Are you working on your “Back to Work” strategy? ID Studios stands ready to work with you to address your immediate challenges of preparing the workplace for a safe “return to work” environment. Let us help you make the right design decisions in both the short term and the long term by assisting you with your return-to-work strategy.
Contact us for more info.
To all of our valued Clients and Colleagues,
As we navigate through the ever-changing circumstances related to COVID-19 we, at ID Studios are continuing to focus on your project needs. Although most of us are working remotely, we have put measures in place to allow all of our staff to conduct business “as usual”. Barring any new developments, we are prepared to fulfill our project responsibilities while maintaining a healthy work environment. Although we may be working differently for the next few weeks and beyond, our team is fully committed to providing the same high level of professional service that our clients have grown accustomed to.
As of March 16, 2020, please be aware of the following:
ID Studios is allowing all employees to work-from-home as needed for the next several weeks. We are constantly monitoring information provided by the CDC and World Health Organization to actively assess the threat to our employees and customers. We stand ready to move to longer-term work-from-home operations in order to minimize community spread and continue business as usual.
Please avoid visits to ID Studios offices, except for small in-person meetings that are deemed necessary for the continuation of business operations. We ask this with the goal of limiting person-to-person exposure. We are relying on technology such as Zoom and Microsoft Office Teams to conduct meetings and maintain collaboration across our remote employees, clients, and partners.
We are postponing our CREATE event, previously scheduled for May 13. New details will follow.
We are reminded in challenging times that generations of families have come before us to face times like this and more. Our lineage, our training, our practice, and our hard work have all prepared us for this. We have the best clients and colleagues and we will get through this together!
Take the helm.
Help others.
Give confidence.
Share support.
Offer kindness.
Employ empathy.
Be generous with your heart.
Tap the wisdom of your experience.
And, take care of yourself in the meantime.
From the Design Team at ID Studios.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
“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.
ID Studios is happy to announce the promotion of Jill Russell-Layman CID NCIDQ, and Rich Guerena AIA LEED AP to Associate Principals. “In addition to directing some of ID Studios’ most significant projects, both Rich and Jill will participate in the day- to- day business operations of the firm. We are thrilled that both Jill and Rich have expanded their leadership roles at ID Studios, and we can already see the positive impact they have made,” says Principal Amy Morway.
Jill Russell-Layman graduated from the Design Institute of San Diego with a BFA in Interior Design in 2003. Jill has been with ID Studios since 2006, just one year after our inception. She has continuously exhibited her commitment to the success of the firm and to the happiness of our staff. Her inspiration comes from being in the outdoors, whether it’s camping in the summer or skiing in the winter, she says, “being in the outdoors buoys my imagination and prepares me to take on the next big challenge.”
Rich Guerena joined ID Studios in 2014 after a successful 18-year start to his architectural career. He graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Architecture. Through his positive interactions with clients, dedication to mentorship, and consistent drive for improvement, Rich has demonstrated a consistent level of professionalism. He and his college sweetheart moved to San Diego soon after graduating in 2002 and have now, “gained an appreciation for good tacos.”
“Jill and Rich have proven their value to ID Studios,” says President, Deborah Elliott, “through their strategic client leadership as well as being on the ground floor of the amazing internal culture of ID Studios – something that sets us apart from the everyday design firm in San Diego.”
We would like to extend sincere congratulations to them both!
Growth from within
Jeni Champion graduated from San Diego State University with a BA in Art/Interior Design in 2011. Since joining ID Studios in 2013, she has brought a unique joy to her projects that shines through into the final design. Jeni has committed to learn and give back by joining the NAIOP Developing Leaders program and as an instructor at the San Diego Design Institute. Jeni loves camping with friends and family with June Lake as her life-long favorite place in the great outdoors. Her most recent completed project is the West Coast office of Marsh & McLennan which has received excellent feedback from the Marsh & McLennan team.
