Coworking brand American Underground (AU) has launched its newest location across 40,000 square feet of the historic American Tobacco Campus in Durham, North Carolina. Spanning Bays 9 and 10 of the Washington Building, the workspace serves as a vibrant community hub for more than 275 startups, growth-stage companies, creatives, remote workers, and entrepreneurs. The project is also crafted by Little Diversified Architectural Consulting in homage to AU’s entrepreneurial spirit and Durham’s industrial heritage.
“One of our biggest sources of inspiration was Durham itself. We wanted the space to feel authentically connected to the city, not as though we had simply layered local references onto the design,” says Little Diversified senior interior designer Megan Williams. “American Underground’s own identity was equally important. AU wanted a workplace that felt quirky, memorable and a little unexpected, so we looked for opportunities to bring its personality into the historic character of American Tobacco Campus rather than compete with it.”
The flexible layout comprises open areas, private offices, meeting rooms, a fully equipped podcast studio, community garden, and botanical library. The Art Deco vernacular of the city’s surrounding entertainment and sports district inspires bold carpet patterns, while the stained glass ceiling of local fixture Letterpress Books is channeled across custom ceiling wallcoverings in the community garden. Vibrant blue tones complement AU branding as well as Durham sports culture, standing out against soft red and rust tones referencing the industrial character of the site as well. Dialogues between old and new are narrated across the design layered with intentional artwork, quirky decor, and vintage furnishings.
