Over the years, we’ve used some materials that provide unique interior accents, but a favorite is rope. Whether it’s to add visual interest and texture or to enhance the theme of the space, check out some of the places we’ve used rope as a design element in our projects.
Rope detail is on the booths in the background.
Close-up of rope detail.
In the “Cantina” at the WD-40 Company Headquarters, rope was used as a reference to the rough building materials to help reflect the many facets of their customer’s lives. See more about this project HERE.
Rope detail is on the left on the patio.
Close-up of rope detail.
At the Nautilus Tavern, rope was used as a reference to the name of the restaurant and the usefulness of rope in nautical applications. See more about this project HERE.
Rope detail on the ceiling.
Close-up of rope detail.
In the café at Mission Federal Credit Union, rope was installed to add visual interest (and some acoustical qualities) to a seating area. See more about this project HERE.
Top floor break room with rope detail on the stair.
Close-up of rope detail.
Lower floor break room with rope detail on the stair.
At a confidential Pharmaceutical Company, we used rope to draw interest to the feature staircase that connects the two-story break room. See more about this project HERE.
Do you have a unique product you’d like integrated as unique interior accents into your project? Get in touch and our creative designers will show you how we can make it shine!
Enriching the “Outdoor Office” and Collaboration Experience
Did you know that many of our projects involve designing outdoor spaces? San Diego has the perfect weather to take advantage of the outdoors, and after a year of outdoor activities to stay healthy and safe, this renovation happened just in time. After living in their 250,000 s.f. space design by ID Studios over a decade ago, this Medical Device company planned a total renovation of their private, exterior “back yard” with five primary goals:
Support the New Outdoor Healthy Workplace Culture
Enrich the campus experience,
Reinforce a sense of place,
Encourage collaboration and
Consider maintenance and sustainability.
Outdoor Office
Our design team leveraged their extensive open outdoor space providing indoor/outdoor collaboration and plans to enhance the first-floor cafeteria which now provides access to a variety of fresh air opportunities. ID Studios, in collaboration with Spurlock Landscape Architects, added several shade structures that anchor outdoor meeting spaces and integrates power and technology to make sure everyone can be productive. A large presentation area accommodates all-hands meetings, firm-wide presentations, or social events.
In the May 2021 edition of Floor Focus Magazine, our very own Deborah Elliott was featured in the Designer Forum column. Here’s a taste of what she had to say about our client, Fish & Richardson, including a focus on the flooring choices for their new office design.
Fish & Richardson Lobby
“Fish & Richardson, a global intellectual property law firm founded in Boston in 1878, has represented some of the world’s greatest innovators. The firm played a crucial role in patent litigation during the development of the light bulb, telephone, radio, automobile and steam engine and its early clients included Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell and the Wright brothers.
“When the firm planned an expansion into a new office in Southern California, Fish & Richardson expressed a desire to show a purposeful relationship between the professional nature of the firm and the relaxed welcoming environment shared by employees.”
ID Studios is excited to announce our alliance with ORANGEWALLstudios. This partnership was formed specifically in response to the increased demand for highly qualified lab planning and cutting-edge workplace design services in the Life Science sector. Over the last 15 years, ID Studios has designed hundreds of facilities that support positive workplace culture and drive innovation. Many of these projects have been in the San Diego Life Science sector. Now, with ORANGEWALLstudios on board, we have expanded our lab planning expertise with the design and planning of wet and dry labs that support immunology, genomics, biochemistry, and neuroscience, as well as support spaces such as vivariums. Combined, our firms are a solid technical and design force on the west coast.
As an example of one of ID Studios’ Life Science projects, we recently completed design and construction for the offices of Neurelis, a company that received FDA approval on a new seizure cluster rescue treatment. Their new workplace is built into a hill overlooking Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve where the views offer a powerful connection to nature, promoting health, happiness, and progress among Neurelis’ staff. The workspace design integrates natural materials to enhance the wellness mission of the company and provides natural light to each person while bringing the outdoors in.
Undisclosed Pharmaceutical Company Break Room
ID Studios also recently designed the new headquarters for an Undisclosed Pharmaceutical Company located at the brand-new mixed-use development, One Paseo. This company created the first and only medication approved by the FDA for the treatment of hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson’s disease psychosis. Their offices integrate the latest technology while maintaining a Southern California loft feeling and planning for new social distancing attributes as well.
