Contract - May 2014 - 133

Exploded Axon Illustration
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Parking with car lifts
Podium garden
Steel modular structure
Elevator
Stair
Roof with vegetated trays and PV panels
Operable skylight
Aluminum curtain wall
Cedar cladding and stair
Steel structure substructure
Steel facade substructure
Cedar facade screen
Steel trellis with cedar screen

Murdoch's design incorporates 12-foot-by-60-foot steel modules
that could be trucked to the site, gaining some of the efficiencies of
prefab. As a result, the support columns for the building are smaller
and more tightly spaced than those in a typical commercial building,
augmenting its residential feel. He also placed demountable walls
wherever a shear wall was not required, allowing the floor plan to be
reconfigured easily to provide incubator space for startups if the need
arises. A prominent outdoor staircase along the front of the building
also gives the client the option of leasing the second floor separately.

A wooden screen (left) on
the exterior creates privacy
and shades interior spaces.
Fronting the perimeter offices
are floor-to-ceiling glass walls
(opposite, top) that allow light
to penetrate hallways and
lounge areas near the center
of the building. The top
portion of a half door
(opposite, bottom) can
be opened separately
to allow for fresh air.

Material palette takes cues from nature, with a twist
The interior finishes and wide expanses of glass connect the building
with the surrounding nature. Paneling of straight-grained fir, wirebrushed to heighten its seersucker-like texture, has an effect that is
both raw and refined. Custom furnishings by Creative Wood Products
of Oakland include a curved reception desk and a series of open
workstations, also made of wire-brushed fir. Overhead, the architects
specified a combination of panelized solutions from Ceilings Plus: The
Illusions system of white perforated panels provides acoustic control
and conceals all the mechanicals, while the wood-veneered aluminum
Barz linear ceiling system provides a continuation of the trellises on the
exterior. Taking its cues from the warm tones of the wood, the flooring
is beige integral colored concrete.
To create an exciting juxtaposition to the soothing neutrals, the
designers introduced a burst of bright color. "If the building was just
all wood and glass, it would be a little too low-key and soft," Murdoch
says. "This is a high-powered operation that takes a lot of risks in major
markets. To express that aspect of what they do, we wanted to bring in
a bold accent." Bright purple panels of laminated glass surround the
reception area and line the stairwell, which glows thanks to the skylight
above. LED cove lighting further brightens the walls and gently
illuminates the space.
Sculptural purple sofas by Dune and Nanimarquina gray shag
rugs add to the youthful sensibility of the reception area, as do the
distinctly contemporary furnishings elsewhere on the floors, including
Moroso Saruyama Island and Vitra Monopod lounge seating, and
Moroso Fjord Stones and Knoll Maya Lin Stones tables. "Different
generations are working together in the company," Murdoch says.
"We were trying to speak to them all." c
contract

Contract - May 2014

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