TechSmith Headquarters

Founded in 1987, TechSmith has grown from software startup to market leader in digital content creation products. The company aimed to consolidate its operations into a single headquarters building to foster a more effective work environment and enhance its cohesive work culture, emphasizing employee and environmental health. The new headquarters is the first building at Spartan Village, a 140-acre innovation park on the west side of the Michigan State University campus, developed in partnership with the MSU Research Foundation.

Driven by TechSmith’s goals, the headquarters sets a precedent for future-forward design. Large windows and an open core with communicating stair allow daylight to permeate its teamwork areas and social spaces, infusing every corner with energy. A multi-level walking trail loops through the building, encouraging activity and interaction. Sustainable design strategies and building materials contribute to an environment dedicated to promoting physical and mental wellbeing.

Recognizing the importance of individual flexibility in today's work culture, the design accommodates a wide range of workstyles while promoting a cohesive and collaborative atmosphere. Hyper-focused individual workspaces, affectionately known as smoffices, line the perimeter corridor on the building’s south side. Acoustically isolated team pods for groups of four to eight people are situated along the exterior glass on the north side, providing bright, yet glare-free, workspaces. Shared access to daylight drove the floor plan organization; 80 percent of occupied spaces have views of nature and the surrounding site.  

The inclusion of the multi-level walking trail promotes staff wellbeing by encouraging physical movement as a social activity or for moments of respite. The trail spans two floors, traversing along open stairs, a fitness space, game area, coffee bar and large communal gathering core. It enjoys direct views of nature, daylight from clerestory glazing, biophilic elements, and graphics on the ceiling and walls.    

Driven by TechSmith’s sustainability goals, the design uses LEED as both a goalsetting tool and framework for sustainable design strategies. The building was carefully positioned to make efficient use of passive energy conservation strategies. With the addition of photovoltaic panels on the roof, it exceeds energy code minimum requirements by more than 40 percent and uses less than half the energy required of a typical office building. The design focused on judicious use of resources, reducing materials and specifying recycled materials where possible. It employs modular building planning, all Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood and exposed building systems to eliminate unnecessary materials. Durable, environmentally conscious materials protect occupant health, such as low-emitting paints, coatings and flooring, along with enhanced air filtration with a minimum MERV-13 rating. This focus on sustainable building materials also extended to space planning, including demountable partitions that can be repositioned over time, adding future flexibility and longevity while reducing embodied carbon emissions over the life of the building. 

Fostering a sense of unity, purpose, and wellbeing, the TechSmith headquarters reflects the MSU Research Foundation's vision for a dynamic, collaborative innovation district at Spartan Village.