Inova Diagnostics is yet another client in the local Life Science industry that ID Studios has worked with on several refresh and expansion projects. Nestled in the eucalyptus groves of Scripps Ranch, Inova is a leader in autoimmune diagnostics, delivering highly accurate reagents and efficient automation to labs throughout the world. The combination of state-of-the-art labs and healthy office space for these innovators, just add to the already successful company output.
With ORANGEWALLstudios’ extensive experience in Lab planning and ID Studios’ expertise in workplace design as well as over 1.5 Million SF of history in this arena combined, it is clear that our approach is what makes us an exceptional choice for companies who care both about their technology solutions as well as their people.
With this new partnership, ID Studios has now expanded its outreach with additional office locations in Oakland, CA and Portland, OR. ID Studios’ headquarters remains in Solana Beach, CA. We look forward to partnering with more life science companies in the future to create environments that support exciting new innovations in Life Science.
The Lytx Experience was originally conceived when ID Studios helped design the company’s corporate headquarters several years ago. Founded in 1998, Lytx is the world’s leading provider of video telematics, analytics, safety and productivity solutions for commercial, public sector, and field services fleets. Dedicated to saving lives and reducing risk on the road, their vision is that no commercial driver will ever be the cause of a collision. Their clients represent the biggest brand names in for-hire and long-haul trucking, distribution, passenger transit, waste and recycling collection. They wanted a physical space to tell a story of their passion for safety.
The Lytx San Diego campus is comprised of two buildings and is home to over 500 employees. Designed to foster Lytx’s team-oriented, casual, startup culture, the space is bright and welcoming, and includes a cafeteria and gym, collaboration spaces, focus rooms, and a game room. “During our original design and build-out for Lytx in 2015, the company’s focus was to create an environment to support their rapid growth and strong, positive employee culture. Appropriate at the time, their first Experience Center was an enclosed area with flatscreens and podiums displaying products. It was functional in terms of showing the evolution of the company’s product offerings, but it wasn’t an engaging and immersive brand experience,” says Kelsey Held, senior designer for ID Studios.
In 2019 Lytx reached out to ID Studios to transform the room into an interactive space to capture the spirit of the company’s culture of customer-centered innovation and employee engagement, and to convey the company’s industry leadership and brand positioning. The redesigned room would function as the foundation for any client or prospect visit to the Lytx campus. Lytx now hosts visitors in a tour through the Experience Center, showcasing the company’s mission, values, vision, technology, clients and employees. Spanning everything from a touchscreen that highlights the latest data on how many clients Lytx supports, to key areas of driving risk in the U.S., to videos about Lytx’s clients and their safety cultures, to overviews of Lytx employee volunteerism and community support, the space provides a panoramic view of the company.
ID Studios worked closely with the team at Lytx to design the flow of the room.
“We dedicated quite a bit of time to establishing the narrative they wanted to convey,”
says Jill Russell-Layman, associate principal at ID Studios. “Safety is at the heart
of everything they do. Their clients work with Lytx to help keep their drivers
and employees safe and their businesses operating more efficiently.”
“In the redesign, we removed an existing glass partition that enclosed the space and opened the area to the main path of travel. We added graphics on the front glass to draw attention to the company’s focus on “Video for Good,” says Held. “We were able to incorporate a lot of customer infographics and content from Lytx’s in-house marketing and communications team – taking materials they developed and working them into the overall theme of the space to tell their story in a cohesive and engaging way.”
The story unfolds
In the new space, the history of Lytx unfolds across
interactive panels. It starts where Lytx began – with the story of a road-rage
incident that ricocheted into the invention of a whole new product category for
transportation safety: Video telematics. Stemming from the origin story is a
timeline of their products from the very first physical prototype to their most
current model.
“We were so excited to finally have a physical space that communicates the story of who we are as a company.”
Tonya Cross Senior Vice President, Human Capital – Lytx
Opposite these panels, is an entire wall showcasing Lytx’s
140 patents. The next grouping of panels highlights the connection Lytx has with
its clients. “Wrapping the outside of the room, there is a panel dedicated to their
Driver of the Year and Coach of the Year award winners. We worked out a detail
with the signage vendor so that the plaque with the winners’ photo could be
swapped out each year without replacing the entire panel,” says Held. Flanking
the other side of the space, visitors will find a large interactive touchscreen
panel called the “Lytx Engine” and a “ticker” which virtually counts the number
of miles of data collected per second by their software.
