The Goal
The Element Group — a design-build firm that specializes in modernizing bank and credit union branches — approached us with a desire to expand their existing office space into the second floor of their headquarters at 155 Brewery Lane in Portsmouth.
The building itself was part of the extensive original Frank Jones Brewing Company operations, which put Portsmouth on the map as the largest distributor of beer in the country for a period of time in the late 1800s. Element wanted to create a bright, welcoming, cohesive experience that showcased both their vibrant brand identity and the original bones of the Chinburg-owned, 19th-century property.
Element regularly hosts banking clients at their headquarters, so opportunities for collaboration and community-building were a must. They envisioned a floor plan with offices for their executives, an open-concept common area, a kitchenette and a conference room that would showcase their digital signage products.
Chinburg Properties invested significantly in modernizing and furnishing the lobby and common areas to align with the Element Group’s renovations. Improvements included new lighting, stairs, electronic and static signage, a wooden feature wall, multiple bathrooms, paint and furnishings. Element’s own cherry on top was a show-stopping reclaimed live edge conference table, the centerpiece of their main conference room.