
When Slack, the provider of the popular cloud-based set of proprietary team collaboration software tools and online services, moved into its new headquarters last year, it stepped into a journey along the Pacific Crest Trail. The stunning new offices, located in San Francisco occupy 300,000, square feet across 10 floors in a new build.
Slack HQ is a direct reflection of guidance from Slack’s CEO Stewart Butterfield, an avid outdoorsman and hiker who goes “off grid every year and recharges in the various types of wilderness – desert, mountains, forest – that make up the Pacific Crest Trail.”

From the Slack project notes: “Because that trail forms a bridge between two of Slack’s offices in Vancouver and San Francisco it seemed a thematic link too rich to pass up. O+A’s concept was to create a floor-by floor evocation of those landscapes – in effect to turn a trip up the elevator into a virtual trip from Baja to the Pacific Northwest. The idea was to suggest not just a variety of topographical and botanical contexts, but to capture, as well, the experiential links between hiking a wilderness trail – and work.”

In an interview with Studio O+A co-founder Primo Orpilla and O+A project manager Dan Kretchmer, we discussed how the design team developed the Slack HQ design theme, guiding inspiration and working through the design process with Slack.
“A client will have an idea of what they want, but it often doesn’t come fully articulated to us,” said Mr. Orpilla. “That’s where we can come in and begin to articulate and form the full design concept. We started with Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield by him showing us hotels and other spaces he liked. He was very into materiality and plant life, but the idea of the trail did not come out right away. We did our research around him as well, and continued to follow through on his interests, his leadership style and other endeavors.”
“We had a very strong sense of who Slack was right at the beginning, and we began looking at all of the things that make them who they are – craftsmanship, solidarity, empathy,” added Mr. Kretchmer. “We try to find the story that isn’t clear right away but that is an undercurrent at the company.”
With guidance from O+A, Slack landed on the following design concept: “All that’s necessary is everything you need.”
The theme speaks to the all-encompassing proficiency of the natural world, as well as Slack’s intention to provide its employees with an experience each day at work.
“Work is about going on a journey each day” said Mr. Kretchmer. “Stuart pushed us to understand that – that he wanted the workplace to feel more like an experience that you have each day.”
From the project notes: “Central to O+A’s design concept was the idea that every work project, like every hike in the wilderness, is a process of discovery. Classic interior design frames large architectural moments to attract the most eyes at once. At Slack those moments come as ‘scenic surprises’ – like an unexpected good idea. You turn a corner and there is a wall installation that replicates the topography of Lake Tahoe in a way that seems to float in space. You walk down a pathway and there is a ‘starry night’ room like a stage set from a Sam Shepard play. You take your laptop to a lounge area and the light changes in a rhythm attuned to the time of day. In every instance the beauty is a reward for effort, a reinforcement of the idea that she who ventures away from her desk makes the most of her workday.”


“When you’re crossing from one part of the trail to a new one, you would feel different – and we tried to recreate that at Slack,” said Mr. Orpilla. “Distinct materiality, color hues, types of spaces. We wanted to create something that’s special to each floor. The feeling that you’re on the desert floor or the high planes or the crest of a mountain – you experience all of that as you travel on the trail.”
Color temperatures change as occupants and guests move up through the floors – from the warmth of the desert to the cooler temperatures of the mountains.

From the project notes: “To replicate indoors the distinctly outdoor experience of the Pacific Crest Trail, O+A chose a succession of finishes and palettes that subtly suggest changing landscapes. Each floor draws its look and feel from the characteristics of its natural inspiration. Floor 2’s baked earth colors and ubiquitous cacti, for example, evoke the Baja desert while Floor 5’s “quiet please” library captures the stillness of a mountain lake. This motif is sustained across 10 floors with wilderness cues as varied as old growth forests, mountain streams, volcanoes and glaciers. Every floor includes conference room wall graphics created from the wilderness photography of Slack employee Adam Torres and room names taken from the skies, the trails and the living things of the wilderness.”

“At the same time, we wanted to give occupants a sense of continuity,” said Mr. Kretchmer. “We created the wayfinding concepts to help people feel rooted and comfortable moving through the space, just as wayfinding is on the trail.”
From project notes: “Slack’s team saw a value in having each floor reflect the variety and irregularity of nature. Just as wayfinding on a mountain trail, is often a matter of conferring with other hikers, every work day is an experience of collaborating with others to find your way to the next level. The unique configurations of each floor at Slack echo the mental stimulation – and need for community – that comes with taking a new path.”

Open offices surround the perimeter, with amenities sprinkled throughout, with private offices and enclosed meeting rooms anchored at the core of the floor plate.
“We wanted to build the sense that when you go to work, you will encounter things you wouldn’t expect to see during your workday and work week,” said Mr. Kretchmer. We located different amenities and snacks on different floors, encouraging people to travel more through the space, exploring and seeking out different experiences. It provides as much choice as possible.”

The new headquarters marks the first time Slack built a custom workplace specifically for themselves, so O+A couldn’t have found a better client to explore new typologies with.
“The workplace strategy was all new for them,” said Mr. Orpilla. “O+A’s approach involves playing close attention to mapping out how they work – studying the types of meetings they’re having, the make-up of teams, etc. and each customer presents something specific to them, to their DNA. Slack is such a smart group, and the fact that we didn’t lay everything out so clearly for them, across each floor – speaks to the idea of learning, which is so important to their culture. They don’t mind going off-trail to learn or find something new. Not all companies are sophisticated enough to want to try something new and different.”
Slack HQ is a remarkable treat to the senses, offering both guests and employees a captivating world of experiences that bring them independence, wonder, and the calm and the delight of nature.