The heart of the company
Company culture is central to the employee experience at
Lytx, so it’s only fitting that the three podiums at the center of the Lytx
Experience are dedicated to the company culture. “Just as their culture is the
heart of their company, these podiums showcasing their culture are the heart of
the Lytx Experience. We showcase their mission as a company, their dedication
to giving back, and photos of staff and company events to communicate that the
employees are part of something bigger,” says Held. The podiums were designed
and custom-built for the room with the intention of avoiding too much
construction disturbance and cost. The podiums were able to house carefully
concealed battery-powered LED lighting without needing to add costly power
cores to the floor.
Shining the light
Lighting helps guide visitors through the room. “We brought in backlighting on the panels which accentuates the layering effect that they have jutting forward and back from the wall. The podiums have a ring of light around the top. The lights are wired with a motion sensor and are set to turn off after the area is inactive for a period of time,” says Kelsey.
Powering the next decade
“It’s very rewarding working with a company like Lytx. Their culture is incredibly important to them and they’re deeply committed to what they do and their broader role in making our communities and roadways safer. When we presented the initial design, the Lytx team literally jumped out of their chairs in excitement to see something that reflected who they were,” says Held.
In the end, we were pleased to be able to fulfill their desire to have a physical space to tell a story of their passion for safety.
Whether they’re multi-story living-wonders or a preserved accent box, everyone loves green walls! And now there’s plenty of research indicating that a connection to nature through biophilic design is of great benefit. Including design elements such as green walls, photos of nature, or fractal shapes in the workplace provides benefits to both the employee and employer. Those benefits include lowering stress levels, uplifting mood, increased productivity, improved concentration and a reduction in absenteeism.
Whether they’re multi-story living-wonders or a preserved accent box, everyone loves green walls! And now there’s plenty of research indicating that a connection to nature through biophilic design is of great benefit. Including design elements such as green walls, photos of nature, or fractal shapes in the workplace provides benefits to both the employee and employer. Those benefits include lowering stress levels, uplifting mood, increased productivity, improved concentration and a reduction in absenteeism.
A 2006 meta-analysis published in Heath Promotion International found “empirical, theoretical and anecdotal evidence… of the human health benefits of contact with nature,” which can include, not only a natural environment like a park or garden but “any single element of the natural environment (such as plants, animals, soil, water or air).”
As we look back on summer, we’re thinking of some of our Coastal Clients and Brixton Capital comes to mind. With its space-ship-shape and rich history, the Brixton Headquarters building is iconic in San Diego’s coastal north county. The building’s location afforded the opportunity to capture breathtaking views of the only cove in Solana Beach, and yet it was starting to show it’s age.
On a mission to bring this beauty back to life, Brixton retained ID Studios to consult on its design transformation, both inside and out. As we researched the building’s history, we quickly discovered that the story of this uniquely shaped building is as interesting as its unique shape.
Brixton Capital Building Today, Facing South Sierra Ave.
The History
The building currently located at 120 South Sierra Avenue, started as the Solana Theater in the 1930s with its main entry, and address, on South Acacia Ave. It was built by Smith Construction which was run by Dorthea Smith and her husband Milton Smith who built several landmarks during their tenure in Solana Beach, including the simple, rectangular theater.
Solana Theater, picture courtesy of Courtesy of Solana Beach CIvic & Historical Society
[note: You can also find pictures of the original theater by photographer Eleanor Antin in her “King of Solana Beach” series. Due to copyright issues, we can’t post them in this article, but they’re out there if you do an image search.]
The earliest reference to the theater we found was in the book Seabiscuit, An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand. In the book, she recalls a famous 1938 horse race, Seabiscuit vs Ligaroti, which was reportedly replayed at the theater after being run on the nearby Del Mar Racetrack. The theater stayed in business for decades and holds a fond place in many people’s memories and is often recalled in the Facebook Group, “You Might Be From Solana Beach If…”
Long-time locals remember long lines that would wind along South Sierra and into the Plaza on “kids mornings,” when the theatre would play 25 cartoons and a short feature — and no parents were allowed. “A theatre full of popcorn eating (and popcorn throwing) kids and no parents hollering ‘no.’ It was utter joy,” recalls Society programs chair, Carol Childs.
Unfortunately, the pizza restaurant didn’t last long, and the building started its next life when it was converted to office space. In the ’80s, big changes were in store for the building. Following a leveraged buyout of The Chart House, the executives turned its sights to Solana Beach and the historic theater for their new headquarters building. They hired Architect Joe Lancor, who added the curved roof and nautilus shell shape which is now prominently featured as the entrance.
When Chart House decided to move its headquarters to Chicago in 1997, the building continued its corporate identity, by housing various companies. When Brixton purchased the property in 2016 they did so with the intent to modernize it for their Corporate Headquarters.
