Executive Briefing Center
Experience Center One (EC1), opened in Fall 2025, is Microsoft’s flagship, 161,000 sq. ft., multi-floor dedicated customer destination on its Redmond campus – equal parts executive briefing center, conference hub, and immersive technology showcase. Designed to demonstrate that AI is not just emerging but foundational, the space invites visitors to ask bigger questions and rethink what’s possible for their industries.
Downstream, now a part of Elevate Creative, was brought on to deliver a meaningful brand evolution of an already successful executive briefing center while operating at massive scale and complexity. The team led environmental design for the Floor 1 customer pavilions, created the signature immersive tunnel experience, and served as AV design and engineering lead across all three floors. The challenge wasn’t just creative—it was operational. Over a 5+ year timeline, our team navigated deep collaboration across multiple Microsoft stakeholder groups and vendor partners, with the responsibility of ensuring every layer of technology met Microsoft’s exacting standards and was executed flawlessly.
Downstream, now a part of Elevate Creative, partnered closely with Microsoft to reimagine the Floor 1 experience as a flexible, future-ready environment that could evolve alongside rapidly changing technology.
The team designed a system of modular pavilion structures that shape how customers move through the space—balancing openness with guided storytelling. Materiality, lighting, and spatial flow were intentionally crafted to create cohesion while allowing each demo to stand on its own. Built with adaptability in mind, the pavilions enable quick content swaps with minimal disruption, ensuring long-term relevance.
At the heart of the experience is the immersive tunnel, a fully enveloping environment featuring floor-to-ceiling and overhead digital displays, paired with spatial audio. As visitors move along a gradual ramp, the tunnel transforms passive viewing into a kinetic, multi-sensory moment that consistently stands out as a highlight of the visit.
