Originally overlooked by Verse Design, a Silicon Valley office building project has now risen to acclaim, securing the firm an impressive collection of 20 design accolades, including the BLT Built Design Awards.
Verse Design stands at the forefront of architectural innovation, approaching each project as both a physical and social construct. Their designs delve deep into the intricate layers of lifestyle within form, seamlessly merging the poetic with the performative.
Under the visionary leadership of Paul Tang and Courtenay Bauer, Verse Design executes a diverse range of commissions for clients both domestically and internationally. Tang’s extensive experience, coupled with Bauer’s exceptional talent, drives the firm’s commitment to excellence and creativity.
“The developer was a previous client who invited us to compete against several large, well-known firms for an office project,” says Paul R. Tang, Co-Founding Principal, Verse Design. “I brought only spreadsheets to the interview—no designs—having done a quantitative analysis that proved the project as proposed wouldn’t make economic sense for the developer. Annoyed but intrigued, the developer was impressed by our willingness to place the interest of the project above our interest as designers and asked us to proceed. Verse Design devised a solution that ultimately made the Thirty 75 Tech project even more valuable than the developer had imagined.”
The remarkable success of the Thirty 75 Tech project, manifested through its highly performative design, propelled Verse Design to claim 20 architecture and design accolades in 2023, with more accolades awaiting confirmation.
Commissioned by MDY Properties, the project aimed to craft a cutting-edge office space tailored to tech tenants. Verse Design maximized the site’s potential, expanding the leasable space to 246,606 square feet across six stories—outstripping competitors’ projections by 46,606 square feet, resulting in an additional monthly rent revenue of approximately $185,000 for the client.
To balance the need for energy efficiency and aesthetic appeal, Verse Design created an articulated, louvered screen façade. This mitigates solar heat gain while enhancing the project’s visual appeal, distinguishing it from more generic corporate buildings in Silicon Valley. The louvered façade comprises custom extruded aluminum “airfoil” shapes of varying lengths generated through the synthesis of multiple competing requirements—performative, aesthetic, formal, and physical. The realized animated façade is activated with time and light shifts throughout the day and by how the viewer changes position for varying vantage points, the memory is erased and re-written by the hour. With each extrusion having the same shape, the different angles of rotation enable the spatial illusions.
Recognizing the untapped potential, Verse Design advocated for the inclusion of a civic space within the project, transcending conventional boundaries and fostering community engagement. This visionary approach extended the project’s impact beyond its physical footprint, seamlessly integrating it into the urban fabric.
Initially committed to leasing two floors, tech titan Amazon ultimately leased the entire building, underscoring the project’s resounding success and its transformative impact on the community.
Landscape Architect: SWA Group
General Contractor: Truebeck Construction
MEP Engineer: Glumac
Structural Engineer: Walter P. Moore
Civil Engineer: MacLeod & Associates
Lighting Designer: HLB Lighting Design
Acoustical: Salter
Geotechnical Engineer: Langan
Curtainwall Subcontractor: Architectural Glass & Aluminum
Photographer: Tim Griffith
