Network Operations Center by Perkins and Will: 2019 Best of Year Winner for Small Tech Office
When a client embraces design as a transformational tool, the difference can be like night and day. This Los Angeles-based fin-tech firm’s network operations center was initially intended as a back-of-house, function-first environment. But Perkins and Will recast the 2,500-square-foot hub as a customer-friendly focal point. “Our client began thinking about design as a tool that reflects innovation,” managing principal Alice Hricak says. Extreme contrast became a defining influence, the combinations of black and white framed as a metaphor for change. A high-gloss visitor entry maximizes the dramatic impact of the disparity, the white-floored corridor surrounded by backlit perforated-metal panels and joined by custom lighting and video displays. Upon crossing the threshold into the work area, the aesthetic about-face is immediately palpable. The transition to black-painted walls and ceiling and moody carpet tile establishes a shadowy backdrop for a pivotal gesture: the state-of-the-art digital display wall, highlighting the company’s brand identity and technological expertise, spanning 40 by 12 feet. When it’s time for meetings or training sessions, an adjacent war room retains visual connections to the space while still providing privacy.
Project Team: Yuriva Bueno; Seth Sakamoto.
> See more from the December/January 2020 issue of Interior Design
