A workplace like a luxury flat: with the new office of the financial company Horsley Bridge Partners, the Huntsman Architectural Group has created a working environment in San Francisco that focusses on work-life integration.
Work-life balance. A term that has not only come into focus in recent years – particularly as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Rather, it has changed as a result. It is now less the ‘balance’ that is important to working people. It is work-life integration that they are striving for: The worlds of professional and private life no longer run side by side, they are increasingly being harmonised. Instead of optimising them separately, they are being brought into harmony. By employers and employees alike.
As a result, the corresponding architecture is also becoming increasingly important. In times like these, those responsible are endeavouring to make the workplace more of a feel-good place in terms of its design, which puts people at the centre and offers them a productive, communicative environment. Venture capital firm Horsley Bridge Partners has commissioned the Huntsman Architectural Group to do just that for its new offices in an art deco tower block in San Francisco: An environment ‘that goes beyond traditional ideas and promotes collaboration, transparency and innovation’, as it officially puts it. New working time models that were not possible in the past are also being considered.
Modern & timeless
The focus of the Design was therefore on creating an environment for teamwork, synergy and creativity, according to the architecture studio, which is also based in San Francisco. A ‘space that creates a special experience for employees when they spend time together in the office. They should look forward to coming here.’ Functional, modern and yet timeless. And above all, flexible.
An office was designed that does not give the impression of a working environment at first glance. Numerous wooden elements, parquet floors with coordinated carpets, coffered ceilings with indirect lighting and a carefully curated selection of furniture and accessories – as well as the lack of a reception area – create the feeling of being in a spacious flat. ‘Every part of the office is designed to fulfil a specific function,’ explains Huntsman AG. And every part is actually presentable: ‘There is no back-of-house area, no rooms that are hidden from customers, that visitors can’t see into.’
Soothing & inspiring
Horsley Bridge Partners’ concept provides for three office days per week for employees. In the actual work area, there are therefore only temporary workstations. Glass walls ensure transparency in the truest sense of the word, while so-called team rooms for up to eight people also create a sense of community among the employees. This should not be neglected outside the workplace either: In addition to telephone rooms and wellness rooms, i.e. retreat areas for employees, there is also a spacious café-style kitchen. The aim is to create a calming, inspiring atmosphere.
And not just visually and haptically. The right acoustics also play a major role in the financial company’s office. Dry walls, concealed white-noise loudspeakers and noise-absorbing surfaces contribute to a – in a positive sense – subdued working environment at Horsley Bridge Partners.
‘Why and how we come together at work is much more important than how often we are there,’ says Alison Woolf, the project’s lead Designer. ‘We’ve all learnt to communicate digitally, but meaningful face-to-face collaboration requires solutions that are tailored to us.’ Today’s forward-thinking organisations are not just using modern technology, but a purposefully designed environment to ensure their employees can interact socially and thrive, says Woolf.
Text: Michi Reichelt
Bilder: Garrett Rowland
