Raleigh, NC
30,000 SF

Founded in 1867, the Alfred Williams Company began as a bookstore and stationery company located on Raleigh's historic Fayetteville Street. They later expanded their services, offering office supplies to local businesses as well as public school textbooks. In 1948, Alfred Williams began supplying office furniture. Since the late 1970's, the company's showroom has been located on a busy stretch of Capital Boulevard. While conveniently located, the busy thoroughfare lacks integration with the urban context of downtown Raleigh.

Today, Alfred Williams & Company are members of the Herman Miller Certified Dealer Network and offer interior design services, as well as office environments with in-house delivery and installation. With a focus on customer service and building strong working relationships, the company has considered a return downtown for many years. Chairman and CEO J. Blount Williams expects the new downtown location to perform as a catalyst for renewed energy for the company, all while hosting "a dynamic place for our customers to visit." Their return to downtown Raleigh shows renewed interest in being a part of the vibrant, urban fabric from which the company began over 140 years ago.

The design incorporates the same simple, modernist palette found in a number of Herman Miller designs: glass, metal and wood. With refined detailing and materials integration, the design hopes to significantly elevate the street presence by activating a formerly austere concrete box.