Header: Omied Arvin
In San Francisco’s Presidio, family-owned tech company Column just finished building its new office after having trusted the design to Fennie+Mehl Architects. The new workplace was designed with the fact that Column was created with a wife and husband in mind, so the space feels as welcoming and comfortable as a family home.
The clients wanted a warm and functional environment that felt connected to the natural surroundings, allowing them to grow their tech startup without losing touch with where they started. The space was designed within a limited budget and on an accelerated timeline, having overcome challenges such as pandemic-related delays.
The design takes advantage of the abundant natural light that floods through the 10-foot-tall windows installed all over the space, which open up views of the surrounding cypress trees. To complement the landscape, the interior has a bright, earthy palette and natural materials that soften the structure’s original industrial elements, such as exposed concrete columns and ceilings.
The office’s layout puts a strong focus on flexibility, so workers can choose between working together or alone whenever they want. To foster social connection, the designers chose to place a large communal table right in the middle of the space, but breakout areas and more secluded seating arrangements are scattered all over the place. Curved furniture pieces and lighting fixtures contrast with the clean architectural lines of the space, further exploring the duality of “work” and “home”.
The result was recently recognized by the prestigious BLT Built Design Awards as one of the best office designs of the year, having received the Interior Design – Workplace/Office award.
