Mar 28 2014
A modern industrial build-out for Heroku's San Francisco headquarters, designed by Rapt Studio and constructed by Swinerton Builders, won the "Work Large Merit Award" at the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) 10th Annual Northern California Honor Awards this week. Heroku, a subsidiary of Salesforce, prioritized collaboration, connectivity, and work-life integration for the redesign of its new 85,000-square-foot South of Market headquarters.
Swinerton used laser scanning to create a 3D model of the circa-1908 building before demolition. This detailed model captured architectural nuances and helped avoid any clashes of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems during the renovation. Construction was completed in 10 months, with 150 workers on site at its peak.
Spanning two open office floors, a basement, and a penthouse, the updated space boasts features to stoke both the creativity and the comfort of Heroku's software developers, including a gym, music and meditation rooms, a yoga studio, a full kitchen and even a juice bar. It offers plenty of space to accommodate growth, with room for up to 350 employees.
The atmosphere is a dramatic study in textures: exposed original brick and timber serves as a background to contemporary features like a blackened steel staircase and video-equipped conference rooms. Wood reclaimed from Tennessee barn silos is paired alongside corrugated sheet metal and coated ApplePly (for a dry erase surface in meeting areas). Natural light pours in from floor-to-ceiling windows.
"My only fear is that I will never get to build anything like this again," said Swinerton Assistant Project Manager Steffan Ravizza. "We were given a huge challenge and it raised our levels of craftsmanship. It made us think, be creative, and be successful. That's what makes it great to work at Swinerton."
Source: http://www.swinerton.com