To address the owner's desire to attract creative-type office tenants, the design team strategically upgraded this vacant four-story tilt-up concrete building to attract new tenants and provide flexibility.
By focusing on public and "high impact" spaces such as the exterior balconies and lobby areas, the team was able to give the developer high value for their investment.
Previously functioning as a defense systems company's offices, the building was dark and inhospitable. The renovation breathed new life into the existing structure and softened its hard edges and foreboding presence by making the building almost transparent.
Through the addition of landscaped amenity spaces and carefully located openings for natural light, the building became more connected to the street and to the surrounding campus.
Design moves were made to connect the interior with the outside, both physically and visually. A rich palette of materials - including wood, anodized aluminum, and clear glass - was introduced, inviting users to touch and feel.
The prominent building entries now visually announce themselves with dynamic canopies that integrate a brand identity and welcome tenants as they arrive.
The new interior layout features entrance lobbies that provide opportunities for multiple tenants per floor while also lending a creative, open feel to the overall space. Two levels of parking occupy the top floors, with bright graphic signage carried throughout these spaces as well.
The newly renovated building fetched the highest rent per square foot for the South Bay according to a report in February of 2015.