At a time when many business are rethinking what the physical office is and means, designers are pushing for a more comfortable, residential-informed narrative in professional spaces. From pharmaceutical companies to iconic lifestyle brands looking for an upgrade, these five spaces hint at what’s to come when people return to office life.
Goop HQ
Santa Monica, California
With a quickly growing team, Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop lifestyle brand moved from working in multiple smaller settings into a larger communal space in Santa Monica, California. “During this transition, our goal was to capture and maintain Goop’s intimate, family-like culture,” says Sam Farhang, president and creative director at New York-based Rapt Studio, which spearheaded the design. The inviting free-flowing space is defined by soft tones and gentle curves. “The space is intended to have a calming sense of familiarity,” says senior designer Nicola Kerger. The multifaceted lifestyle brand’s office is also home to a photo and video studio, a podcast room, wellness lab, showroom, and fashion workroom. The standout, Kerger says, is the in-house test kitchen. “[It’s] a space for experimentation and content creation,” she explains. “The kitchen is always activated and captures the innovative nature of the Goop brand.”
Takeda
Dubai
For the Dubai outpost of Tokyo-based pharmaceutical company Takeda, locally based design firm Roar married Emirati art and aesthetics with the company’s Japanese heritage for a holistic design scheme. Art pieces, for example, are handcrafted in an ancient Emirati weaving technique that recall the Japanese tatami method. “We liked this subtle synergy between the two cultures,” says Roar interior designer Fatma Elfeki. The space also brings the outdoors in. Citing Stephan Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory, “exposure to nature is not only enjoyable, it can also improve focus and concentration,” she continues. “For that reason, the open plan workspaces are designed around the perimeter of the office, where sunlight floods the space.”
Lightstep
San Francisco
Art is the centerpiece at software developer Lightstep’s new San Francisco headquarters, designed by locally based Studio BBA. Take Depth, a collage that depicts glaciers with a variety of materials and colors. “It captures our holistic design intent for a crafted space that considers all of the senses,” says design director Anand Sheth. “It also responds to the clients’ depth of knowledge and information that their product provides.” To pay homage to the office’s location in a historic part of the city, Studio BBA commissioned and curated art from San Francisco women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ artists. In the library lounge, a watercolor painting juxtaposes a woven textural piece, while the boardroom features brass wall sculptures; intricate linework prints are found throughout the open office. Grounding these pieces in the light-filled office are indoor plants and furniture inspired by 1970s Italy—“a historic nod that balances the modern top floor of this brick and heavy timber building,” Sheth adds.
Zydus Cadila
Gujarat, India
“From the time I saw the [raw] space, the corridors spoke to me,” says Iram Sultan, founder of her namesake firm, which spearheaded the design of Indian pharmaceutical company Zydus Cadila. “I wanted them to be strong, defined, have a receding perspective, and be beautifully lit.” The company’s logo can be found hidden in custom furniture pieces, giving the space a distinct character and a tailored effect that reflects the people who occupy the space. “The overall design,” Sultan explains, “was a balance of materials, textures, and focus.”
L’Oréal
Hong Kong
Paris-based firm Bean Buro was hired to translate L’Oréal’s French aesthetic to its Hong Kong office. The streets of Paris, for instance, are referenced in F&B-like settings along the main circulation routes that recall the city’s famous sidewalk cafés. To honor its Hong Kong location, seating looks out onto the city’s harbor. The team also incorporated a new staircase that connects most of the floors, with collaboration facilities near each floor’s landing to increase chance encounters between coworkers. “This workplace stands out because it has a successful coworking arrangement that responds to the new way of life where employees can work from home while coming into the workplace for essential tasks,” says director Kenny Kinugasa-Tsui.
