Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, California, designed by Studio O+A fuses green standards with fun, dynamism and more…
The award-winning team of Studio O+A is a San Francisco-based interior design firm founded by Primo Orpilla and Verda Alexander during the dot-com boom of the early 1990s. The studio started with sophisticated SOMA design for Silicon Valley start-ups and the venture firms. Now they are designing for eBay, Levi Strauss, and Williams Sonoma.
When global social networking site Facebook, (that connects people worldwide) relocated its headquarters to California, they roped in Studio O+A, a San Francisco-based interiors design firm, to create an open, collaborative work environment. Focused on innovation and creating a youthful and interactive open work environment, Verda Alexander explains, “We wanted a more mature set-up than some of the other industry peers, and were looking to create a space that reflects that balance.” Along with creating an interactive zone, the firm also weaved in the green touch making this headquarters the first commercial project completed under Palo Alto’s 2008 Green Building Ordinance, making extensive use of existing architectural features, recycling millwork from the original lab, and re-purposing industrial components for post-industrial use. Other sustainable features include high recycled-content carpet and energy-efficient lighting.
The new headquarters facilitates interaction and connection, truly reflecting the company’s mission of social networking. The 1,50,000-sq. ft. structure at Palo Alto’s Stanford Research Park brings together more than 700 employees originally scattered throughout 10 locations in and around downtown Palo Alto. Keeping in mind that the new facility had to accommodate employees coming from various regions, the firm emphasized on ‘flexibility’ and yet maintained each division’s distinct identity. The design takes its inspiration from the patchwork nature of Facebook users and employees, bringing together seemingly disparate elements to form a cohesive pattern in combination with colour to create neighbourhoods within the open plan space.
Creating a central work zone for the executives, so that it is accessible to all employees, large lounges and open spaces provide venues for the community to come together. A kitchen and cafe were created to continue Facebook’s tradition of providing gourmet meals to staff at all hours, while drinks and snacks are available at micro-kitchens throughout the headquarters.
Many walls and spaces are left unfinished: employees are encouraged to write on the walls, add artwork, and move furniture as needed, allowing the building to evolve continuously. A bright orange industrial crane, left over from the building’s previous user, was re-purposed by San Francisco sculptor Oliver DiCicco to support a table surface from its heavyweight hoist, offering maximum maneuverability. Another feature of the industrial aesthetic of the building, a canopy spreads up one wall and onto the ceiling, defining a central meeting area that can double as an impromptu auditorium. Mounted on threaded rods of varying length to achieve an undulating effect, the canopy absorbs sound and is penetrated at intervals by overhead lighting. An outdoor basketball court and indoor ping-pong table offer opportunities for recreation. And it is not unusual to see employees zipping along the concrete floors on two-wheeled skateboards.
The successful interpretation of the client’s requirement along with their design nuances has resulted into an unusual workspace that offers a functionality and flexibility. The office truly reflects the ethos of company.
Compiled by: Swati G Balgi; Photographs: Cesar Rubio & Jasper Sanidad
