Corporate Culture: The architecture embodies the culture of this innovative company. Using strong interior accent colors with fine, straight grained wood, the bold yet understated design of this venture firm’s headquarters expresses the company’s reputation for both risk taking with clean technology companies in potentially major, disruptive markets and sophisticated, in-depth analysis.
Work Environment: The long narrow site is close to adjacent residential and commercial buildings. To achieve privacy, redwood and bamboo are used for screening. Vegetated roofs and a podium garden are used to create a garden setting for the transparent, pavilion-like building. The garden and wood finishes provide a warm, intimate work environment.
Commercial Prefabrication: To reduce on-site construction and disruption to neighbors adjacent to the infill site, the two-story office building is made of prefabricated steel modules set on a concrete parking podium. The design is developed from an initial concept of Ray Kappe and the owner, and in collaboration with Living Homes as prefabricated module consultant.