Sprouts Farmers Market Headquarters | RSP Architects

With rapid growth and an IPO under their belt, Sprouts took the time to evaluate their space and found their existing space left much to be desired – disjointed spaces un-reflective of their mission and culture which is showcased so well in their retail stores. To continue to attract the best talent and more accurately portray the brand, Sprouts turned to RSP to create a modern, open and sustainable office space. The result: a space that captures the grocery store chain’s brand, values and aesthetic.

The project includes a four-level tenant improvement of approximately 7433㎡ along with a 139㎡ retail store within a mixed-use development in northeast Phoenix, Arizona. The small format store is a new concept for Sprouts. The store serves both Sprouts employees and other workers in the development as well as residents of the surrounding neighborhood. The concept is so successful that leadership is looking at other potential applications in urban locales. The remaining floors house the grocery store chain’s corporate offices and include a variety of unique office spaces to encourage collaboration and engagement.

How do you capture the brand of a highly themed retail company and translate it to a corporate office setting? That’s exactly the design challenge posed to the RSP team. Even before meeting the Sprouts executives, RSP visualized the lobby as the “farm house front porch”. The space evoked a laid back atmosphere where everyone feels welcome and invited. The new corporate lobby would be an approachable and transparent window into the operations of the company, showcasing the inherent trust and value of the Sprouts brand.

Incorporating elements such as fruit and vegetable crates, mason-jar lighting, mesh screening, and gingham along with playful messaging and even farm house swing’s, employees have a constant reminder of the Sprouts brand within the office space.

The floorplan layout accommodates the 300 employees in a mix of open office with closed office at the perimeter.  Each of the four floors has a themed elevator lobby to help with wayfinding: a barn wall with a clothesline for marketing materials and custom made metal flowers, an aerial view of farm fields using synthetic turf, and an open market feel with festoon lighting and the Sprouts logo made from over 2,100 custom dowels.  Punctuating the floorplate are collaboration areas with a modern aesthetic and messaging as to the historical uses of various vegetables.

Sprouts also desired a commercial kitchen.  The space is adjacent to the employee café and provides an area for not only the Sprouts chef to develop new products, but also a vendor area for some of the many products that may one day soon be found on the retailer’s shelves. Overall, the new office epitomizes the Sprouts brand and culture.