52 findyour ENTRANCE .com - Silling Associates, Inc.

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Leadership MattersBy Scott RotruckBelow This is the beautiful view ofthe lobby that faces toward the south,overlooking the central sculpture. Thelobby is two stories with glass floorbridges connecting the offices.This image shows a worker tending to the spinning kellybushing. The average well depth ranges from 4,000 to7,000 feet.Hundreds celebrated the Augustgroundbreaking of the Chesapeake EnergyEastern Division Headquarters. Now the workbegins—bringing what’s been called “anarchitectural wonder” to life will take innovationand commitment. Construction begins inDecember, with completion expected in 2009.The present design includes space for 300offices at a price of $30 million. It was createdby Elliott + Associates Architects in OklahomaCity, partnering with Silling Associates, Inc., inCharleston.The building’s design is inspired by the artand science of natural gas exploration. It issemi-circular, and at each end steel extensionsjut out at varying lengths, depicting rotation orthe spin of a drill bit. The concentric motion isfurther referenced by the staggered nature ofthe windows that surround the structure. Greenspace and parking complete the circle. In thecenter, a sculpture references the spiral motionof a drilling well.The architects also paid careful attentionto the surroundings, as West Virginia’s foliageand topography affect the way the buildingwill be situated on the grounds. The centerof the rotation is the highest point on the site.Minimal excavation work is needed to beginconstruction. The breathtaking setting will bepreserved for Chesapeake employees andvisitors to enjoy.The headquarters will be a “CertifiedGreen Building” and must meet numerousenvironment-friendly features, specificallyfocusing on the building’s heating and coolingefficiency and storm water runoff. Onelocal newspaper pointed to the project andconcluded that Chesapeake is poised to “takeleadership on eco-friendly offices.”In addition to the Charleston headquarters,Chesapeake has a field office comprised ofthree buildings in Jane Lew in Lewis County.Chesapeake Energy Corporation’sOklahoma City “campus” is one of the premiercorporate working environments in the UnitedStates. It is a 60-acre college “campus”environment done in the Georgian-stylearchitecture reminiscent of the ChesapeakeBay region. Employees enjoy two on-campusrestaurants and an award-winning healthfacility. Chesapeake believes its employees areits most valuable asset. The company’s goal isto provide state-of-the-art facilities and tools toenable their talented people to move quickly,adapt to change, build esprit de corps anddeliver value creation.Elements of the Eastern DivisionHeadquarters mimic the Oklahoma Citycampus. The new building will also have arestaurant and workout facility for employees.The CEO, Aubrey McClendon, discourages agreat degree of separation between upper-levelmanagers and frontline employees. Therefore,there are a maximum of four floors on any ofthe company’s buildings. The company hasa low-hierarchy management team that helpsprovide dynamic leadership. In fact, Forbesnamed Chesapeake the “Best ManagedCompany in the Oil and Gas Industry.”Chesapeake Energy is the most activedriller of new wells in the United States and theAppalachian Basin is vital to the company’scontinued growth. The talent housed in theEastern Division Headquarters in West Virginiawill help shape the company and the naturalgas industry for decades to come. One of thecompany’s mantras is “Leadership Matters.”Chesapeake is excited to be making the boldstatement to West Virginians that it plans tomake a positive impact on the quality of life ofall citizens across the beautiful state. This image shows a typical steel drill bit. The drill bitgrinds up the rock and dirt to make the hole.VOLUME 2findyour ENTRANCE .com55
Teaming forSuccess in theNew CenturyBy Edward Weber, AIAThe 21st Century has seen enormouschallenges carried over from the lastcentury as well as emerging ones thatwill only be solved with leadership,vision and teamwork. Whether it is thechanging climate, adjusting to shiftingglobal economies or developing newenergy technologies, our success as agreat society depends on making thenecessary adaptation to these newrealities.While one architectural projectdoes not solve all of the challengeswe face, it can act as an exampleof what can be accomplishedwhen corporate values alignwith community development,environmental responsibility andarchitectural vision. The 21st Centurywill see great innovation withbuildings that use less energy andcontribute to a healthy, productivework environment. These buildingswill in turn add to the enhancementof their clients’ success as well asthe enrichment of the communitiesin which they are built. This newarchitectural approach will showthat it is possible to have the idealsof a successful society representedin buildings that are efficient andpleasing.It is not often that all of theseelements come together, but whenthey do it is no accident. Wheneveryone from state and localgovernment officials and the buildingowner to designers and contractorswork together, the results can beinspirational. and economic impact to West Virginia cannot beoverstated. We believe it will also raise the levelof architectural discourse and building designthroughout the region.”With their move into the Appalachian Basin,Chesapeake could have taken a low-profi leincremental approach to their expansion, utilizingexisting offi ce facilities for their operations, but thatwould not fi t McClendon’s style or philosophy. “I’malways amazed at how boring some places lookon the outside, I can’t imagine how anyone wouldlike to work at a company with no character,”says McClendon. He believes vibrant, healthywork environments, with people compensatedaccording to their value creation, not only attractsa high-skilled and highly productive workforcebut pays back dividends to the company andshareholders. The following information offersinsight into the integration of corporate values andidentity with design and technology as representedin the new Chesapeake Energy Eastern DivisionHeadquarters.Designed Intention—Drilling with Core ValuesChesapeake’s business and communityidentity are embodied in the building designconcept.Chesapeake has been at the forefront ofits industry in recognizing the many positivecharacteristics of natural gas that can meet ourcountry’s dual needs of more energy and cleanerair. Around 2000, the company embraced naturalgas and ever since then has been pursuing itsstrategy of developing large scale natural gasresources in the U.S. “Natural gas is the perfectfuel for the 21st century—it’s clean, affordable,abundant and American,” says McClendon.“Twenty-two states in the U.S. produce naturalgas and West Virginia has always been animportant producer among them and remains sotoday. More importantly, we believe West Virginiacontains vast amounts of natural gas reservesthat have not yet been discovered and we intendto lead the way in fi nding them in the yearsahead.”It is this mission that drives the companyand provides inspiration to the design teamfor Chesapeake’s new Eastern DivisionHeadquarters. Design architect Rand Elliott,FAIA, explains that the concept for the site andbuilding design derives from the essential natureof the company. “We were inspired by the gasdrilling process in general and the inherent notionof the clockwise rotation of the drill bit itself.Every employee and visitor to the campus will beengaged on a daily basis with what the companyis about and what everyone is working togetherRight This is a view of the southwestcorner of the building showing the smallbuilding footprint and the two-storyglass enclosure “floating” above theland.VOLUME 2findyour ENTRANCE .com57
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