Don’t hate us because our office is beautiful

We work in the “finest office building in North Carolina.” At least that’s how Frank Harmon described The Small Office Building at 105 Brooks Avenue a decade ago. Frank should know.

From driving into the covered parking lot to the crunch of the gravel under your feet as you exit your car. From the koi greeting you as you arrive at the base of the stairs, to the abundant sunlight filled rooms, to the open, collaborative spaces, and the sense of being in a forest treehouse as you open your laptop and begin your work day—we love this building.

Designed by G Milton Small Jr, The Small Office Building was built in the mid-1960s. Small was recruited to the Raleigh area by Dean Henry Kamphoefner of the NC State University School (now ‘College’) of Design. Kamphoefner was in the process of building a world-class architecture program, and he set his sights on bringing in some of the most talented young designers in the US to teach there. So, in 1948 Small left Chicago and joined the faculty of the new school.

Small was a student of Mies Van der Rohe—one of the most distinguished architects of the Modernist movement. Unlike many of the young faculty Kamphoefner recruited, Small stayed in Raleigh, raised a family and built his architectural practice, now known as Small, Kane, Webster, Conley Architects.

Small was well recognized for his significant design influence in the area. Chief among the design projects he lead is this office which he designed to house his own architectural firm. Completed in 1966, the building seems to hover among the trees on its small site. Parking is provided beneath the building on the ground level where the small fish ponds are also placed. Great attention to detail is evident throughout the building and is often first noticed by visitors as they experience the woodwork that covers the parking space and makes its way into the entrance area and into the offices above.

We are fortunate to inhabit this building. We find it inspires collaboration and creativity. In fact, one of the spoken goals of New Kind is that we never outgrow this space. Proof positive that architecture influences strategy.

As we say in the south, y’all come visit. We think you’ll agree that we work in the ‘finest’ office building in the state. And we hope you won’t hate us for it.