A remodel of a 6-story concrete warehouse, most recently the temporary home of the California Academy of Sciences, into an office building. The challenge was to give the building a new identity - a new entry and lobby, new signage, and a new paint scheme. The large 30,000 sf floor plates were gutted, opening the spaces up to bring more natural light into the interior. And new lighting, bathrooms, and building standard finishes were also added.
The location of the elevator core - very deep in the building, necessitated a long lobby, the proportions of which we actually played up as a feature. One wall of the lobby is clad in pine slabs, sliced from 3 logs and installed in the order that they came out of the log, with a black reveal between the natural bark edges of the boards. On the opposite side of the lobby, we installed a 42 ft. long bench, made from a single 10x28 Douglas fir beam. And at the end of the lobby is a reception desk made of stacked glass, which is dramatically lit from behind and pulls the visitors eye to the end of the long axis.
On the front façade, a new paint scheme - a composition of greys and black accents, a stacked glass canopy, and giant red "875" numerals - give the building a whole new drama. At night, new "blade" lights above the entry bay, and spot lights that illuminate the glass canopy transform the relatively flat façade into something full of relief and three dimension - finally giving 875 Howard a front door it can be proud of.
The entry canopy, pine paneling, bench and reception desk were all fabricated and installed by the Lundberg Design Shop.
Client: TMG Partners
Project Lead: Jeffrey Loehmann
Contractor: Plant Construction, L.P.
