Alternative Technology Client

General Contractors

Harvey Cleary Builders

Makers

Sarabi Studio

Photographer

Garrett Rowland

Finishes

Interface
Stone Source
Clé Tile
Statements Tile
Daltile
Camira Fabrics
Designtex
MCNICHOLS
Sherwin Williams
Benjamin Moore
Caesarstone
Delta
Armstrong
Rulon

FF&E

TWO Furnish
KBM-Hogue
Andreu World
Stellar Works
Knoll

Consultants, Engineers,
Sub-contractors

Epic Project Management
Wylie Consulting Engineers
Tsen Engineering
Buda Woodworks
Lightswitch
Kastle
Cafe Medici
DGI Technologies
PK-30
Juniper Lighting

Leaving their San Francisco roots for Austin boots.

Progressive spatial organization, exposed infrastructure, and sharp contrast create the foundation for this fast-tracked flagship office that was only a year in the making. To deliver a project that would attract the workforce for this alternative technology client moving from San Francisco to Austin, we created a cohesive look that articulates their company ethos and aligns with their—and their product’s—minimalist aesthetic.

Though the office shares a design vocabulary we had established for the client’s offices around the world, it remains distinctly Austin. Honest architectural materials (steel, wood & concrete) in unison with warm tones and leather furnishings (benches resembling saddles, ceramic tile referencing the city’s ubiquitous glazed bricks and burnt-orange finishes matching the University of Texas at Austin’s signature color) the design becomes a multi-layered space that is unmistakably Austin, without having to put a graphic of a local landmark on the wall.

As a building originally designed for multiple tenants, our first task was to repurpose it for a single occupant. The ground floor, originally slated for retail, became a flex breakroom that easily adjusts for all-hands meetings, and is flanked by a café, bar, and game room. A central atrium connecting the second and third floors originally sealed off with aluminum mullions and glass was reworked to become an open and airy gathering spot flooded with natural light at the heart of the building and now features a custom blackened- steel planter that climbs the concrete wall. To reduce sound from easily ricocheting to workstations at the building perimeter, multiple sound-absorbing touchdown areas with rugs and throw pillows, upholstered pods & booths, and various conference rooms sporting black aluminum-framed storefront systems—a signature aesthetic implemented across their offices—create a buffer surrounding the atrium.

Following several successful, award-winning, project completions from this design team, we asked them to initiate work on a new flagship office for our company. The challenge, like projects before, was to develop a space that was not only functional but beautiful and inspiring, and with the development in this new market, we raised the bar of our expectations even further.

For us, this was a meaningful real estate investment in a grade-A location with tremendous potential. Happily, we can report that the design team not only met but exceeded the mark.

Our Austin office is an incredible mix of energy and focus. There are well-defined areas to collaborate, celebrate, and come together as a team. All of that is creatively joined together with exceptional areas dedicated to focus, create, and expand, and all of it is beautifully designed to boot. We made a major strategic choice in moving our workforce to Austin and assuring them that their workspace was exceptionally added an additional layer for the entire team. Luckily, the design team made this vision a reality, and their contributions are part of the foundation that makes our growth possible.