10.2.09 | Orlando, FL | Darden Restaurants celebrated the opening of its new corporate headquarters, which was designed by Perkins+Will to achieve Gold certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for New Construction (NC) from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). Upon final certification from the USGBC, it will become the largest LEED Gold NC building in Florida.

Darden's new headquarters was designed by global integrated design firm Perkins+Will, in close concert with developer Trammel Crow and general contractor Hardin Construction. The design creates an open environment that promotes greater collaboration, idea sharing and innovation. "Our team brought together experts from our architecture, branded environments, urban planning and interiors groups," said Manuel Cadrecha, Design Principal and National Leader for the firm's Corporate + Commercial + Civic practice. "It was through this interdisciplinary approach, as well as our close collaboration with the Darden team, that we were able to realize our client's vision of a unified and elegant campus. Darden's new home isn't just a building; it's a workspace, park and garden where employees feel a sense of pride in where they work."

The three-story, 469,000 square foot facility, situated on a 57-acre campus, will house 1,300 employees who provide support to nearly 1,800 Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze and Seasons 52 restaurants, throughout North America. Within its new headquarters, Darden will bring together all of its support center personnel under one roof for the first time. Previously, employees had worked in 12 different buildings spread across a two-mile radius. "Our challenge was to assemble the individual restaurants' very different brand cultures under one umbrella brand, the Darden brand," said Eileen Jones, Branded Environments Design Principal and National Discipline Leader.  "Our solution was to celebrate a culture of culinary, dedicated to bringing people together around the notion of food.  Not only does our solution express Darden's new corporate brand, it celebrates the unique heritage of each component restaurant." "For example, organized along a large common space called Main Street, each individual brand has its own space within the headquarters, but all of the brand test kitchens are adjacent to each other and open up to one another, where chefs can easily collaborate and share ideas," continued Jones. Darden's commitment to sustainability can be seen in the many sustainable design and construction elements found in its new home. Among them: 

• More than 90-percent of the waste generated from construction was recycled;
• Use of systems such as a high-efficiency heating and air conditioning system, and an automatic lighting system that dims or brightens according to the amount of sunlight entering the building will help reduce energy consumption by 16-percent;
• Increased use of natural light (daylighting) made possible by a 114,000 square-foot glass curtain exterior;
• A highly reflective roof system that reduces the heat island effect and helps maintain the building's interior temperature;
• Restrooms and irrigation systems using reclaimed water- saving nearly two million gallons of water annually; and
• Landscaping features including a bio-soil that promotes the absorbance of water and the use of native trees, plants and grasses that require minimal water.

For instance, the building was designed not to exceed three stories in height to allow employees to easily move between floors using multiple staircases. The staircases were also widened to allow for impromptu conversations without blocking the movement of others. And each of development kitchens for Darden's six restaurant brands is located adjacent to one another, allowing culinary staff to easily interact and share ideas. "Beyond creating an environment that allows our employees to develop stronger working relationships and deliver even higher levels of support to our restaurants, we were committed to ensuring our employees had input and involvement in shaping the development of this project," said Clarence Otis, Clarence Otis, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Darden.. "We're proud of the fact that many of the amenities found in our new home were the ones most requested by our employees." In honoring employee input and keeping with the company's commitment to employee health and wellness, those amenities include a 5,000 square-foot fitness center as well as a wellness center, both staffed by Florida Hospital; a 1/2-mile walking trail; an on-campus dining facility managed by Guckenheimer, a leading corporate foodservice provider; and an on-site financial services center operated by Wachovia. Darden employees began moving into the new headquarters in phases on September 21. The process will be completed on October 12.

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About Perkins+Will

Established in 1935, Perkins+Will (www.perkinswill.com) is an interdisciplinary design practice serving clients from 21 offices around the world. The firm practices architecture, interiors, branded environments, planning + strategies and urban design with clients in the aviation + transit, corporate + commercial + civic, healthcare, higher education, K-12 education, and science + technology markets. Perkins+Will routinely ranks among the world's top design firms and has received hundreds of awards, including the prestigious American Institute of Architects' "Firm of the Year Award."  With more LEED Accredited Professionals than any other firm, Perkins+Will is recognized as a leader in the sustainable design movement.