Year: 2020-21
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Client: Griffin
Type: Commercial Office Redevelopment
Size: 2 – Four Story Office Buildings, 350,000 Square Feet Total, 24.4 Acre Site
Status: Completed
Role: James Easton, AIA, NCARB, Project Architect
Firm: Ware Malcomb, Inc.

Crosspoint Office Building Redevelopment

The Crosspoint Office Complex redevelopment represents the transformation of a legacy American Express corporate campus into a contemporary, multi-tenant office environment in North Phoenix. Originally conceived as a single-user facility, the campus embodied the inward-focused planning and oversized floor plates typical of late 20th-century corporate architecture. As market demands shifted, the existing configuration became increasingly obsolete—requiring not cosmetic upgrades, but a fundamental rethinking of identity, circulation, and spatial experience.

The redesign focused on repositioning the campus as a flexible, leasable environment while introducing a new architectural clarity rooted in structure, light, and material expression. Central to this effort is the creation of a new lobby and entry sequence that reorients the building toward openness and visibility. The insertion of a full-height glazed atrium establishes a primary organizing space, allowing daylight to penetrate deep into the building and creating layered visual connections between interior and exterior.

At the heart of the lobby is a custom-designed stair, developed from an initial conceptual diagram into a fully resolved architectural element. With no precedent within the existing documentation, the stair required complete redefinition—geometry, structure, finish, and constructability. The design was developed through detailed modeling, working backward from a precise finish condition into a buildable system. A continuous wood skin wraps the stair form, supported by a concealed structural framework, resulting in a seamless integration of material and geometry. The final constructed element closely matches the original digital model, demonstrating a direct translation from design intent to built form.

The project extends beyond the interior to redefine the exterior identity of the campus. A new steel canopy structure marks the primary entry, establishing scale and presence within the otherwise diffuse site. The canopy integrates a wood soffit and linear lighting, creating a warm, human-scaled threshold. Suspended rain chains replace conventional downspouts, transforming a typically concealed system into an expressive architectural feature that visually connects roof, structure, and ground plane.

Material selection and detailing reinforce the repositioning strategy. Existing brick and glazing systems are complemented by new steel, wood, and glass interventions, creating a dialogue between the original construction and contemporary additions. The design leverages reflection as a primary spatial tool—glass surfaces capture and layer views of sky, structure, and interior space, producing a dynamic visual field that changes throughout the day. Light is not simply admitted into the building; it is shaped, reflected, and amplified to enhance spatial perception.

The redevelopment operates as both an architectural and strategic response to broader shifts in the office market. By introducing shared amenities, clear circulation, and a renewed identity, the project converts a single-purpose corporate asset into a flexible, multi-tenant environment capable of adapting to evolving user demands. At the same time, it acknowledges the long-term trajectory of similar campuses, where adaptability and infrastructure become critical to continued relevance.

Crosspoint demonstrates how existing buildings can be reimagined through precise intervention rather than wholesale replacement. The project is defined by its attention to detail, its commitment to constructability, and its use of light and reflection as primary design drivers. In doing so, it transforms a static corporate environment into an active, contemporary workplace—positioned not only for current use, but for future evolution.

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