We divided the space into two zones: the community room and the fitness center. We put a lot of thought into the functionality, conducted interviews with the building owners and brokers to gain a clearer insight to the needs of their tenants and started developing a program.

We also worked with environmental graphic designers to develop branding walls. We worked with our clients to develop keywords that related to their company mission and promoted their values.

I worked closely with our project architect, project manager, and coordinated with other designers to ensure that everything was captured correctly. We developed multiple permits for the two locations. Due to the complexity of the scope and design (creating openings for new internal stairs, stair documentation, and horizontal exiting requirements) these projects took a village. It was tough but so rewarding.

Snippet of the Partition Plan for San Francisco

Elevations for the San Francisco location

Snippet of the Finish Plan in the Oakland location

Detail of the built-in seating under the stairs

The biggest challenge for these projects were the many moving pieces. There were so many consultants, engineers, and contractors to coordinate with. Everyone's timelines needed to be clear and understood to ensure milestones were met on time. We had two stellar project managers on our team, I learned a lot from them about managing client expectations, pushing back on consultants (in a nice but firm manner), and keeping our internal team within the established timeline and budget.

Team dynamics were also sometimes a challenge. Because these projects took years to complete, we cycled through team members. I needed to be able to adapt to different personalities quickly and learned how to navigate situations where miscommunications occured due to inefficient onboarding. I grew so much as a designer and person with these projects!