The new Los Angeles headquarters for fast-growing Califia Farms, a brand of dairy alternative products, was designed with the post-Covid hybrid work environment in mind. Located in Maxwell Coffee House, a historic production facility built in 1924 that has become a vibrant mixed-use complex, the office features a café bordered by generous meeting rooms.
The café includes a bar and tasting room, with a sizable screen that displays the company’s digital media work. The two-level café, staffed by a barista, is a central hub for meeting, socializing, and indulging in Califia’s own plant-based milks, creamers, and frozen desserts.
“As soon as you step inside the office, you’re transported to the inviting ambiance of a bustling café,” says Alexis Dennis-Huether, the project's lead designer and Associate Principal with SLAM. “Rather than being greeted by a traditional receptionist, there’s a friendly barista, setting the tone for a unique and memorable experience. This entrance creates an impactful first impression that perfectly captures the brand's bold and playful personality.”
The challenge of accommodating a large team of 200 staff members within a 30,000 sf space inspired design firm SLAM to get creative with multi-purpose, open concept areas, according to a news release. This approach allowed for a stronger emphasis on functionality and flexibility.
Hybrid office design includes tasting room, indoor-outdoor connection
Hybrid office models can lead to worker isolation, but SLAM designed the space to counteract this risk. Large amenity spaces offer flexibility for chance encounters, collaboration, and meetings.
Equipped with kitchen appliances including a black electric cooktop and stainless-steel refrigerator, and the technology of a meeting room, the tasting room serves as a research and development space, where staff create, test, and refine products. It also becomes a relaxed setting for team activities, break-out meetings, and lunch preparation.
![Creating new avenues for in-house operations, the office café is bordered by generous meeting rooms, the café bar and tasting room, and a sizable screen that pilots the company’s digital media. Photo by SLAM.](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Califia%20Farms%20headquaters%20designed%20by%20SLAM%203.jpg)
Throughout the office, 15% of workstations are dedicated to hoteling, all bathed with an abundance of natural light through large windows and skylights. Meeting rooms are equipped with high-quality video-conferencing solutions, allowing for seamless hybrid meetings and teamwork.
One design goal was to create an environment that interfaces with the public space outside. Creating vital indoor-outdoor connections, branding elements and office operations are visible from the street while roll-up garage doors open out to a patio to extend the office atmosphere into the downtown streetscape. Because of its strong street presence, Califia has become a friendly neighborhood fixture, fostering an important sense of community in this evolving area.
The office is adorned with abstract interpretations of the company’s brand speaking to a distinct identity and spirited culture. Califia Farms’ signature amphora-shaped bottle, with its distinctive curves, presides over the café lounge as a tinplated metal silhouette, adding a striking and eye-catching element. The continuous and smooth lines of the bottle are captured in the curvatures of the café bar while a more abstract interpretation of their product design is stamped into the carpet pattern.
Bold brand colors of red and blue are balanced against natural materials. Vermilion red encased banquette niches are recessed into wood-panelled walls, allowing for privacy and comfort. Framed in double pane glass, meeting rooms provide a sense of transparency, and feature small touches that mirror the Califia Farms’ brand, including an outline in a thick red trim that accentuates sharp angles and warm-toned finishes.
![A tinplated metal silhouette of the company’s distinct and award-wining product design presides over the café lounge. Photo by SLAM](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Califia%20Farms%20headquaters%20designed%20by%20SLAM%205.jpg)
![The ebullience of the café bar and lounge beams through double pane glass walls of adjacent meeting rooms. Photo by SLAM](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Califia%20Farms%20headquaters%20designed%20by%20SLAM%208.jpg)
![Award winning branding is integrated into the office design through office room trim and carpet patterns. Photo by SLAM](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Califia%20Farms%20headquaters%20designed%20by%20SLAM1.jpg)
![Food and beverage-inspired amenities like the office café bar and tasting room reflects the brand experience. Photo by SLAM](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Califia%20Farms%20headquaters%20designed%20by%20SLAM%204.jpg)
![Contrasting bold brand colors with natural materials, banquette niches offer comfortable heads-down spaces for staff. Photo by SLAM](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Califia%20Farms%20headquaters%20designed%20by%20SLAM%207.jpg)
Related Stories
Sustainability | Jan 9, 2023
Innovative solutions emerge to address New York’s new greenhouse gas law
New York City’s Local Law 97, an ambitious climate plan that includes fines for owners of large buildings that don’t significantly reduce carbon emissions, has spawned innovations to address the law’s provisions.
Fire and Life Safety | Jan 9, 2023
Why lithium-ion batteries pose fire safety concerns for buildings
Lithium-ion batteries have become the dominant technology in phones, laptops, scooters, electric bikes, electric vehicles, and large-scale battery energy storage facilities. Here’s what you need to know about the fire safety concerns they pose for building owners and occupants.
Cladding and Facade Systems | Dec 20, 2022
Acoustic design considerations at the building envelope
Acentech's Ben Markham identifies the primary concerns with acoustic performance at the building envelope and offers proven solutions for mitigating acoustic issues.
Sponsored | Resiliency | Dec 14, 2022
Flood protection: What building owners need to know to protect their properties
This course from Walter P Moore examines numerous flood protection approaches and building owner needs before delving into the flood protection process. Determining the flood resilience of a property can provide a good understanding of risk associated costs.
HVAC | Dec 13, 2022
Energy Management Institute launches online tool to connect building owners with HVAC contractors
The National Energy Management Institute Inc. (NEMI) along with the Biden administration’s Better Air in Buildings website have rolled out a resource to help building owners and managers, school districts, and other officials find HVAC contractors.
Adaptive Reuse | Dec 9, 2022
What's old is new: Why you should consider adaptive reuse
While new construction allows for incredible levels of customization, there’s no denying that new buildings can have adverse impacts on the climate, budgets, schedules and even the cultural and historic fabrics of communities.
High-rise Construction | Dec 7, 2022
SOM reveals its design for Singapore’s tallest skyscraper
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) has revealed its design for 8 Shenton Way—a mixed-use tower that will stand 63 stories and 305 meters (1,000 feet) high, becoming Singapore’s tallest skyscraper. The design team also plans to make the building one of Asia’s most sustainable skyscrapers. The tower incorporates post-pandemic design features.
Office Buildings | Dec 7, 2022
Software giant SAP opens engineering academy for its global engineering workforce
Software giant SAP has opened its new SAP Academy for Engineering on the company’s San Ramon, Calif. campus. Designed by HGA, the Engineering Academy will provide professional development opportunities for SAP’s global engineering workforce. At the Engineering Academy, cohorts from SAP offices across the globe will come together for intensive, six-month training programs.
Office Buildings | Dec 6, 2022
‘Chicago’s healthiest office tower’ achieves LEED Gold, WELL Platinum, and WiredScore Platinum
Goettsch Partners (GP) recently completed 320 South Canal, billed as “Chicago’s healthiest office tower,” according to the architecture firm. Located across the street from Chicago Union Station and close to major expressways, the 51-story tower totals 1,740,000 sf. It includes a conference center, fitness center, restaurant, to-go market, branch bank, and a cocktail lounge in an adjacent structure, as well as parking for 324 cars/electric vehicles and 114 bicycles.
Mixed-Use | Dec 6, 2022
Houston developer plans to convert Kevin Roche-designed ConocoPhillips HQ to mixed-use destination
Houston-based Midway, a real estate investment, development, and management firm, plans to redevelop the former ConocoPhillips corporate headquarters site into a mixed-use destination called Watermark District at Woodcreek.