Award-winning energy complex throws SandRidge’s support behind Oklahoma City’s downtown revamp.

When the leaders of Oklahoma City began serious efforts to revitalize the city’s decayed downtown, SandRidge Energy assisted them by relocating its headquarters from the town’s outskirts. A master plan created for the new offices spans multiple buildings and numerous city blocks, using existing and new buildings, with the goal of balancing architecture and landscaping to meet company needs and civic involvement.

The plan, designed by Rogers Architects with FSB as the A/E of Record, centers around an existing Pietro Belluschi-designed tower which serves as the focal point of the new complex, known as the Commons. The 30-story tower (named one of the “10 Best Buildings in Oklahoma” by the American Institute of Architecture) is the former home of Kerr-McGee, one of the nation’s largest oil and gas companies and is the recipient of an AIA 25-year award for timeless architecture. The new tower lobby presents a façade of aluminum and wooden fins, referencing SandRidge’s geological engineering techniques as well as complementing the lyrical patterns of the Belluschi facades.

An “outdoor interior” civic space connects the tower to other buildings on site. This allows employees and visitors to enjoy the city’s native regional landscapes in an environment where they’re protected from downtown’s street-level high winds, which frequently discourage outdoor activity.