CORPORATE WORKSPACE 01
DAN FOUTS

A ground breaking shift for Nike’s workplace culture.

OVERVIEW

The Dan Fouts building, on Nike’s WHQ campus had not been updated in 30 years. The space no longer functioned and no longer represented the brand.

The Dan Fouts renovation was one of the most rewarding projects I was a part of during my 15+ years at Nike. Our team's noted success was due to the incredible talent and spirit of collaboration that we fostered across the entire project team, from design to construction, all working toward a common goal, to deliver a game-changing workspace for Nike.

I led the brand team tasked with telling the Dan Fouts story in a fresh and relevant way, inspiring employees and helping to shift the culture of Nike's workplace. We took inspiration from Fouts' long career playing for the Chargers and his record-breaking success with the 'Air Coryell' offense.

On the upper floors, we focused on branding that made the workspace feel more like a collaborative design studio than a corporate office. We commissioned artists to create unique murals in each of the lakeside lounges, giving each one a different vibe.

Overall, the Dan Fouts project was an incredible success and a testament to what can be achieved with talent, collaboration and grit.

CUSTOM FEATURES

CAFE TABLE TOPS The BOOTH table tops IN THE CAFE featured game day plays Fouts himself hand drew in the project designer's sketchbook.

DIGITAL COMMUNITY BOARD We designed a custom digital display board for the north entry, which we created to inspire a spirit of community for employees and guests entering the space by posting relevant messages of interest like "Argentina vs. France at 2:00" or "Welcome to Nike Naomi."

CEILING LIGHTS In the first floor hub we hung light fixtures that spell "Throw it" as Don Coryell used to yell at Fouts from the sidelines.

TEAM CONFERENCE ROOMS We wallpapered the conference rooms with the latest category-specific campaigns, which typically featured current athletes and products. Customizing the graphics helped employees feel more connected to their space, their work and their global team.

ATRIUM SCULPTURE We commissioned artist Jun Ong to create a 3 story tall “lightning bolt” sculpture in the atrium, a reference to the Chargers’ logo.

ELEVATED CONFERENCE ROOM The “Oregon Arm” is an elevated, oversized meeting space named after Bowerman’s nickname for Fouts during his time at the U of O. The room features artifacts from the Department of Nike Archives and items Fouts donated from his personal collection.

TEAM

Creative direction
Courtney Blommer

Art Direction / Design
Evan Wilcox, Mark Searcy

Workplace design
Yeosaine Huggins, Jennie Perlmutter

Project management
Mattie Fowler

Architecture
Holst

Custom engineering/FABRICATION (LIGHTNING BOLT, DIGITAL COMMUNITY BOARD)
Axiom

Light sculpture artist
Jun Ong

Mural artists
Gustavo Fuentes (Flekz), Alex Kizu (aka DEFER), Mike Perry

APLA murals
Christine Shen

Photography
Jeremy Bitterman, personal snapshots