An adaptive reuse HQ driven by sustainability, inclusivity + community investment

In 2019, Omni Ecosystems acquired a 2.5-acre block on State Street between 41st and 42nd Streets in the Bronzeville neighborhood on Chicago's South Side. The site consists of a one-acre vacant lot and an industrial building, which was built in the 1920s and housed the historic Bowman Dairy Company. After purchasing the site, Omni began the adaptive reuse of the building for its new corporate headquarters. The facility aimed to support a diverse array of functions performed by Omni's multidisciplinary team; communicate Omni's brand as a leading landscape architecture and green infrastructure company; and support the greater Bronzeville community. 

An 11,000-square-foot green roof with flexible four-season gathering space that is accessible for use by community partners. The green roof features more than 32 trees, diverse and verdant plants in a conifer and birch woodland grove, a maple stand, manicured lawn, secret garden with apple trees and rose bushes, and an expansive wildflower meadow. In addition to beautification and stormwater benefits, the roof is a place for experimentation and innovation. The green roof components, soil and trees in the maple stand weigh 60 pounds per square foot fully saturated, compared to the 240 pounds per square foot that would have been required had traditional green roofing techniques and technology been applied.