Contract - January/February 2014 - 110

interiors awards

office: small

Client
the Giant Pixel
Corporation

Location
san Francisco

Studio O+A
"Clever details make this project stand out. It has a sophisticated
palette that is a departure from the typical startup aesthetic, with
textures that are both raw and refined. The furnishings and bold
lighting choices reinforce the individuality of the design." JUrY

By Lydia Lee
Photography by
Jasper Sanidad

an interior with its roots in the industrial past has
been reimagined as a space-age version of the
eames workshop by studio o+a for san Francisco
tech-startup Giant Pixel. Concrete walls and heavy
wood joists were left exposed in this former printing
press built more than a century ago. a few new
design elements-including a suspended fireplace,
orb-shaped speakers, and plenty of chrome
furnishings-reference the groovy 1960s. still, other
new elements bridge the eras, such as a cantilevered
white concrete desk and a water-jet-cut room
divider made of cold-rolled steel.
"the clients gave us a lot of leeway, and they
had the same interest in getting a good product,"
says neil Bartley, senior project manager at san
Francisco-based studio o+a, led by Contract
2011 designers of the Year Verda alexander and
Primo orpilla.
the successful tech entrepreneurs who
founded Giant Pixel-a company that programs
110

gaming applications-are similarly passionate about
design. "i've always wanted to work in an awesome
office," says co-founder alan Braverman. "and i
wanted to build a space that our friends and people
from neighboring startups would want to visit, to
help us recruit engineers and designers."
the star of the reception area is the showstopping concrete desk, a custom piece by oakland-
based Concreteworks. its hollow concrete shell is
supported by an internal steel structure that is
bolted to the frame of the building. at the entrance,
a divider of cold-rolled steel has been water-jet cut
with a pattern of binary code that spells out the text
of the opening crawl of Star Wars.
the team's intense dedication to detail can
be found in subtler touches elsewhere. For instance,
conference room tables often have solid bases to
conceal wiring, but the tables in Giant Pixel have
been custom-designed by Los angeles-based
MasHstudios with cutout bases to create a
sense of transparency.
the two-story office is outfitted with open
Knoll antenna workspaces as well as standing desks
to accommodate different modes of working, while
whiteboards of glossy back-painted glass promote
brainstorming. the office has three private meeting
rooms, as well as a living room area defined by a
midcentury inspired Fireorb fireplace suspended
from the ceiling, curved plywood Jehs+Laub shrimp
chairs, and soft arper poufs.
work also occurs in the basement, where staff
gather in the company's lounge and program next to

each other on banquettes upholstered in caramel
calfskin. the polished underground space, which
Bartley describes as "the speakeasy of the future,"
has a long bar with custom millwork and stainlesssteel fittings. several vintage arcade games
are handy for blowing off steam. the loungeappropriate mood lighting includes sonneman orb
chandeliers and a strip of illuminated concrete along
the edge of the ceiling. "it's one of those little moves
that are fun for a designer," Bartley says. "it's rare to
get to that level of detail in commercial interiors."
since taking occupancy about a year ago,
the Giant Pixel team has grown into its new office
space. the bar has become an incredibly popular
spot-what was originally intended to be a monthly
happy hour has become a weekly event-and,
therefore, its white floor has already required
refinishing. Braverman's only complaint is that the
Friday happy hour occasionally interrupts him in the
throes of programming. "our company is working
on three projects at a time," he says. "it's a very
productive space." c

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january | february 2014

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Contract - January/February 2014

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