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(Design and photos by Horn Design)
Office space is important.
No, we’re not talking about the 1999 cult classic starring Milton and his stapler. Whatever physical place your startup calls home can quickly become the crux of your tech startup’s productivity, culture, and employee happiness — whether it’s a futon in your living room, a rowdy desk in your favorite coworking space, or the 25,000 square foot office of your dreams.
Chicago’s Sandbox Industries, a $500 million corporate venture fund that helps bring innovative new tech across a number of verticals to market, knows the importance of office space well. A native of the West Loop’s flourishing Fulton Market neighborhood well before it became a hotspot for tech development, Sandbox has always valued the atmosphere of a working space.
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“One of the original criteria for moving into the neighborhood was that it was within walking distance of good restaurants,” said Sandbox co-founder and managing director Nick Rosa. “After a couple of years, we moved into another great space in the area. It was a very funky and cool three-level space with an old loft appeal. It had a bit of a grungy feel to it, but as we grew, we needed more conference room space.”
Fast forward to today, and the company has recently become the first tenant of real estate developer Sterling Bay’s highly anticipated tech-forward renovation, 1KFulton.
And Sandbox will soon be in good company: in November, Google is moving in as their next-door neighbor. More techies will likely follow suit.
“The 1KFulton development is a big accomplishment for Sterling Bay,” said Andy Gloor, Sterling Bay’s managing principal. “We were able to take a 100-year old building with a rich history in Fulton Market and successfully renovate it into creative office space for users like Google, SRAM and Sandbox. 1KFulton’s design, aesthetic appeal and amenities are all great examples of the quality and type of product we plan to continue offering to corporate users.”
In order to ensure the interior space was above par, Sandbox teamed up with industry-leader Skender Construction, the same company behind the internal construction for every tenant at 1KFulton.
With Skender’s groundwork, Sandbox watched as their new space transformed into a chic, bleeding-edge space that suits Chicago’s moniker as one of the best technology ecosystems in the world.
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“The finished product looks excellent,” said Skender’s project manager Tim Rogers. “It has that tech space feel. They’ve got the polished concrete floors throughout and the exposed ceilings. There’s a very industrial feel, but that’s cut with these bright colors that really pop.”
Rogers said Skender’s mission is key to completing their construction projects at the highest quality possible.
“We want to work with owners as a partner throughout the whole process to ensure that we bring the project in on or under budget and on schedule, every time,” he said.
The team at Sandbox said the space fits their needs and that they’re excited to fill it as the company continues to grow.
“Everybody who comes in here is wowed,” Rosa said. “But more importantly, it meets our need. It’s the right balance — kind of like our name, Sandbox Industries. Sandboxes are creative; industry represents serious business. This space embodies the whole idea of that juxtaposition of creativity and serious work.”
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