AOL's Offices

I recently started working on an office renovation that promised to be fun and exciting.  Then we got the initial pricing back from the plan where the client got everything they ever dreamed of {I did too}.  Now things have to be chopped in half.  Reality bites.  The funny thing is, the client took it better than I did, though I pretended otherwise until I returned to the office.  In the end, it's my job to give people the feel they want at a price they can afford.  So that is what I will put my ego aside to do.  It really helps that the client is interesting and fun to work with so I know things will work out in the end.

With that out of the way, let's look at offices for companies who have money to spend on design and money to spend on their offices.  Or people who have money to spend on people designing a cheap but nice office {it may not seem like it, but it costs money to design things like this even if the final materials aren't expensive}.

AOL's Palo Alto office {found via Dezeen but from 2001} is one of these offices.  The thing I'm most enamored with are the 'X' lights in the bright colors.  Well, that and the mix of colors and the relaxed industrial vibe.

I would want to hang out in both of the spaces below and work, or read a book.  Not exactly work activities...but fun activities.

{all images via Dezeen.  Office design by Studio O+A.}

Laminated

A lot of my work these days is designing offices where cheap and fast is the name of the game.  Laminate is both the bane of my existence and something that can make me very, very happy.  There are a lot of bad styles and patterns that need to be retired, but with a bit of searching you can find some that are actually nice.

I happened to hear a story on the radio last week that mentioned it is the 100th anniversary of Formica about the same time I took this snapshot of some laminate {and the shiny, modern pulls} that I loved.  I mentioned this project previously in a post about the finishes that got away, and this is what we wound up using.  There's no high-gloss, but I'm loving the cross hatch pattern on the door fronts.

the lunch room

The rest of the office is light and bright with of my favorite corporate office carpets {this is the shot from the carpet company below}.

It's nice when a project turns out well, and it really helps when you have an excellent client.

What do you think, could you live with this acid green carpet?  It was pretty controversial when it was proposed but is pretty subtle on the floor.

Red and Turquoise - Part II

So, after last week's post on the red and turquoise color combination, Herman Miller sent me this {they email me once a week, it was just a coincidence}.

via Herman Miller

The red is a bit more clean and the turquoise is a genuine turquoise {as opposed to the previous blue which was verging on teal}.  I still like it, maybe a bit more than the last.  I think part of the reason the colors above work so well is because of all the white, this allows the colors to breathe {I can't think of a better word for this} and be seen as an accent.

I always find it interesting to see everyone's opinion on colors since they are so personal and can cause such emotional reactions in people.  I was recently asked to propose an additional carpet for a project I'm working on.  The acid green and grey carpet being installed in the open areas, that over half the office preferred to the other option, caused such a violently negative reaction in those that didn't like it that they wanted to tone it down a bit. 

Urban Station

I know I sometimes get stir crazy when I'm working on projects on my own at home.  I've noticed a rise in common office spaces where you rent a desk by the day/hour or more.  It's a great thing for people who like being around other when they are working but are tired of sitting in coffee shops where there may or may not be outlets for your laptop.

I found this Urban Station, designed by Total Tool, on Dezeen.  And, while commuting to Buenos Aries wouldn't be possible from here, I would love to have a place like this around.

photos by Sergio Esmoris via Dezeen

Parts of the office are like a coffee shop, with soft seating and window seating.

photos by Sergio Esmoris via Dezeen

photos by Sergio Esmoris via Dezeen

photos by Sergio Esmoris via Dezeen

I would be here.

photos by Sergio Esmoris via Dezeen

photos by Sergio Esmoris via Dezeen

Has anyone actually worked in one of these communal offices?

Corporate Office Designs

I was going through my design image files and found some of my favorite corporate office interiors.  I love the fast pace of corporate design and the fact that, with amazing clients, the sky is the limit.

Images {clockwise from top left}: Oktavilla by Elding Oscarson; Aedas Hong Kong by Aedas; St. Helena Private Winery by Nicole Hollis; The Wonderfactory by Fogarty Finger; Lexington Avenue Agency by Masque Spacio; Gray by Studios Architecture.

Puma Headquarters

I had the opportunity to tour the Puma Headquarters located in Massachusetts last month and I forgot to post the photos I snapped of the lobby.

The office was designed by SGA, a Boston architecture & design firm.  The tour included a discussion of the design process and it was quite interesting to hear and see the thought process of the designers before seeing the finished space.  I have worked on a bunch of corporate projects so I enjoy hearing about the challenges and successes other designers have on similar projects, you never know when that knowledge will come in handy in the future.

The reception desk from above.

A view of the waiting area from above.

The "runway" in the public space, used to showcase new items and for marketing.

{photos: jeanine}

Set Design - Ugly Betty

I love Ugly Betty's set design {by production designer, Mark Worthington}.  It's modern, simple and so vibrant it makes me happy.  I think the biggest reason I'm drawn to the set is because I love the curves that are used throughout.  Left to my own devices, I will put curves in any office project I can.  I don't do it on purpose but somehow, they always wind up in there.

One of my favorite parts is the ever-changing corridor.

I really love this round window and the wide textured frame around it.

Even the hospital rooms are stylish.  I can't say I've ever seen a hospital this nice in my life.

Is it terrible that there are numerous shows I watch more for the set than the show {I have to actually like the show to do this but the storyline is not the main reason I watch a handful of shows}.

{photos: Ugly Betty, ABC}

Spiegel Kantine, Hamburg, Germany

I was enjoying some architectural photography on Flickr when I came across images of Verner Panton's Spiegel Kantine in Hamburg, Germany. Every time I see photos of this lunchroom in an office building it makes me happy. Could you imagine working here?



Built in 1969, it's still in existence. And still as fabulously spacey.

{photos: arne boell}