BOSTON — SGA, a Boston and New York-based architecture, planning and interior design firm, today announced that it recently completed TitletownTech, an innovation center built by Titletown Development, the development arm of the Green Bay Packers.
TitletownTech (Titletown being the nickname for Green Bay) is a joint venture of the Green Bay Packers and Microsoft. Microsoft will have employees based at TitletownTech, including a Technologist in Residence, who will be a resource to entrepreneurs in the program.
Microsoft’s TechSpark initiative – a civic program created to focus on communities in six states, including Wisconsin, also will have a representative work out of TitletownTech.
TitletownTech is a 45,000 square foot innovation that features a 3-part structure:
- An innovation lab, where entrepreneurs, subject matter experts and established regional businesses can innovate disruptive new ideas with a focus on sports, media and entertainment; digital health; agriculture, environment and water (AEW); and advanced manufacturing and supply chain technology.
- Once conceived in the innovation lab, the project is turned over to the Venture Studio where it is further developed into a viable, scalable and fundable start-up, able to compete in the marketplace and gain traction. Here, early stage companies have valuable access to: the TitletownTech Team, Microsoft Technologists, University of Wisconsin leadership, visiting fellows and pioneering businesses from around the region.
- A venture fund that invests in high-growth startups aligned with industries in Northeastern Wisconsin that will bring opportunity to the region.
TitletownTech is the innovation center launched and operated by Titletown Development LLC. and designed by SGA. TitletownTech and the TitletownTech logo are trademarks of the Green Bay Packers. [Copyright © 2019 by SGA and Ari Burling Photography]
“We know that innovation happens in environments where entrepreneurs can connect, collaborate and form communities that help them exchange, mingle and evolve their ideas into radically new forms,” says Brooks Slocum, SGA’s NY Studio Manager. “In order to ignite this creative behavior – the architect creates ‘a stage’ on which innovation and collaboration can flourish. We apply creative spatial strategies that maximize the power of proximity, the need for flexibility and spontaneity and the desire for the diverse and fluid exchange of ideas between people, sectors and disciplines.”
TitletownTech was designed to facilitate new idea generation while respecting the area’s deep heritage in a highly collaborative atmosphere. The modern design reflects Wisconsin’s old mill buildings and industrial past by showcasing brick, steel and warm woods. It also forecasts the Midwest’s digital future through the use of high-tech glass and state-of-the art materials.
Titletown Development envisioned TitletownTech as a vibrant center for creativity and a year-round destination. Every aspect of this spectacular cantilevered glass jewel box was designed as a “trophy case” that celebrates the entire community. The building is fully integrated into the landscape, with wide-open views to the iconic Lambeau Field.
The first floor of the expansive atrium features flexible seating, reminiscent of stadium bleachers and encourages people to interact as they transition from the main floor to the second. Informal lounges and social spaces are interspersed throughout. There are pre-planned “hot-spots” where guests might naturally congregate for impromptu meet-ups and gatherings. Linear teardrop lighting brings a human element to the high-tech architecture. There are “sandbox” spaces including an oversized, writable magnetic wall for visitors to playfully doodle on and converse around. Guests can wander up to the second floor, or mezzanine, and discover the cafes where there are sofas, couches and moveable seating ideal for casual dining, parties and events. The building also features a roof deck facing Lambeau Field – perfect for formal meetings and informal gatherings.
