Employees of Facebook recently moved to a new headquarters that
facilitates interaction and connection, reflecting the company’s mission
as a social networking website provider.
Formerly a laboratory facility for high-tech manufacturer Agilent
Technologies, the 150,000-square-foot structure at Palo Alto’s Stanford
Research Park brings together more than 700 employees originally
scattered throughout 10 locations in and around downtown Palo Alto.
The design of the space relied heavily on input from the users,
appropriate for a flatly structured company that weights every
employee’s opinion equally. O+A designers interviewed employees about
what they wanted from their new headquarters.
The Facebook platform was used to conduct company-wide polls about
design decisions, post construction photos and updates, and keep
everyone informed of the thought process behind the project.
An advisory board of employees from every department collaborated with
the design team on the design process, from space planning to finishes
to final move coordination.
Because the new facility houses employees coming from various locations,
the company wanted to maintain each division’s distinct identity. The
design takes its inspiration from the patchwork nature of Facebook users
and employees, bringing together seemingly disparate elements to form a
cohesive pattern and using color and interior spacing to create
neighborhoods within the open plan space.
The company’s executives sit in central areas, accessible to all
employees. Large lounges and open spaces provide venues for the
community to come together.
A kitchen and café continue Facebook’s tradition of providing gourmet
meals to staff at all hours, while drinks and snacks are available at
micro-kitchens throughout the headquarters.
Reflecting employees’ desire for a green headquarters, the facility is
the first commercial project completed under Palo Alto’s 2008 Green
Building Ordinance, making extensive use of existing architectural
features, recycling millwork from the original lab, and repurposing
industrial components for post-industrial use.
Other sustainable features include high recycled-content carpet and energy-efficient lighting.
The design goal for the new facility was to maintain the history and raw
aesthetic of the building and create a fun dynamic appropriate for the
company’s youthful staff.
Many walls and spaces are left unfinished: employees are encouraged to
write on the walls, add artwork, and move furniture as needed, allowing
the building to evolve continuously.
A bright orange industrial crane, left over from the building’s previous
user, was repurposed by San Francisco sculptor Oliver DiCicco to
support a table surface from its heavyweight hoist, offering maximum
maneuverability. Referencing the industrial aesthetic of the building, a
felt canopy spreads up one wall and onto the ceiling, defining a
central meeting area that can double as an impromptu auditorium.
Mounted on threaded rods of varying length to achieve an undulating
effect, the canopy absorbs sound and is penetrated at intervals by
overhead lighting. An outdoor basketball court and indoor ping-pong
table offer opportunities for recreation. And it is not unusual to see
employees zipping along the concrete floors on two-wheeled skateboards.
Designers: Studio O+A
Studio O+A is a San Francisco interior design firm serving companies
nationwide. Founded by Primo Orpilla and Verda Alexander during the
dot-com boom of the early 1990s, the studio began with a mission to
bring sophisticated SOMA design to Silicon Valley start-ups and the
venture firms who supported them.
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