The architecture firm behind Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation headquarters is officially a Winter Park resident.
In January, the32789 reported that Schenkel Shultz would be moving its offices to 834 N. Orange Ave. after 30 years in downtown Orlando. The announcement came on the heels of a November 2023 rebrand that highlighted the firm’s 40th anniversary. New initiatives broadened its services and enhanced its social media presence. Schenkel Shultz partner, Michelle Chandler, said following up the organizational refresh with a physical change just made sense.
“We were really interested in a kind of storefront location as opposed to being imbedded in the middle of an office tower,” she said.
The firm’s numerous Central Florida projects include the Intermodal Terminal Facility at Orlando International Airport, Orlando Economic Partnership headquarters, and the University of Central Florida’s Center for Emerging Media and Trevor Colbourn Hall. Schenkel Shultz was recognized in 2023 by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Orlando chapter for designing The Edyth, which opened in 2022.
The move to Winter Park was completed in September, marking the end of a two-year effort to find and design a space that represents a company commitment to story, sustainability, and community engagement. The 12,000-square-foot location is the same size of its former home in the 200 E. Robinson St. building by Lake Eola but offers more opportunities for collaboration. While some decorative details remain in progress, the office was opened for a December 3rd media tour.
A hospitality suite at the entrance features a living room-inspired design complete with couches and a digital fireplace. A glassed-in meeting room is at the opposite end of the suite and décor will include design models, project renderings, and two dresses designed in-house for the company rebranding celebration in November of 2023.
The main production area lies beyond the entrance in an open floor plan with offices along the perimeter and workstations arranged in the center. Staff are free to work in any area they choose and Chandler said the space inspires a level of communication not possible at the former location. “Even though it was the same square footage, our team was really spread out and there was not a lot of engagement.”
The main area also features private workstations with acoustic insulation, a meeting space with bleacher seating, and a residential-inspired communal kitchen with wood accents and shelving. “We wanted it to feel like an extension of home because we spend so much time here,” said partner and design lead, Ekta Desai. The residential element is capped off by a backyard-style outdoor space, suitable for breaks or company events.
Sustainability was achieved by utilizing existing architectural features. The building once housed a tile company and was briefly owned by Orlando-based drinkware company, Corksicle. “It was going to be renovated,” said Chandler. “Work was in progress until March of 2020, then they decided not to move ahead with it.”
The Corksicle redesign added offices and the bleacher seating. All were retained along with the entry space, which dates back to the original tenant. Desai said minimal need for drywall and new construction was crucial for the firm’s commitment to the AIA Materials Pledge: an industry-wide effort to minimize carbon emissions, partner with manufacturers that secure human rights in operations and supply chains, and achieve a “zero-waste” goal by designing for resiliency, adaptability, and reuse. The building also embodies Schenkel Shultz’s commitment to community engagement with close proximity to restaurants and services, its location in the “Designers Row” neighborhood of interior design and furnishing businesses, and visibility from the street.
“People stop in and compliment us on the space or ask what kind of business this is,” Desai said. “This gives us a billboard opportunity to really put what we do on display in a completely new way.” However, plans are being considered to take community engagement to another level.
The open floor plan of the main production area allowed for a small event space that could be open to the community. While no decisions have been made, discussions are ongoing with the hope of creating partnerships and opportunities. “We’re considering a way to utilize our space as an extension of the community,” Chandler said. “To host events and programming and invigorate the neighborhood more than a traditional office could.”
The Schenkel Shultz office is the latest addition to the N.Orange Avenue gateway into downtown Winter Park. Construction will begin next year on McCraney Property Company’s three-story, 29,500-square-foot office building at 1100 N. Orange Ave., and the long-awaited Seven Oaks Park project is expected to be completed early next year.