The new interior design of the 50,000-sf space for the American Automobile Association’s (AAA) Northern California, Nevada, and Utah headquarters includes collaborative spaces and attempts to embrace the atmosphere of a classic American road trip.
The building’s redesign, which was handled by HGA, includes the addition of custom Knoll workstations, a conference center, a café area with meeting areas, and a high-impact entryway. The theme of the “American road trip” was incorporated throughout the space.
The boardroom, for example, features a wood treatment that resembles tire tracks and a table with vintage hubcaps. Additionally, headlight light fixtures are found in the conference room and meeting nooks are inspired by 1970s rest areas. Commissioned photography featuring Northern California, Nevada, and Utah environments was made into window film to create the sensation of looking through a car window.
Photo: HGA.
AAA wanted to new space to attract a younger clientele and workforce, while also retaining the employees they currently have. HGA found that many of the meetings that occur in the office involve four or fewer people, so the firm was able to save AAA substantial square footage and allot significantly more space for meetings by reducing the size of typical conference rooms that previously seated eight to 10 employees.
See Also: Telecommunications company’s remodeled headquarters makes use of its unique H shape
“We spent a significant amount of time upfront with AAA to find out what was working really well and what things could be improved,” says Melissa Pesci, Principal and Vice President at HGA, in a release. ““AAA had previously established a work environment that was incredibly supportive of focused work, but in an effort to attract a millennial workforce as well as better support and inspire the current employees, AAA wanted a space that was more balanced between offering this focused space in addition to a variety of dynamic collaboration spaces.”
Related Stories
| Feb 19, 2014
It's a world record! Largest uninterrupted concrete pour kicks off Wilshire Grand project
Guinness World Records verifies the concrete pour as the largest ever
| Feb 17, 2014
Developer plans to 'crowdfund' extended stay hotel in Manhattan
Want to own a piece of Manhattan hotel real estate? Developer Rodrigo Nino is inviting individual investors to put up $100,000 each for his latest project, 17 John.
| Feb 14, 2014
Crowdsourced Placemaking: How people will help shape architecture
The rise of mobile devices and social media, coupled with the use of advanced survey tools and interactive mapping apps, has created a powerful conduit through which Building Teams can capture real-time data on the public. For the first time, the masses can have a real say in how the built environment around them is formed—that is, if Building Teams are willing to listen.
| Feb 13, 2014
Related Companies, LargaVista partner to develop mixed-use tower in SoHo
The site is located at the gateway to the booming SoHo retail market, where Class A office space is scarce yet highly in demand.
| Feb 12, 2014
First Look: Futuristic Silicon Valley campus designed to draw tech startups
The curved campus will consist of four different buildings, one exclusively for amenities like a coffee bar, bike shop, and bank.
| Feb 7, 2014
Zaha Hadid's 'white crystal' petroleum research center taking shape in the desert [slideshow]
Like a crystalline form still in the state of expansion, the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center will rise from the desert in dramatic fashion, with a network of bright-white, six-sided cells combining to form an angular, shell-like façade.
| Feb 6, 2014
End of the open workplace?
If you’ve been following news about workplace design in the popular media, you might believe that the open workplace has run its course. While there’s no shortage of bad open-plan workplaces, there are two big flaws with the now common claim that openness is bad.
| Feb 5, 2014
Extreme conversion: Atlanta turns high-rise office building into high school
Formerly occupied by IBM, the 11-story Lakeside building is the new home for North Atlanta High School.
| Feb 5, 2014
7 towers that define the 'skinny skyscraper' boom [slideshow]
Recent advancements in structural design, combined with the loosening of density and zoning requirements, has opened the door for the so-called "superslim skyscraper."
| Jan 30, 2014
See how architects at NBBJ are using computational design to calculate the best views on projects [video]
In an ideal world, every office employee would have a beautiful view from his or her desk. While no one can make that happen in real life, computational design can help architects maximize views from every angle.
