Data City
Project Info
customer experience + bespoke design + fabrication
Critic: Lisa Iwamoto
Duration: 3 months - installed on site
Collaborators: Alex Schofield + Kelsey Brennan
Project type: Digital to Analog Translation. In conjunction with ongoing Tenant Improvement. Commissioned Work
My Role
Researcher/Designer/Fabricator + Installer
My team and I were presented with a challenge - to propose a physical installation for the Pinterest headquarters in San Francisco, CA. As a researcher, I collected feedback from the CEO of the tech startup and gathered data about the client’s spatial needs and desires. As a designer I worked collaboratively with my teammates to develop a bespoke installation which we would present to the client. My responsibilities also included drafting design drawings, producing mockups and prototyping through joint systems, presenting our ideas to the client, fabricating the final product and finally installing the system in the office space.
The Challenge
When new office spaces are considered, it’s crucial to think through the flows of space and how the occupants may be needing to use the office. What sorts of amenities need to be available? What components of accessibility need to be in place? What makes a place feel warm and welcoming, or even productive? We sat with the CEO and co-founders of Pinterest as they were thinking through their new office space headquartered in San Francisco, California.
Several questions arose during our discussions and site visits for the co-founders. They had began rethinking an office space that was almost 100,000 square feet and needed to figure out ways to navigate such a large area. They also spoke about engaging with the employees and finding creative ways to speak to the creativity of the brand. Based on the conversations we had, we uncovered the problem space.
Design and fabricate a way-finding device that speaks to the tech client’s corporate culture.
Budget: $2,000
Time frame: 3 months
Initial Site Visit - surveying the space
Initial Site Visit - surveying the space
Research + Feedback
Through user interviews, we understood the programming of the space. We developed a strategy to focus on one section of the office space as we continued to imagine how we could bring life to their meeting room corridor. Another important element to this process was incorporating the business’ brand.
The Brand Moment - how can our installation speak to the client’s brand?
Way-finding device - a marker of space - something that is easily identifiable by employees and visitors of the space to help navigate the large floorplan.
Touch down area - “Touch down” areas became a key feature in thinking through the flow of a space. A touch down area is simply a place someone can pause, place their belongings, and take a moment while waiting for or while en route to their next destination.
Additionally, our research incorporated material exploration that would fit within the scope of the project. The proposed office space was using plywood and metal as some of it’s main palette of finishes. We took cues from the architect’s material palette and incorporated those materials into the project.
Data translation - utilizing Rhino 3D modeling tool and an algorithm to splice the proprietary data, we were able to translate the data set and project it onto the topography of San Francisco. From this translation we formed a new topography and developed a new topography, specific to Pinterest.
Design Concept
Data translation
Pinterest is a company that relies on algorithms and inherent user data which helps their end users find what they’re looking for.
Similarly, we incorporated data that was integral to their brand while helping their users find where they’re going.
We leveraged a small set of proprietary data from Pinterest and translated the digital information into a visualization.
The visualization was then mapped and translated to incorporate the city of San Francisco’s topography. We iterated through a few designs creating a new topographical map of San Francisco x Pinterest.
As a nod to their foundational city, this new map creates a space and opportunity for passersby to interact with the abstract.
Iterate + Prototype
In collaboration with my teammates, we developed a series of low fidelity and high fidelity prototypes. We started with digital drawings using 3D modeling tools to iterate through our designs quickly.
We also used 3D printing as a way to test out our design’s scale. I created a model and developed renderings to see how a user may interact with the installation and sketched through ideas before prototyping.
Next, I developed a series of studies using wood joinery to identify how this would all come together feasibly and within budget. Through testing physically testing the wood joints, we were able to finalize the optimal shelf dimensions and test the limits of the material’s physical capacity.
Details
We needed to work out the details of our design concept and translate the information into something that we could also fabricate and build ourselves using real plywood and metal. We drew our hearts out with ideas of how the assembly of these pieces would come together and how the framing system may work. We tested out our details by fabricating small test pieces and then increasing the scale of our tests.
Digital rendering of the concept
Testing out scale digitally before fabricating this system.
drawing out frame and hinge details
Fabrication + Installation
We spent weeks fabricating our model after it was approved for installation. I was responsible to get each wooden slice cut and sanded. I did this by utilizing the CNC router, sanding and finishing by hand afterwards. I developed a set of documentation and installation instructions in case anyone at the building ever needed to move and re-install this project.
Preparing the wall for final installation
final installation tasks
Final checks of the frames and corresponding spacing before we installed all frames on the plywood walls in the finished office space.
Key Takeaways
When doing a custom build out there is so much to learn and so many things we can get better at implementing. The first being transparent about costs at the onset and really trying to get more efficient at fabrication. From a digital perspective, the client was very thrilled with the results of their unique, bespoke piece and appreciated our iteration and communication through the process to make the vision come alive.
What I’d like to do next time is go back for a post occupancy evaluation to get a sense of how the space is being used. There were several employees that contacted us afterwards indicating that they use the shelving system. Overall, this project was one of the most interesting as it really allowed us, as designers, to push the bounds of what was imaginable with such a limited amount of time and budget.