One of the best ways a design firm can win over a new client is by catching the client’s attention naturally with completed projects.
When Artefact, a Seattle-based high tech/industrial design firm, needed a new workplace for its expanding team, it found inspiration in restaurant design around its hometown. Graham Baba Architects has established itself as an area leader in restaurant design, completing about 50 restaurants across Seattle, many in older, restored buildings.
“Artefact was very familiar with our restaurant spaces, especially the ones in older buildings, and they knew they wanted to have a café-bar space,” said Jim Graham, principal at Graham Baba Architects. “They were very attracted to the idea of hanging out at the café and having that atmosphere in their offices.”
Artefact’s new offices are nestled in Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square district, known as the oldest Seattle neighborhood and the center of the city’s art scene, where you’ll find no shortage of art galleries and elegantly renovated turn-of-the-century redbrick buildings.
For its new space, the client selected two floors of an adaptive re-use warehouse/toy factory that had been used as artists’ spaces before tunneling began to replace the Alaska Way Viaduct, which required a seismic upgrade of the building.
The Right Mix
The Artefact team sought a design that would allow them to work both individually and in a diverse set of collaborative work modes. This goal freed up the Graham Baba design team to push the envelope in providing users with everything from focus and huddle rooms to areas with the “third space” vibe.
“We wanted the staff to feel like they were, not at work, but a part of work, said Mr. Graham. “We focused a lot of our attention on trying to make sense of the right mix of spaces.”
The 26,000 square foot workspace is composed of a mostly open layout, hugged by discreet conference and project rooms, laboratory testing rooms with recording capabilities for tech work, a commons/café and bar, executive suite and a small library. Almost 100% of the office is open plan, with just one private office serving as a lockable, secure space for the company COO. The CEO and other c-suite staff members work in open spaces alongside other staff members, with a slightly larger footprint.
Employees can work in spaces ranging from open loft-like office areas to fully secured, acoustically isolated conference rooms and breakout rooms enclosed on three sides but open to the office. These partially enclosed breakout rooms encourage colleagues using them to see and often contribute to what’s going on around them, but in a nuanced, purposeful way.
The new offices were planned for 70 of Artefact’s immediate employees, with the knowledge that the company would soon jump to more than 100. This type of future space planning puts pressure on design teams to design spaces to be super malleable, but it’s a common request from rapidly expanding tech startups.
“It does put pressure on the design team, but it’s so important because the client’s cost of moving is so high with little to show for it on paper,” said Mr. Graham. “Even the loss of productivity while you’re moving can have a big negative impact. We design for that malleability and offer a few different scenarios for how they’ll be able to change the space in the future.”
Connective Tissue
Artefact’s previous space consisted of one level, and its leadership was concerned about the staff continuing to feel connected in the new space even while occupying two separate levels.
Graham Baba solved this challenge by cutting a 250-square-foot hole in the 6th floor and inserting an open, twisting stairway into the heart of the design to join the two levels. The new stairway, made of glossy white painted steel and reclaimed wood, connects everyone at the office core and takes full advantage of Elliott Bay views.
Although the stair decreased available floor space, Artefact valued the connectivity it provided over the loss of square footage.
Graham Baba and Artefact also focused attention on the entrance experience for both Artefact clients and staff. The sequence of arrival – how a firm guides visiting clients through its space to a destination such as a conference room – can have a big impact on first impressions. While Artefact initially wanted to showcase to visiting clients the café’s views of Elliott Bay, Graham Baba convinced them to reserve the views with a slight delay – essentially “not giving it all away up front.”
Aesthetic Opinions
As a design-oriented client, Artefact came to the project with a firm aesthetic viewpoint already in place. In keeping with Artefact’s own design style and values, the new space channels a clean, minimal aesthetic. Graham Baba Architects sought to honor the original character of the building while injecting the space with fresh, modern forms and sleek finishes.
The design team worked with steel in two distinct ways: the glossy painted steel stairway in white, and a natural waxed black steel lining the largest conference room, often used for meetings with clients.
Glass conference walls, a white enamel reception desk and glossy white stair all play counterpoint to the building’s raw qualities of heavy timber, masonry block, fir car decking and board-formed concrete. In the café, the wooden floors were chosen for their bright, fresh color and worn-in aesthetic.
“Working for designers can be more difficult. But it can also be more fulfilling. They appreciate the process, and can understand the value of the design more, which is very rewarding. Working with Artefact was a fantastic experience for us; we spoke the same language.”
