When opening new offices, companies are now faced with redefining the purpose of those offices, and are having a hard time doing so. Many companies continue to design generic offices derived from modern but safe design choices that ultimately mean nothing to their employees. Others entice new hires with meaningless perks and one-off “immersive” rooms and installations. We believe that in a post-covid world, the correct approach is more nuanced than either of these strategies.
The Crunchyroll Dallas office project embodies the idea that a company’s cultural identity should go far beyond the functional necessities of desks, meeting rooms, lighting and acoustics, simple color schemes, and logos on walls. Crunchyroll is a leading anime streaming service and production company that champions the art and culture of anime to a passionate community of fans around the world. Therefore, it was necessary to design an office that was reflective of those qualities: fun, colorful, story-based, and at times, over-the-top.
Our primary motivation for Crunchyroll’s Dallas office was to create an environment that supports and inspires its employees while providing a meaningful and impactful home to which they could return after a global pandemic. They are huge anime fans with whom the space needs to resonate - we felt that the office must highlight the creative process, support creative work, and represent the world of anime like no other.
We began our process with hours of research into the world of anime - its history, development, common themes, iconic titles of the last 60 years, and the artistic process. We also needed to understand the core functionality of the space - the work that happens there, how the space is used, and what the expectations and desires of the employees are. Furthermore, we needed a strong rationale for departing from the themes displayed in Crunchyroll’s flagship San Francisco office; here, we would not be stepping from the quiet streets of a Dallas suburb and into the bustling streets of Shibuya. We would instead be stepping through a portal into the world of ink, paint, sound, and magic.
The existing 80,000 square foot space was a clean but nondescript corporate office space in a newly built office park on the outskirts of Dallas. It was functional but reflected none of the personality of a creative animation company where every employee spends their day in fan tees surrounded by the paraphernalia of manga and anime. The floor plate is roughly divided into four separate quadrants anchored by a strong functional core that includes the welcome lobby and recording studios where foreign language dubbing and editing occurs. This core has the added needs of exemplary acoustic control and hosting the visiting voice talent.
From the very beginning we set out to reference the world of anime, its creative process, and the artist’s hand, rather than the highly realistic, culturally referential environments of the San Francisco flagship. We started by looking at common themes in anime, one of which fit our purposes well: the five elements. The five elements, or godai, found in Japanese Buddhist thought, are a common theme in popular anime. They define the characters, provide the source of their powers, and shape their environment. The four core elements are earth, water, fire, and wind. Harmony, the fifth element, represents the balance of energy that is the basis for all things.
Applying these elements to specific regions within the office plan, we provide a sense of identity, placemaking, and wayfinding for the employees while creating a journey through an anime world defined by them. It was essential to us that every space feel thoughtfully conceived and distinct from anywhere else in the office; like watching an anime, the office reveals itself as one moves through it and the story progresses, each new chapter contributing to an understanding of a larger and more coherent space. We created a distinct vision for each space, each rooted in a different aspect of anime and the elements. The furniture, artwork, scenic treatments, color palettes, material finishes, lighting schemes, and plant design all subscribe to this vision. As well, environmental graphics support this vision by breaking the boundaries of the office walls while providing the necessary backdrop for spatial organization and identity.
Representing harmony, the central core of the office creates a transition from the mundane, transporting one into the sacred world of animation. The moment one steps off the elevator, the sense of transition is palpable. Custom illustrated murals from floor to ceiling evoke walking through the lush landscape at Fushimi Inari shrine in Kyoto and set the tone for the journey. At a distance, the murals can look photographic; up close, one can see every brushstroke as mythological creatures stare warily out from the undergrowth. Partnerships with some of the industry's most talented illustrators bring a level of surrealness to the environments, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy.
These lines continue to blur as one moves into the reception lobby, further establishing a forest setting with emerald green bamboo patterned wall graphics, bamboo plantings, a stepping stone path, and traditional fencing (all rendered with a strong scenic hand towards the surreal).
Taking a moment to reflect on anime’s manga roots, the green room, situated off the lobby, is an homage to manga and a retreat for the voice actors recording at this office. This two-dimensional space recalls the hand drawn linework of manga and anime while serving the hospitality needs of visitors.
From the forest lobby across a delicately arched footbridge one enters the employee break room - a throwback to period anime street scenes. There are food carts and market stalls in which to eat and socialize. There are wheat paste posters on aged wood cladding. Paper lanterns soften and warm the light. Hand painted stencils and signage give authenticity while those in the know are delighted by hidden references to locales and establishments pulled directly from animated titles. From the burnt finishes on wood cladding to distressed cafe tables, no detail has been left untouched by an intentional hand bringing the scene to life just as an animation concept artist or background painter might.
Another employee-only zone is the onsen area where one can gather to huddle for a brainstorm or casually exchange ideas with teammates. Rather than a conventional collaboration space, the onsen exists to provide an inspiring, creative, and relaxed space for interaction. The spaces are clad in cypress, framed and elevated off the concrete floor, and built out with the accouterments of traditional Japanese sauna and baths. The custom artwork on the walls extends beyond into the deep environment of a Japanese Alps mountainscape with steaming hot springs producing roiling mists that roll down the forested slopes. All the while Japanese macaque monkeys gaze on through the steam with curiosity at the goings on in this unique workplace.
Neighboring the onsen, the executive conference room echos a mountain retreat, creating a peaceful respite in which to have more formal meetings. Framed at either end are richly illustrated views of a black sand beach and Mt. Fuji, while oceanside succulents and rainforest plants edge the room and lend the warm, cypress clad space a natural softness.
Beyond the harmonious central core, the anime theme is applied in lighter touches within circulation areas and open office spaces. Where the core spaces were based on specific locations found within anime and connected to the element of harmony, these more open spaces take a wider view and connect to the other four elements. Custom murals are influenced by mystical landscapes and the unique sound effects associated with those landscapes. Visiting talent is directed down long corridors with myriad doors to specialty sound studios. Over 120 ft of hallway received wall and door graphics that begin with forest and land designs at one end, then transition to ocean and water at the other. Each sound studio door is boldly numbered in Crunchyroll-orange, helping actors find their specific room for the day. The recording studio hallway brings to life the elements of earth and water, while the sound editing and mixing studio hallway describes themes of wind and fire. Color palettes for each of these elemental themes are visually applied to the walls accordingly, letting a visitor know if they are in the wind (lilacs, purple), fire (burnt orange, gold), water (cool blues), or earth (greens, brown) section of the anime world we’ve created.
Through the in-depth physical design of a work environment, employees should feel valued and that their time in that office can’t be replicated elsewhere. This approach is the antithesis to the “work from anywhere” movement. We believe a physical, built space needs to support being present, bolster a coherent company culture, and provide a unique experience one can’t get at home on the sofa in one’s pajamas.
By investing in the design of their offices, Crunchyroll is also investing in the well-being of their employees. Our hope is that our work for Crunchyroll can serve as a model for this type of design intervention and serve as inspiration for other companies seeking to design a meaningful home for their employees.
