SandRidge Commons

SandRidge Energy chose to establish a new corporate
headquarters in the heart of downtown Oklahoma City in a
location vacant for decades. That decision required a plan
to balance company needs and civic engagement while
encouraging and supporting the resurgence of the urban
core.

In response, SandRidge Commons challenges the notion that
high profile projects must press singular archetypal form.
Rather than simply altering the skyline this project proposes
a network of buildings and landscapes that activate the
economic and cultural map of the city.

The first phase of the project opened in June 2013 and
includes the renovation of a Pietro Belluschi designed tower
as the centerpiece of the new civic Commons. It is
complemented by the Braniff Building, a US National Register
of Historic Places property, which has been given new life
with active storefront uses and a new presence through
transparent facades in delicate opposition to the historic
masonry building. The Commons verdant native landscapes
and central shade structure are designed to create
microclimates, protecting employees and the greater
community alike from harsh summer sun and high street-
level winds, extending the seasons for enjoyment.

With the opening of the first phase, adjacent properties have
seen new leasing activity. Some properties are now
planning or have begun renovations for new downtown
housing, hotels and offices. The second phase, now in
construction, includes a new office building for continued
growth alongside a redesigned and expanded city park.

‘Commons’ have been an important urban spatial type since
the founding of American colonial cities. SandRidge
Commons draws from that history of placemaking to
contribute an inviting center for people and a catalytic
strategy to help grow the city's core.