LOCATION
Tulsa, Oklahoma

AREA
7,000 sq. ft.

CLIENT
Petroleum Equipment Institute

BUILDER
KBI Construction

PHOTOGRAPHER
Ben Chau

The Petroleum Equipment Institute (PEI) started out as a small interior remodel for the organization’s existing headquarters. Two weeks into that project PEI’s headquarters burned to the ground. With only an existing slab, PEI needed a new building that met the needs of an organization whose day-to-day operations had changed radically since moving into their original building 30 years ago.

PEI expressed a desire for an open space with more natural light and the ability to see and work with one another more efficiently. The previous building was a 7,000 square foot maze of small windows and dark hallways amongst which the users were scattered. It was not uncommon for some office workers to never see each other over the course of a day.

Tasked with re-using the existing slab, W Design proposed a design that was a polar opposite to the old. Office spaces are grouped together in the East wing of the building. A liberal use of glass floods the space with natural light and allows employees to visually connect and collaborate on projects throughout the year. Non-office related functions such as a workroom, kitchen, conference room and restrooms are located on the West side of the building. Exterior patio space allows the users to go outside on nice days and eliminated the previous lawns that needed mowing. Circulation was combined with programmatic needs to create communal space where the library, layout space, meeting, and circulation are all one. The creation of communal space allowed PEI to have more usable space than before even when a section of the existing slab was carved away to create a more prominent entry. Materials with a connection to petroleum exploration such as White Oak and Limestone were used in prominent locations. The building was finished off with custom designed office, conference, library and kitchen furniture by W Design.