An architecture project where I had an E-mail interaction with architects Prima Orpilla and Verda Alexender of Studio O&A on the iconic networking website FACEBOOK.

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FREE SPIRITED
A
FICE’
‘OF
Flexible comfortable environments, aesthetic flooring, design space divided into ‘groups’ or
communities, each distinct from one another and much more.This is what Facebook office is
all about. Interesting facts unearthed with Remona Divekar by the founders, architects,
Studio O + A of Facebook Headquarters Primo Orpilla and Verda Alexander
I
n today's date every business house
globally, small or big is increasingly
are becoming particular with the
interiors design and décor elements, of
one's office. Lakhs of rupees are spent for
that perfect look and design. The new
office Facebook Headquarters Palo Alto,
California designed by Primo Orpilla and
Verda Alexander of Studio O + A, San
Francisco is designed to foster interaction
and ideas ping-pong with the provision
and variety of flexible, comfortable
environments. The design relates to
Facebook's flat structure which values the
opinion of each member at the same
merit.
The new headquarters collates 700 staff
18
November – December 2009
formerly spread across California within
the 1,50,000 sq ft structure, where
skateboarding down the halls and writing
on the walls is positively encouraged,
creating a buzzy atmosphere and
camaraderie to be envious of. The design
enables this with its raw aesthetic: floors
are smooth, vents loom overhead and
walls are left unfinished.
"Just like in Facebook online, the space
is divided into 'groups' or communities,
each distinct from one another and
developed with the help of staff from
each previous office, comfortable lounges
are created as a collaborative meeting
space where everyone can intermingle,"
say the founder architects of Facebook
▲ Construction & Architecture Magazine
Headquarters, Primo Orpilla and Verda
Alexander. Further stressing they say,
“Formerly laboratory facility for hightech manufacturer Agilent Technologies,
150,000-sq-ft structure at Palo Alto's
Stanford Research Park brings together
more than 700 employees originally
scattered throughout 10 locations in and
around downtown Palo Alto. The design
of the space relied heavily on input from
the users, appropriate for a flatly
structured company that weights every
employee's opinion equally. “Millwork
was recycled from the original lab, and
industrial components were adapted for
post-industrial re-use.” Other sustainable
features include high recycled-content

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global architecture projects
carpet and energy efficient lighting.
O+A designers interviewed employees
about what they wanted from their new
headquarters. The Facebook platform
used to conduct company-wide polls
about design decisions, post construction
photos and updates and keep everyone
informed of the thought process behind
the project. An advisory board of
employees from every department
collaborated with the design team on
the design process, from space planning
to finishes to final move coordination.
Because the new facility houses
employees coming from various
locations, the company wanted to
maintain each division's distinct identity.
The design takes its inspiration from the
patchwork nature of Facebook users and
employees, bringing together seemingly
disparate elements to form a cohesive
pattern and using colour and interior
spacing to create neighborhoods within
the open plan space. The company's
executives sit in central areas, accessible
to all employees. Large lounges and open
spaces provide venues for the community
to come together. Reflecting employees'
desire for a green headquarters, the
facility is the first commercial project
completed under Palo Alto's 2008 Green
Building the design goal for new facility
was to maintain the history and raw
aesthetic of the building and create a fun
dynamic appropriate for the company's
youthful staff. Many walls and spaces are
left unfinished: Employees are
encouraged to write on the walls, add
artwork, and move furniture as needed,
allowing the building to evolve
continuously.
A bright orange industrial crane, left
over from the building's previous user,
was repurposed by San Francisco sculptor
Oliver DiCicco to support a table surface
from its heavyweight hoist, offering
maximum maneuverability. Referencing
the industrial aesthetic of the building, a
felt canopy spreads up one wall and onto
the ceiling, defining a central meeting
area that can double as an impromptu
auditorium. Mounted on threaded rods
of varying length to achieve an
undulating effect, the canopy absorbs
sound and is penetrated at intervals by
overhead lighting.
Excerpts of the interview with founders,
architects Primo Orpilla and Verda
Alexander
Total floor area: 130,000 sq ft
No. of floors: 2
Average floor size: 65,000 sqft
Total staff size: 700-800
Principal Interior Construction Materials By Manufacturer
Wall coverings: Wolf Gordon, One Tree Design, Walltalkers
Paint: ICI Paints, Sherwin Williams, Kelly Moore, Benjamin
Moore
Laminate: Nevamar, Formica
Flooring: Constantine
Carpet/carpet tile: Nood Fashion, Milliken Contract,
Interface FLOR
Ceiling: Armstrong
Lighting: Day-Brite, Sistemalux, Delray Lighting, Lightolier
Window treatments: The Roman Shade Company
Workstations: KI, Vitra, Steelcase
Workstation seating: Herman Miller, Haworth
Lounge seating: Cartwright, Vitra, Bludot
Cafeteria, dining, auditorium seating: Vitra
Other seating: Commercial Worksurfaces, American Office
Furniture, Herman Miller
Upholstery: Maharam, Knoll Textiles
How did you make the best use of the
space available to you?
