Scandinavian modern meets San Francisco industrial.

Using the idea of water as both a circulatory and transformative element, Blitz designed the space with Norway’s largest river as a reference. The Glåma River, which runs from icy mountains in the north through farmland and into a small urban center in the south, flows past many different topographies and ecospheres in Norway. Similarly, the Meltwater office has a main circulation path that runs through the office and all of the departmental zones. Blitz selected four ecospheres found along the Glåma River - ice caps, waterfalls, green valley, and pond - to inform the design of the distinct zones in the Meltwater office.

The reception features an articulated enclosure that is inspired by ice caps, with geometric hanging light fixtures evocative of ice crystals, and a custom, angular geometric desk that references layered, sheathed ice. For the area around the work café, Blitz placed decorative, custom-patterned screens representing the flowing water of a waterfall to create a vibrant backdrop for social activities. The Engineering zone in the western wing of the office uses a pixelated, bold green carpet pattern and multilevel ceiling panels to depict the green tiles of farmland in Norway and to brighten up a previously light-deprived space. Lastly, the Central Operations zone in the office’s eastern wing incorporates cool blues and a custom lighting element symbolizing water droplets to achieve the serenity of a calm pond.