Lowes Corporate Headquarters Cracks the Corporate Mold

By Land8: Landscape Architects Network on July 18, 2015 No Comments / 21303 views

Lowes Corporate Headquarters, by HGOR and LandDesign, in Mooresville, North Carolina. Television commercials and advertisements for the Lowes home improvement centers are an everyday occurrence, but have you ever thought about what the company’s corporate offices look like? Just as their motto “never stop improving” says, they are applying that forward-thinking philosophy to the entire business, from local stores to the main headquarters. The Lowes Corporate Headquarters is located in Mooresville, North Carolina, and has proven to be an environmentally sustainable take on a corporate setting. When we think of the word “corporate”, it may induce visions of cubicles, cold parking structures, and gray surroundings, but Lowes has kicked that image to the curb in a unique way.

Masterplan of Lowes Corporate Headquarters. Image courtesy of HGOR

Lowes Corporate Headquarters

Trips to Lowes usually consist of purchasing materials for a do-it-yourself project, but the company’s corporate site was a lot more than a one-man job. The site was constructed in the spirit of creating an environmentally sustainable campus for the company, while still supporting the functions and needs of the 3,000-plus workers in the establishment. Passersby on Interstate 77 can see the large buildings on the site situated next to the roadway, but cannot see into the site itself — and the beautifully crafted environment that Lowes employees may enjoy. Before construction, roadways around the site were in need of improvement and better integration, so the newly worked system of roads within the site works to better offer more efficient traffic flow.

Visuals of Lowes Corporate Headquarters. Images courtesy of HGOR

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Made by Man, Loved by All The master plan for the Lowes Corporate Headquarters site revolved around a seven-acre lake that serves to support stormwater management in the form of a reservoir, as well as the creation of a space for wildlife to seek refuge. The lake was formed by the reimagining of an existing stream that ran through the site prior to construction.

Lowes Corporate Headquarters. Image courtesy of HGOR

Natural Filtration Process The creation of a lake from the existing stream delivered an opportunity to build a small dam, including surrounding waterfalls and wetland settings. The lake is stocked with fish and skirted by wetland plantings that help to improve the quality of the water through natural filtration processes. A Design Masterclass The implementation of natural systems such as wetland plantings mixed with stylized design in the courtyards and structured areas gives the site a natural feel, with the slightest formality given through open social spaces. As someone strolling through the site, you may not immediately notice the planned continuity in the landscape, but rest assured it wasn’t an afterthought. The series of stormwater management and irrigation systems through water courses and bio-retention runs and basins all work in harmony to link the open courtyard areas with the outdoor spaces on the site.

Lowes Corporate Headquarters. Image courtesy of HGOR

How to Achieve a Gold Standard The project initially set out to achieve silver certification by LEED (Leadership in Energy and Efficient Design), but ended up surpassing the silver and attaining gold certification instead. This standard falls only one level below the highest certification, platinum. Recommended reading: