OFFICE OF THE LONG NOW
【CLIENT】
The Long Now Foundation
【PLACE + TIME】
Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA / 2023
【PROJECT TEAM】
Because We Can ✦ Interior Floorplans, Furniture Design & Fabrication
Alison Kendall ✦ Furniture Sourcing
【MADE IN OUR SHOP】
Live edge Walnut Slab Meeting Table & Matching Countertop
Above The Interval bar is a lesser known and talked about space: an office for the staff of The Longnow. Behind a secret bookcase door at the top of the stairs, this is a place where the great minds behind the organization do their daily work. This space had also not been updated in the past 9+ years. Now is 2023, it was in dire need of rethinking as we all know how much workspace dynamics have changed over these last few years.
We were asked by The Longnow to help revitalize this space. Rethinking the layout with an updated mind of the way staff works today. We helped the staff realize a workspace that is more of a meeting and gathering space, with a layout that is designed around how the staff is using the space now.
New Floorplan for a new way of working
Gone are the days of rows of desks. Now we have group meeting tables, comfortable seating areas and casual meeting areas. A more thoughtful floorplan for how we are working and meeting today.
We’ve taken out the rows of desks from pre pandemic area and created a layout that invites people to come, stay, gather. Within this small office envelope we’ve created 6 distinct seating areas for different functions.
Group seating / meeting areas for collaborative working, group working and meetings. Solo seating areas, desk spaces and a casual meeting area. This small and efficiently laid out space even has a small kitchenette, sound proof telephone room and office storage cabinets.
As part of our business practice, we have a fabrication shop that makes custom elements for our projects. Adding the live edge walnut table and countertop from salvaged hardwood slabs created anchor point for this small office space, and was also a relevant thinking point for the space, as it can reference projects the organization is working on. We processed, treated and fabricated the final pieces of the hardwood slabs in our shop in Oakland CA to make these one of a kind pieces.
This is one of the distinctions of our firm, that we do these elements in house, so we can thoughtfully integrated them into our overall design of the space.
To end, we leave through the bookcase door. This is part of the original design of the space done in 2013. As wonderful now as it was then; a joy to pass through every time.
‘Secret’ Bookcase Door
The secret bookcase door on a floor track adds a bit of whimsy and fun to the space….something we like to add to every project. On the practical side it gives more shelving space and increased sound separation when closed. Benefits all around.