The Rejuvenation
According to CEO, Travis King, Brixton wanted their offices to reflect the “hardworking, get it done East Coast/New York mentality combined with the laid-back vibe of San Diego.” ID Studios brought those ideas together, with a design based on an open concept, maximizing the coastal views of Fletcher Cove and to bring those elements to the interior of the building.
When Brixton approached us, we knew the almost windowless wall that previously housed the large movie screen, hid a stunning view of Fletcher Cove. The design team went to work relocating restrooms and other core services to maximize the potential held in this solid wall. Piercing this wall with a line of windows also created access to fresh air for its occupants along with the coastal views.
The renovation also features a new monument stair which took into account the circular theme inherent in the nautilus shaped entrance. With office space on the two upper floors, the basement was converted into a fitness area, complete with a jiu-jitsu studio, showers, and surfboard storage. Separate access to the fitness studios is directly accessible to the community park and beach access which has the added benefit of minimizing the intrusion of beach sand into the main office. The result is a refreshing interpretation of Coastal Modern, bringing an infusion of natural light, fresh sea breezes, and an active vibe to the entire building.
ID Studios is proud to have been a design team partner to this beautiful, coastal restoration and to join the mission bringing this historic building back to life.
In 2018, we had the opportunity to work with Mission Federal Credit Union to help them transition from an office they had occupied for the previous 30 years, by designing a future focused home and headquarters that will ensure flexibility to live and grow for the next 30 years.
The design process started with an interactive Visioning session to help focus the extended team on the long-term strategic goals. Lisa Chappell, Vice President of Corporate Facilities for Mission Federal said, “The process was collaborative, fun and exciting, which is exactly what the final design achieved.”
The team then sought insight into their employee’s day-to-day work lives by obtaining feedback to validate data about their daily work requirements. With those results, the team created a design that fulfilled their need for greater collaboration and openness, natural light, flexibility, wellness-focused design, and a fun, inspirational environment.
The interest in openness and collaboration drove the need for private, quiet spaces that provided an environment for employees to focus and achieve heads-down work and open spaces that provided energy and collaboration. ID Studios was able to design a wide variety of spaces to fit all of these requirements. Utilizing architectural and finish elements to convey a message of strength and reliability was equally as important to Mission Fed as creating an environment that was welcoming and approachable.
Our Mission Fed Moment can be summed up by Associate and Senior Designer, Jill Russell when she said, “It was inspiring and a true pleasure to partner with Mission Federal Credit Union, Level 10 Construction, and Jones Lang LaSalle on Mission Federal Credit Union’s new headquarters.” We are very proud of what our whole team was able to achieve for such a forward-thinking company!
YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE KNOWN __ ID Studios has a team of extremely talented hospitality designers within our multi-faceted studio. Project experience includes multi-family housing, restaurants, country clubs, event spaces, boutique hotels and even cruise ships! We are especially excited about the inroads ID Studios is making in the hospitality and senior living arenas. As we take on more senior living projects, our designers are integrating the resort and hospitality experiences into these projects that appeal to our retiring population. Hospitality design elements are also showing up in our corporate and creative office space. The common denominator in all of these design solutions is blending work, life, wellness and play. These unique spaces fit to our client’s needs, individual experiences and truly define a new genre of ‘place’.
Our industry partners know us as a trusted advisor in the corporate and higher education realm and we hope to inspire more introductions and connections in the hospitality and senior living world as our portfolio expands. We intend to provide the hospitality and senior living industry the same high standards, knowledge base and creativity that we have been providing since our beginning 14 years ago.
The IIDA SoCal held a Well Building Standard CEU at the offices of JLL San Diego and the lobby of the Aventine Building in La Jolla. It started with a tour of the lobby, and ended in the JLL flexible conferencing and entertainment area. Senior Designer, Annie Wilson, ID Studios newest Senior Project Manager, was on hand to point out all of the wonderful design features of the office.
YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE KNOWN __ ID Studios has a team of extremely talented hospitality designers within our multi-faceted studio. Project experience includes multi-family housing, restaurants, country clubs, event spaces, boutique hotels and even cruise ships! We are especially excited about the inroads ID Studios is making in the hospitality and senior living arenas. As we take on more senior living projects, our designers are integrating the resort and hospitality experiences into these projects that appeal to our retiring population. Hospitality design elements are also showing up in our corporate and creative office space. The common denominator in all of these design solutions is blending work, life, wellness and play. These unique spaces fit to our client’s needs, individual experiences and truly define a new genre of ‘place’.
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