Ordinary Materials Make Extraordinary Impact in Many of Today’s High-End Buildouts

What do you get when you take a standard four-ft. fluorescent light fixture, add multi-colored neon bulbs, cover it with corrugated fiberglass panels, enclose it within a custom-built galvanized sheet metal frame and attach the whole system to a wall? At the office DPR completed recently for high-tech client RealNames Corp. in Redwood Shores, CA, the result is a major architectural feature, echoed repeatedly throughout the 52,000-sq.-ft. space.

While the materials may be commonplace, the effect created by this custom-designed wall finish system is decidedly unique. So too are the black rubber flooring, the corrugated drainage trench line draped from ceiling into furniture to conceal data and electrical cables, and the multicolored rooms that provide a distinct visual image from one conference room to the next-all features in this unusual space that in many ways looks more like a high-tech game room than a place of business.

This use of everyday materials in new, unusual or nontraditional ways is just one trend cropping up in a variety of high-end offices that DPR has built out for customers in recent years.

Witness the corkboards covered with a clear sealant and displayed as an architectural feature in a Sun Microsystems facility in Silicon Valley. Or the polycarbonate walls placed directly over metal studs and backlit by an interior lighting system, creating a distinctly high-tech effect on a project for Sony in San Diego. Or the common MDF paneling specially finished with a five-step die process and used as an architectural highlight in offices built for E*Trade in Sacramento.

“A couple years ago, open space was the big thing in high-end buildouts,” comments Mike Ballou, Area Manager of DPR’s Special Services Group in Redwood City. “Today we are seeing more and more architects and owners specifying standard, everyday materials in new and exciting ways.”

Within the 107,000-sq.-ft. buildout DPR is completing for E*Trade, Finland-colored plywood-traditionally used in concrete forming because of its structural strength and smooth face-is used extensively as finish paneling. Other paneling of backlit lumecite fiberglass “kind of reminds you of something used in the 50s as a patio cover,” according to Project Manager Rick Poipao. Additional high-end finishes that complete the “ultra modern” effect designed by Studios Architecture, San Francisco, include African-imported anigre wood paneling; perforated aluminum ceiling panels; colored skylights; extensive use of stainless steel juxtaposed with wood accents; stained concrete flooring; and handmade glass wall tiles in phone booths used for visiting employees.

Owners and architects of high-end custom spaces seem to be looking for finishes that make a statement, complement their business philosophy or in some way give them a competitive edge attracting and retaining employees or building tenants. At the Signature Office Suites project in Scottsdale, AZ, the owner, Scottsdale Development Corporation, chose to emphasize a handful of high-impact finishes, including custom oversize wood-panel doors, crown molding, and a spectacular desert-themed entry courtyard featuring stacked sandstones, natural waterfalls and a pond, to give the building curb appeal, or what the owner calls a “resort-style ambience.” Floor-to-ceiling glass walls allow natural light to flood the spaces, while etched glass above each doorway creates another eye-catching effect.

Exposed ductwork, piping and conduits, found in the RealNames project, as well as spaces DPR has built out for Pixar, Nokia and other clients, is a popular trend in many high-end or high-tech buildouts. Striking in their appearance, the finishes create unique construction challenges, including long-lead times needed to obtain some materials; and the extra attention needed to ensure that workmanship on exposed systems or other unusual finishes maintains the high quality standards for which DPR is known.