Designed by Studio Plow, NFX’s office is a vibrant space for connection, celebration and creativity
Located between the historical districts of Alamo Square and the Civic Center in San Francisco, California, Hayes Valley is home to NFX, a venture capital firm that invests in pre-seed and seed-stage startups from the various industries, such as gaming, generative AI, fintech and crypto.
The two-storey warehouse was chosen intentionally as the office space due to its proximity to some of San Francisco’s best eating spots, where business associates and employees are spoiled for choices at lunchtime.
Within the 1907 architectural shell with the quintessential San Francisco brick warehouse and earthquake steel retrofitting, the 6,800 sq ft warehouse has a long, narrow layout lined with windows on both sides and rows of skylights on the upper level that bathe the space with natural light.
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Above Quintessential brick walls and steel retrofitting in the entry lounge area
These architectural characteristics inform the new era of unassuming workplace design by Studio Plow for the NFX office.
“It was a unique opportunity to approach a workplace project differently, purposefully breaking away from traditional workplace norms to embrace the essence of the tech industry,” says Britt Epperson, founder of Studio Plow.
“The sense of whimsy, delight, fun and brightness make this space stand as a unique gem, reflecting the energy and personalities of the people who work there and tends to naturally spark innovation.”
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Above With views of the Hayes Valley neighbourhood
Above Mustard yellow phone booths for work calls
Latching onto the enduring spirit of Disco from the ‘70s—when the celebration of life was unapologetic and diversity was embraced, Studio Plow transformed the ordinary spaces in the office into extraordinary realms of inspiration.
“Our inspiration and concepts were derived from different moments in Disco—whether it was the genesis of Disco, and those outfits and colours used in the nightclubs, or it was moments in Disco, such as the French Disco movement,” the architect and interior designer elaborates.
The design team settled for “old-school expressions—a more muddy version” of the era rather than the more well-known bright, neon versions, playing off the brick walls of the existing space, already prominent upon entry into the office.
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Above A mix of contemporary and vintage furnishing at the lounge entry
Here, the spacious lounge area greets with an eclectic mix of new and vintage furnishing, as vintage Westnofa Siesta and Mies Van Der Rohe lounge chairs harmonise with Scandinavian-style slit accent tables by Hay.
Amidst soft materials and playful textures juxtaposing with the existing orange shell and retained cold, hard floorings, the public-oriented ground level can be subdivided into smaller and more casual working spaces.
Meanwhile, the conference room and mustard yellow phone booths can host more private meetings or work calls.
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Above The relaxing Listening Lounge
Above The cosy speakeasy bar
Beyond the multifunctional entry lounge, which can also convert into entertainment spaces for social events, the Listening Lounge is decorated with reupholstered bistro-type seating and checkerboard patterned flooring, as shelves filled with vinyl records line the walls next to a record player and a piano.
The relaxing leisure space flows into a small speakeasy bar, where a revamped garage-turned-dance floor offers concealed escapism for employees to cut loose.
Besides that, the black-and-white walls in the lower-level bathrooms create an optical illusion tailored to resonate with the web3/crypto clientele.
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Above Each conference room is colour-blocked
Above One of the conference rooms in sunshine yellow
The daily grind takes place on the second floor, where a series of meeting rooms divide the office space between private and public zones.
A nod to the persisting counterculture vibe, each conference room is colour-blocked, featuring floors, walls and upholstery in brick red, sunshine yellow, grass green or blue mirror.
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Above The lounge area on the second floor
Above The original brick wall at the workspace area
Meanwhile, the monochromatic boardroom is decked with custom tables, as the lounge meeting space cultivates casual gatherings.
Tucked behind is an open workspace with 32 desks and ample light coming through the skylights above.
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Above Giant disco balls at the communal kitchen area
Above Reupholstered Cesca-style chairs in the dining area
Equally light-filled is the adjacent dining area with a plethora of vintage Cesca-style cantilever chairs upholstered in mixed velvet; and the communal kitchen with giant disco balls that helps make the space larger.
A meditation enclave is on the hidden mezzanine level, where plush carpet extends onto the walls and low-slung lounge seating create a tranquil cocoon to unwind and reset.
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Above Low-slung lounge seating in the meditation room
Above The black-and-white bathroom wall creates an optical illusion
Credits
Photography
Suzanna Scott