Painted white, the exposed ceilings aid in extending natural daylight over the workstations and into adjacent offices. The breakroom and training area feature a partition wall for versatile use, accommodating large gatherings, while the adjacent outdoor patio offers employees a space to relax and enjoy breaks.
Moving to the second floor, a large communicating stair with precast concrete treads and aircraft cable railing leads to a public lounge and a sleek coffee bar. The large meeting room adjacent to the coffee lounge provides views of the production space below, facilitating supervision and educational conversations. The second floor continues the open office and “built transparency” design themes, with dark ceilings, acoustic baffles, and flooring to bring down the perceived volume of the space for a more intimate feel. Another striking “Perma-red” accent wall again emphasizes brand identity.
Design: McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture
Contractor: Edifice Construction
Furniture Dealer: Office Environments
Photography: Kris Decker | Firewater Photography
