Perkins&Will’s Minneapolis studio completed the redesign of Meyer Borgman Johnson’s (MBJ) new Minneapolis headquarters, delivering a future-focused workplace that proves a smaller footprint can produce a bigger impact.
After decades in previous locations in downtown Minneapolis and a company-wide shift toward hybrid work, MBJ sought an office environment that better supported collaboration, modern connectivity, and employee well-being while staying rooted in downtown Minneapolis. The result is a highly efficient, light-filled, and flexible workplace that elevates how their team works today and positions them for the next decade.
MBJ, a national structural engineering firm with seven offices and more than 100 employees, relocated from a 17,000-square-foot space in downtown Minneapolis to a more efficient 12,500-square-foot office occupying the top floor at RSM Plaza. Despite the reduction in size, the new workplace feels bigger, thanks to 18-foot windows, expansive sightlines, and Perkins&Will’s and MBJ’s collaborative strategic planning approach. Employees have praised the environment as more vibrant, more connected, and better aligned with their hybrid work policy.
Designing a Workplace Employees Want to Come To
With hybrid flexibility a permanent part of MBJ’s culture, the firm wanted to foster in person collaboration and “earn the commute” by creating a workplace that offers meaningful reasons to be together. Perkins&Will delivered:
- Flexible work zones: allow employees to choose how they work, including benching systems and workstations with planter-wall separation, to quiet library space and café-style seating.
- Hybrid-ready collaboration areas: equipped with consistent audio-visual setups across rooms, simplifying remote equity.
- Spaces that strengthen community: includes gathering zones for all-hands meetings, lunch-and-learns, and client events.
- Equal access to daylight: all work settings are placed along the window line to maximize wellness and choice.
- A workplace lab mindset: MBJ uses the space to test new ideas, desk configurations, and future workplace strategies.
“Our previous office simply wasn’t keeping up with the way our teams work now,” said Murphy Curran, MBJ Principal. “We had underutilized areas, limited collaboration space, and outdated tech that made hybrid participation difficult. It created a disconnect between those in the office and those joining remotely. We now have an environment that supports everyone equally and makes coming into the office fun.”
The project also prioritized sustainability and reuse. MBJ carried forward 48 existing workstations, reused Energy Star appliances, and maintained most MEP systems. Perkins&Will and MBJ optimized lighting to achieve a 58% reduction in lighting power density and chose materials that are Red-List-free, low-emitting, and designed for long-term durability, demonstrating responsible design without compromising aesthetics.
“We worked hand in hand with MBJ to develop their vision of a connection in the workplace from the ground up, starting with their employee needs,” said Melissa Young, Perkins&Will Minneapolis’ Workplace Practice Leader. “By prioritizing collaboration in the office and elevating the experience, the result is an efficient, sustainable, and highly engaging workplace that will serve their team for years. This project shows what’s possible when clients embrace a fresh approach to workplace design.”
