Engaged scholarship in an engaging environment.
Blitz conceived an interior that reflects Sage Publications’ mission, which is based on the belief that engaged scholarship lies at the heart of any healthy society and that education is intrinsically valuable.
The new office also provides an opportunity for experimentation, serving as a test location for the company’s US-based operations. Aiming to embrace the next generation of Sage Publications team members, the office promotes new ways of working—most notably by switching from the model of assigned to unassigned seating.
SAGE PUBLICATIONS
LOCATION
Thousand Oaks, California
SIZE
40,000 SF
SCOPE
Architecture
Interior Design
Furniture Design
Lighting Design
Environmental Graphics
PHOTOGRAPHY
Nico Marques
Continuum
Spaces are placed thoughtfully along a pathway that serves as both an organizing element, and also a conduit for moving people between hubs. This loop threads through the open plan creating new physical and visual connections.
Utilizing color and form as unifying elements, Blitz has conceived a new office interior that is emblematic of its forward-thinking client’s mission. Welcoming arches and cheerful colors result in an environment that is easily navigated and lend a sense of identity to each department while promoting new ways of working. An artful mix of open and private workspaces, along with a creative flair in design, are exactly what this publishing company needs to promote engaged scholarship.
Blitz’s concept unites two separate suites previously divided by a shared hallway. In order to connect these two areas and create a unified open office, Blitz created specialty programming on each side to encourage staff to move throughout the entire space during the course of the day. For example, one side has a coffee pantry, the other has a lunch pantry; the arena and library are on one side, while the main reception is on the other.
Drawing inspiration from the grand, ornate interiors of historic libraries, Blitz developed a language of deconstructed arches, which repeats throughout the office. Plywood arches, sometimes framed by colorblocking, are positioned along central pathways. They serve multiple purposes: enforcing the shared identity of the teams, functioning as an organizing element, and providing a conduit for moving people between “neighborhoods.”
Blitz concentrated on curating color and material palettes to enliven and activate each space. Five colors—blue, sage green, red, yellow, and orange—are applied throughout the office to designate different zones and departments. Slatted wood partitions define spaces while maintaining an open feeling in common locations, such as behind the reception desk or between lounge and meeting areas. Subtly patterned, neutral carpet tiles throughout the office are overlaid with blocks of color at key points to differentiate lounge and meeting areas specific to a department.
Blitz’s graphics team created a robust wayfinding signage package, custom room signage, glazing graphics identifying private rooms, and a neon entry sign of Sage Publications’ logo. Simplified arrows for quick directional wayfinding correspond to architectural elements, such as arches and rounded volumes. Room names on oval panels are denoted by pictograms to maintain consistency and, because Sage Publications is an international company, easily communicated to all audiences, regardless of language.
Let’s create something engaging together. Get in touch.
Do you love it?
We think you might like these stories too.
