Goodby Silverstein and Partners

San Francisco, USA

Photo © Mariko Reed

Architects: Jensen Architects

Location: San Francisco, USA
Year: 2013

In this project for an advertising agency, two floors of a downtown office tower are stripped back to their core elements exposing the structural slab, steel framing, and mechanical systems. The core wall is wrapped with an acoustic assembly comprised of insulation, fabric, and vertical wood boards of varying depths providing both a visually undulating surface and sound dampening for the space. A series of “social condensers” are dispersed around the perimeter creating smaller neighborhoods within the otherwise open floor plan. The social condensers provide unique environments in which the employees can engage each other and the city beyond. A block of private offices is wrapped in glass, providing the necessary acoustic privacy while maintaining the openness and transparency of the overall space. The contrasting black & white palette is both neutral and dynamic – the white surfaces reflect light while the black surfaces frame and capture it.