Zurich North America held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday to open its new headquarters building in Schaumburg, Illinois.
Many of the 3,000 employees and contractors who will work in the building contributed to the crowdsourcing of ideas regarding workspace features, the company said.
Several of the design suggestions — especially those enhancing communication, collaboration and wellness — are being replicated in other Zurich offices around the United States, according to the company
Zurich North America's new headquarters building is 11-stories tall, contains 783,800 square feet of space and sits on a 40-acre site, which includes 2,774 parking spaces.
Focus on sustainability
"This building is a showcase of all we are at Zurich: its excellence in design, its focus on sustainability, and its reflection of our employees," said Mike Foley, chief executive officer for Zurich North America.
The headquarters building has received the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for its multiple green roofs, rainwater harvesting, accommodations for electric vehicles and energy efficient technologies, along with a landscape that includes native plants and more than 600 trees.
Home in Illinois for over 100 years
"Zurich has called Illinois home for more than 100 years," said Dennis Kerrigan, chief legal officer and executive sponsor of the new headquarters project. "We value our continued relationship with the community as an employer and contributor to the regional economy. We know many of our employees live in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, and it was important to us to maintain and grow our staff and continue to be a great place to work."
Four Zurich North America employees — John Keohane, Peggy Alario, Kathy Moran and Lud Picarro — who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks are remembered in a garden in their honor on the grounds, the company said.
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