Griffin Media cultivated an impressive and palpable work environment for many years, but they lacked headquarters that matched their culture that could also serve the needs of both their corporate and technical business needs. After an extensive site feasibility exercise, their ownership landed on the historic address on the corner of 100 West Main in Downtown Oklahoma City. The new space needed not only a cosmetic upgrade, but highly technical consideration and careful programming in order to create a space equipped for high-tech, around-the-clock broadcasting needs, conference rooms, and corporate offices as well as employee engagement areas, lounges, and streaming news stations.

With experience previously working to design the large Downtown headquarters for the former owner, the Gardner Studio team took fresh eyes to the voluminous space. The goal of the project was to give Griffin a modern, open office environment with plenty of alternative workspaces to encourage collaboration among team members, as well as “open doors” at all levels of the company. The space also needed to prioritize Griffin’s “Oklahoma’s Own” roots and establish this as the company’s forever home in Downtown OKC.

Working directly with the owners, Gardner developed an interior plan that suited both the corporate and broadcast needs of the company. The extensive renovation included new corporate offices, a soundproof broadcast room, infrastructure upgrades, and a full FFE package. A feature ceiling and walnut wall treatment wraps the central hall, adding warmth to the space, while carpet and soft furnishings not only provide texture but necessary sound dampening for the first-floor broadcast studios. The black steel accents in the feature wall, including custom “On-Air” signs and the aluminum pendants are a nod to the technical work that the Griffin/News 9 teams do.

Exterior renovation upgrades are currently underway, including the addition of a 43’ wide exterior broadcast tv screen for up-to-date news updates, and branded mesh screening on the building facade.