Facebook’s Office Is Cooler Than Yours
We’ve seen some pretty cool reuse construction, but Facebook’s new headquarters may take the cake. Designed by San Francisco-based Studio O+A, the office is a former 1960s laboratory.
While the designers gave the social media king’s new home a kitschy, modern decor, they also preserved some of the original construction, including a bright orange construction crane that was incorporated into a support table.
The Palo Alto, Calif. headquarters is outfitted with other sustainable features, including recycled-content carpeting and energy-efficient lighting. According to Dezeen design magazine, the design goal was to “maintain the history and raw aesthetic of the building and create a fun dynamic appropriate for the company’s youthful staff.”
But as Facebook and its staff continues to grow, Design Strategy Lead Aaron Sittig says this office could just be the start of bigger and better things for the expanding company. Keeping that in mind, Senior Designer Denise Cherry tells Contact magazine that every choice was deliberate and planned for efficiency.
“Functionality was paramount. They didn’t want anything too finished or gimmicky,” she says. “There had to be a solid reason and function behind every decision.”
In true Facebook form, the company kept its fans in the loop by posting updates about the development on its Web site, while O+A interviewed employees about what they wanted in an office. We’ve included some photos below, but you can check out the space in its entirety here.
The designers used some memorable parts of the ordinal building, such as a crane that was repurposed into a support for a table. Photo: Dezeen
Facebook utilized energy-efficient lighting to illuminate its open-space floorplan. Photo: Dezeen
