Organic Valley

Cashton, WI

Just as a granary is designed to properly store and ventilate harvested crops, the Organic Valley office building uses vernacular form and material to provide an efficient and pleasant working environment.

Sustainability was a must while employee perks, such as a café and fitness and wellness spaces, were high priorities.

The result is a new office embedded into a hillside on rolling farmland of western Wisconsin. A shared-light organizational concept is employed to provide abundant daylighting for 106,000 square feet. By pulling the enclosed offices into the core, natural light penetrates deep into the building.

The office is LEED Gold certified and features rainwater storage, water-efficient landscaping, geothermal heating and cooling, balanced insulation strategies, solar energy harvesting, and high-efficiency LED lighting. Looking to make the most informed decisions right from the start, the team was committed to energy commissioning and robust recycling strategies from construction through completion.

Inside and out, the rich palette of colors, textures, and finishes are designed to complement a rural context and mimic classic farmhouse features while  relating to their primary constituents: the local organic farmers.

Inhabitants can view and engage the site on multiple levels through large windows or a two-story patio while a large silo houses a circular staircase.