Case Study: Horizon Therapeutics New U.S. Headquarters

Horizon Therapeutics mission is to deliver medicines for rare, autoimmune, and severe inflammatory diseases, plus provide compassionate support to make a meaningful difference for patients and communities in need. Founded in 2008 as a startup with only a handful of employees and no office space, Horizon Therapeutics has grown exponentially since, with over 1,900 employees worldwide and offices across the globe.

Engineering PLUS initially partnered with Horizon Therapeutics in early 2016, when they moved into their Lake Forest, IL headquarters. Engineering PLUS helped to establish technology standards based on our understanding of how Horizon collaborates and works. This allowed us to work with Horizon to streamline the design process to improve quality and user experience. So, when it was time for Horizon Therapeutics to move into their much larger Deerfield, IL new U.S. headquarters, Engineering PLUS partnered with them once again. “We used our understanding and experience with Horizon Therapeutics to develop a fresh new standard, that will grow with them using the foundations started years ago,” said Mike Mahn, Vice President, Engineering PLUS.

Flexible and Easy to Use Customized Design Solutions

For Horizon Therapeutics, incorporating company culture was the central element that the new headquarters plan was designed around. According to Irina Konstantinovsky, Executive Vice President, Horizon, it was of the utmost importance that “we build the headquarters truly thinking about the needs of our employees.” And answering some key questions, helped to ensure the design plan would deliver on the overall vision of the project, which include:

• How do we create spaces where employees can collaborate?
• How do we create openness where we can come together and develop new ideas?
• How do we continue to foster relationships and have fun together?
• How do we invest in creating the best possible space where we can come back and create the kind of community, the kind of innovation and the kind of relationships that have made Horizon special?

“What we wanted to do [with the new U.S. headquarters design] is to make it feel like Horizon. We want to walk in and feel that culture, to have that look and feel of it being just an extension of where we came from,” says Tim Walbert, Chairman, President and CEO, Horizon. “We really wanted something that allows people to get out of just the normal office atmosphere but try to maintain that small-company feel where we can bring people together and feel like a fast-growing entrepreneurial company.”

Project Scope: Horizon Therapeutics New U.S. Headquarters

The Horizon Therapeutics new U.S. headquarters is located on a 70-acre campus, accommodating multiple buildings and 1,150 desks. Engineering PLUS performed work in 7 buildings, covering 466,000 SF, building out over 200 best-in-class conference rooms/collaboration spaces, and installing 39 IT closets (IDFs).

Project services provided by Engineering PLUS included:

• Audio-Visual Systems Design
• Structured Network Cabling Design
• Physical Security Systems Design
• DAS Infrastructure Management

Incorporating Cutting-Edge Technology into Collaboration Spaces

The technology experts at Engineering PLUS worked closely with the team at Horizon Therapeutics to ensure that the technology features, such as the audio-visual systems design plan allowed Horizon to use the conference room spaces to easily collaborate with colleagues and optimize usage. Some key conference room technology features incorporated into the design include:

All Meeting Rooms Include Technology Featuring a Single Common User Experience

Horizon Therapeutics wanted all of the meeting rooms to have a single common user experience, so that anyone could walk into any sized meeting room and know exactly how to use the space. “Preserving this experience presented us with many challenges, especially in larger rooms that sometimes needed custom programming and automation to maintain the user standard,” said Mike Sugrue, Director of AV Technologies, Engineering PLUS, “but we were able to get it done.”

All meeting rooms also incorporated the Cisco Webex Suite to support meetings for attendees within the office and working remotely across applications.

Integrating Smart Building Solutions

Horizon uses Crestron Fusion with support from room scheduling panels and occupancy sensors to track how their meeting rooms are utilized. And analysis of data gathered from these sensors over time can help Horizon effectively organize meeting spaces by usage to improve collaboration where needed. Occupancy sensors linked to smart building technology can also reduce resource waste, by only enabling use of meeting room technology when occupancy sensors have been triggered. This can help reduce the energy footprint of each room.

Campus information is distributed via smart building solutions, using OneLAN’s digital signage platform. This includes wayfinding information, which can be very important for such a large campus. If someone is feeling lost, they can visit an interactive wayfinding screen posted at each elevator. From this display, a guest can search by name to find a person’s desk or meeting room and get instructions on how to reach a specific location.

Smart building technology serves up convenience too. Coffee is always complimentary at Horizon’s headquarters, and employees can order their coffees from their desks, then walk over to the nearest break room for a quick grab and go.

Transforming Spaces for Multi-Functional Use

When employees need help with their computers or tech devices, they can head down to the Tech Pub for immediate IT services. But the Tech Pub can also be transformed into a space for hosting parties, combining it with Horizon’s beautiful outdoor terrace. And a cohesive technology design allows event sound and video to be shared seamlessly between both spaces for a real party atmosphere.

When major announcements need to be made, Horizon’s cafeteria can be transformed into an event space utilizing broadcast-grade cameras, a 7-person control room, and a green room for special guests. Horizon can also support their own in-house video productions with a recording studio.

Delivering Technology Engineering Projects on an Expedited Timeline

The goal was for Horizon Therapeutics to be able to move into their new headquarters within 12 months. “Delivering a project of this size in such a short time frame is a great challenge,” said Mike Mahn, Vice President, Engineering PLUS. “Fortunately, we had a great team that never let anyone doubt its success! CBRE, Lamar Johnson Collaborative (Architect) and Clune Construction (General Contractor) developed a collaborative problem-solving environment that kept communication flowing and allowed for fast decision-making.”

Partner with Engineering PLUS to Optimize the Design and Functionality of Your Company’s Corporate Headquarters

Horizon Therapeutics trusted Engineering PLUS to deliver a multi-functional space with the technology to support the company’s current and future needs. Staying true to Horizon’s wishes, the new headquarters design incorporates company culture, making it an iatrical part of the collaborative work atmosphere.

“I often wonder where we’d be without your expertise!” – Steve Koivisto, Senior Director, IT Infrastructure for Horizon.

Contact Engineering PLUS to learn how our technology experts can create flexible and easy to use design solutions for your company headquarters.