Archives: Works

Auburn University’s Hood McPherson Building

Opening in May 2024, Auburn University renovated a historic building in downtown Birmingham. The new Hood McPherson Building is a 44,000-square-foot urban campus. It provides a new home for two key departments: the Harbert College of Business and the College of Architecture, Design and Construction (CADC).

Williams Blackstock Architects was the A+D firm on the project. The project was recognized at the 2025 IIDA Alabama IDIE Awards. It received “Best of Education (Higher Ed)” and “Best in Show” awards for its superb work.

The Business Interiors team partnered with AU and WBA. They provided furnishings for many of the open areas. The goal was to create a state-of-the-art academic environment.

BI’s furniture scope for the six-floor project focused on a transparent and adaptable environment for students. The main areas included studio galleries, workshare open office spaces, classrooms, and collaborative rooms. The building’s design serves as a teaching tool. Exposed structural, mechanical, and electrical systems reinforce the CADC’s hands-on learning philosophy. The new campus connects students to Birmingham’s urban fabric. It shapes the future of design, construction, and business.

This award-winning project is a great example of combining the old with the new. We’re proud to have been a part of it.

 

Photography by: Nick McGinn

Brasfield & Gorrie Headquarters

Brasfield & Gorrie, one of the nation’s largest privately held construction firms, affirmed its commitment to its future by investing in a major headquarters expansion in its hometown of Birmingham. The project involved adding a three-story, 28,500 sq ft addition designed to support significant company growth and job creation. Business Interiors was tasked with furnishing the company’s new HQ spaces.

We partnered with Goodwyn Mills Cawood (GMC) to implement furniture solutions that reflect the firm’s stature, prioritize employee function, and align with the headquarters’ modern, high-performance aesthetic.

Scaling the Operation
The primary challenge was furnishing the expanded core professional spaces. BI addressed this by outfitting 58 new private offices and 48 new workstations. This large-scale deployment ensured ergonomic support and a unified aesthetic across the entire floorplate, directly supporting the influx of new employees.

Spaces for Leadership and Presentation
Beyond daily workspaces, the project required furnishings for high-stakes decision-making and client interaction. We focused on the executive and client-facing areas:

We provided executive seating and tables for the Boardroom and equipped the Sales Presentation Room. This setup reflects the professionalism of a leading national contractor and supports both confidential executive decision-making and critical client pitches.

Collaboration and Development
BI also furnished essential meeting and training areas. This included four small conference rooms and seating in three large conference rooms to facilitate team collaboration. Additionally, we equipped the Training Room with flexible, durable furniture designed for easy reconfiguration during staff development sessions.

The firm successfully completed this expansion in May 2025. Business Interiors provided the functional foundations necessary for the firm’s continued growth, ensuring every new space supports their standard of excellence as they invest in their employees and their hometown.

 

Photography by: Mason Fischer

Cooper Green Mercy Health

Completed in December 2024, the new Cooper Green Mercy Health building, part of the UAB Health System, provides modern, high-quality ambulatory care to all Jefferson County residents, regardless of their ability to pay. This five-story, 211,000-square-foot facility offers a range of services, including primary and specialty care clinics, urgent care, physical, occupational, and speech therapy, laboratory services, imaging, and a pharmacy.

Business Interiors, selected by the Owner/Architect/Contractor group, collaborated with Gresham Smith, the A+D firm, from the beginning of the 24-month furniture selection process. This collaboration involved multiple healthcare manufacturer showroom visits for product evaluation. The BI team provided ongoing budget updates as Gresham Smith firm developed its product and finish selections.

The project scope included furnishing solutions for all areas of the facility: primary and specialty care clinics, urgent care, therapy areas, laboratory and pharmacy (including specialized furniture), staff offices and workstations, an executive suite with a boardroom, community teaching classrooms (including a test kitchen), break rooms, staff lounges, mother’s rooms, clinic waiting rooms, the concourse lounge, and all other waiting areas.

The result is a healthcare facility that meets the needs of its patients while highlighting that thoughtful and finely tuned design decisions are not exclusive to for-profit facilities.

 

Photography by: Chad Baumer

Akima

Business Interiors is proud to have provided the furniture solutions and installation for Akima’s 31,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Huntsville, Alabama.

This project represents a significant milestone for Akima, as it provides a secure and high-performance workplace tailored to their mission-driven work and underscores their commitment to Huntsville. McMillan Pazdan Smith (formerly Fuqua & Partners Architects) designed the new office, which features a comprehensive furniture solution that includes Herman Miller Canvas workstations, private offices, multiple conference rooms, and collaborative areas, as well as a large breakroom.

Business Interiors worked closely with the A+D firm to select finishes and refine the layout details. We also seamlessly coordinated with Akima’s team at their corporate headquarters in Washington D.C., handling all logistics for remote finish packages, showroom walkthroughs, and demo chair deliveries.

A unique aspect of this project was the successful integration of Akima’s Alaska Native heritage into the design. Culturally significant elements, such as a kayak installed in the lobby ceiling and authentic artifacts, that honor the company’s roots and complement the building’s natural surroundings. The floor-to-ceiling windows and mature trees provided a compelling connection between the interior and exterior environments, enhancing the design intent and creating a beautiful and functional workspace.

Business Interiors is proud to have partnered with Akima, delivering a dynamic and functional workspace that honors their heritage and supports their mission. We are privileged to have been selected for this competitive bid and to contribute to a space that will help them “win,” which is the Iñupiaq translation of “Akima.”

 

A+D Firm: McMillan Pazdan Smith

Photography by: Chad Baumer