Annie Wilson joined ID Studios in 2013 after relocating from Washington DC. She has a BS in Interior Design from East Carolina University. Not only does she bring beautiful design to the table, but her determination to get the job done right has earned her the title of Senior Project Manager. She recently completed Brain Corp, which consisted of 100,000 s.f. over 5-floors, including two cafes, a game room, and an outdoor patio. Outside of her project workload, she makes it a priority to network and continues her professional growth by being actively involved in organizations such as CREW and SAME. In her free time, one of the things she enjoys is watching football and is excited that her team, the Green Bay Packers, are in the playoffs.
Maegen Curry joined ID Studios in 2014 with experience in both commercial and hospitality design. After receiving a BA from the University of Washington, Maegen received a BFA from the Design Institute of San Diego in 2010. Her fresh take on design and attention to detail make her a perfect fit for the ongoing renovation of ResMed’s headquarters. She has joined CREW as a way to network and keep connected with like-minded professionals. With two young boys, her weekends often consist of designing and building complicated Lego creations.
Each of these key team-members have proven their design and leadership ability and are of great value to ID Studios. Congratulations to them all!
Crafting with local Boys and Girls Clubs to bring holiday cheer to local children
For the last 20 years, Herman Miller & Geiger have partnered with the Boys and Girls clubs in an event called “We Care.” The event brings holiday cheer to thousands of children by recruiting the local design community who create “craft stations” that enable the kids to make holiday gifts for their family, teachers, and friends while bringing the spirit of the holidays to the children with treats, games and special activities.
We love participating each year and thank Herman Miller & Geiger for organizing this event!
Inspired by Nature
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).”
With the evidence piling up that, “…seeing nature is important to people and is an effective means of relieving stress and improving well-being,” consider including a green wall in your office to bring nature into your workplace!
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.
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.
[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.
In the late 1970s business at the theater waned after the more modern Flower Hill Mall Theater opened just two miles away in Del Mar. When the Solana Beach theater closed, a family took advantage of a then-current trend and opened “Organ Power Pizza Parlor.” They purchased and moved a historic organ built by famed organ builder Robert Morton onto the theater’s stage.
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.
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.
We’re happy to announce the latest addition to our design team, Ashlynn Meyer. Ashlynn grew up in San Diego, and graduated from California State University, Long Beach in 2018 with a BFA in Interior Design and a Minor in Business Marketing. She returned to San Diego to work at an architectural firm specializing in Hospitality and Multi-Family Residential Projects until she joined ID Studios in September.
We love her bubbly spirit, and in fact, Ashlynn was a cheerleader all through college! She enjoys traveling and her favorite vacation was a tour through London. The beach is always on her summer “to-do” list, and she also enjoys snowboarding in the winter.
We’re excited to get to know her and integrate her creative talent into our team!
This year’s Tables for Tots, organized by GMBI, raised a record amount of over $103,000 to benefit the local Ronald McDonald House Charity that provides a “’home-away-from-home’ for families with children being treated for serious, often life-threatening conditions at local hospitals.” Prior to the event, “Each Architectural and Design firm is given an unfinished child’s table and two chairs to design an ‘adventure’ for children.” ID Studios supported the fundraising efforts by providing a custom-designed piece that was auctioned off for the event.
The theme this year was “Turn Up the Music, a celebration of music through the decades.” Our “table” was a play-space styled like a futuristic, Juke-Box Time Machine. In addition to the money raised by the sale of the “table”, our design team won first place in the Freestyle Table Category!
We are very grateful to our sponsors. Spooners Woodworkers made our design come to life. Scantech provided the beautiful juke-box styled graphics, Sherwin Williams provided the paint, and the local representatives of Designtex and Coalesse provided all of the beautiful accessories!
We are grateful to GMBI for hosting such a fun, and worth-while event that, not only brings the design community together but also reaps such wonderful benefits to families in need. We hope to continue to support this worthy cause!