Montalba Architects - Headspace's new office, reflects the company’s values
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Headspace's new office, reflects the company’s values

Montalba Architects

Office&Business  /  Completed
Montalba Architects
For a company whose vision is to improve the health and happiness of the world, it was important that the newly expanded office space for global leader in mindfulness and meditation, Headspace, reflect the company’s values of mindfulness, innovation, and dedicated purpose. Reflective of their core, while fitting in to the industrial vernacular of the building’s site, was a primary focus for the team. The challenge was to find unique ways to bring Headspace’s new office to life by seamlessly juxtaposing group and individual spaces. To honor the core values of the company, small spaces were strategically placed throughout the space, where employees could find a moment of personal solace that wouldn’t deter from the surrounding communal environment.

The main design gesture turns the previous unused exterior patio into a large, outdoor garden, which gets pulled through the workspace into the central courtyard on the second floor. The open-air enclosure filters light and greenery into previously dark, isolated spaces and offers a moment of reprieve from the industrious energy throughout.

Creating a connection to the outdoors was a critical design consideration for the campus experience and meditation environment of the Headspace culture. This was accomplished through a few design moves: exterior courtyard, bi-fold door and garage door to the courtyard, and the lightwell courtyard on the second floor.

Headspace has been headquartered at Bergamot Station since 2016, and the new design responds to both the necessary requirements of an office space, as well as Headspace’s cultural needs: flexible workstations; a group meditation area for daily morning mindful breaks; open, outdoor areas for work or for meditation; lounge spaces for collective brainstorming and extracurricular office gatherings; private phone booths; collaborative meeting rooms; and large kitchens for daily lunches.

The featured entry stair functions as a workspace that transitions into a large stadium seating for company-wide events, meditation, presentations, all hands meetings, or flexible working space. A media screen rolls down in front of the large bi-fold door and a large suspended curtain folds around to control light and sound. True to Headspace’s brand philosophy, free standing meditation pods and quiet meditation areas are available throughout the space to allow employees additional moments of solitude.

The material palette for most of the space was strategically chosen to be a sophisticated, neutral palette in order to allow for the Headspace AV graphics, furniture, and murals to bring brighter colors to the space.

Credits

 Santa Monica
 United States of America
 Confidential
 12/2019
 2045 mq
 Montalba Architects
 Montalba Architects
 Shawmut Design and Construction
 Structural Engineer: John Labib and Associates, Lighting Designer: Sean O'Connor Lighting, MEP Engineer: PBS Engineers, Geotechnical Consultant: Geocon West
 Kevin Scott

Curriculum

Montalba Architects is an award-winning practice, producing select architecture and urban design related projects by embracing a humanistic approach that considers not only a client’s needs and site considerations, but also the cultural and economic environment. With this process, solutions are realized that are contextual, yet conceptual and visionary in their intent, effect, and appeal.

A significant work of architecture expresses its purpose via physical solutions. As with any form of design, in architecture artful solutions are the goals to be sought. At Montalba Architects, these solutions are frequently inspired by our key values, which find physical expression in ways directly related to the particular client, program, and design problem.

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