Facebook employees had very direct
ideas about what they wanted and didn't
want from their space. We did not want a
typical campus; we wanted the space to
reflect their culture as a dynamic,
youthful and innovative company. The
company and the site aren't homogenous
and the design shouldn't be. We tried to
make it a point to include employees in
every stage of the design; the advisory
group was a huge help with this as was
the company's natural inclination to
utilize technology. Everything from how
the space laid out and functioned to
finish details and furniture were run by
employees. The beauty of this system is
that it is allowed to really understand
what the employees were looking for, to
really get a deep understanding of what it
meant to be a Facebook employee and
then to visually represent that.
represent that. And, after seeing
Facebook’s love of the Ripstik, we
actually incorporated it into our design.
All areas of circulation are either concrete
or flaxseed tile to create easy pathways for
people to Ripstik between departments.
Tell us about the overall design plan.
Did it go as per planned or it was
changed? If yes what were the changes
made?
Facebook is one of the most
democratic companies we've ever worked
with; we used the Facebook platform for
company wide polls about design intent,
to showcase renderings so all employees
could envision their new space; we even
posted construction progress photos and
scheduled more than a few meetings by
writing on walls. Facebook the site was
integral in creating the design; because of
it, everyone was constantly connected to
the process. We tried to make it a point
to include employees in every stage of the
design; the advisory group was a huge
help with this as was the company's
natural inclination to utilize technology.
Everything from how the space laid out
and functioned to finish details and
furniture were run by employees. The
beauty of this system is that it allowed us
to really understand what the employees
were looking for, to really get a deep
understanding of what it meant to be a
Facebook employee and then to visually
Construction & Architecture Magazine
How did you go about the interiors, its
planning, structural alignment, the
furniture, color combination etc?
Because each floor plate is quite
Conference table: Commercial Worksurfaces, American
Furniture Systems, cafeteria, dining, training tables:
Commercial Worksurfaces
Other tables: Oliver diCicco Design (crane table)
Shelving: Rakks
Architectural woodworking:
Cabinetmaking: West Coast Powdercoat
HVAC: Acme, Greenheack, Carrier, Trane, Metalarie, Krueger
Security: Schlage
Plumbing fixtures: Kohler, Toto, Elkay, Sloan, Delta,
Emerson, Chronomite
Interior designer: Studio o+a - Primo Orpilla, Verda
Alexander, Denise Cherry, Perry Stephney, Virginie
Manichon,
Structural engineer: KPFF
Mechanical engineer: Air Systems Inc
Electrical engineer: Elcor Electric
General contractor: SC Builders, Inc
LEED Consultant: Brightworks
Kitchen Consultant: RAS Tech, LLC
Furniture dealer: Inside Source, Pod Office
Photographer: Cesar Rubio, Jasper Sanidad
expansive, we used finishes as subtle
visual cues for way finding. Each district
was a quadrant of the building and each
of these received a different carpet color
way. After move in, employees further
added to their division identity by
writing on walls, hanging flags, or any
other designation of their space they saw
fit. The overarching principle of this
design was itself a statement to
sustainability - do what it takes to
make the space work. Don't overdesign; if you have desks that
function, let's move those over.
Why needlessly send them to a
landfill? If we need to purchase
large quantities of something like
carpet, let's make sure it has an
extremely high recycled content. If
employees work long hours, make
sure they have plenty of natural
light and if they are working 24/7,
let's make our lighting is as efficient
as possible. Keep the environmental
impact to a minimum and make
the space pleasant to be in.
What are the materials used and
which is the material that is
predominantly used?
Stained concrete floors, feels like
carpet, feels like canopy,
▲
November – December 2009
19
20
November – December 2009
▲ Construction & Architecture Magazine
Any structural or design challenges? If
yes what were they and how did you
make the overcome them?
We wanted to preserve the parts of this
building that made it unique, keep the
industrial aesthetic and re-use anything
we possibly could. We repurposed the lab
millwork and utilised in the break areas,
creating islands of metal cabinetry with
free-standing shelving. Laboratory
transformed into kitchen. Additionally,
Unistrut that once held chemical piping
and gas lines, has been repurposed into
tables, holds artwork and performs a
variety of tasks not originally intended
when the space was first built out.
Anything you would like to remake?
We recently went back to the space and
found numerous graphics spray-painted
and wheat-pasted onto columns and
walls, each representing a different
company event.
We love that; it creates a timeline of the
employee's experience in the space. We
want people to love where they work and
to truly feel like the space is theirs; the
building will continually evolve and that is
part of the design intent.
Design is not meant to be elite or
untouchable… it should be democratic. ■