Our client asked AP+I Design to renovate a historic building in Pittsburgh’s Strip District to serve as its East Coast headquarters. The space needed to complement the Silicon Valley flagship office, but also pays homage to this industrial and historic location.

An industrial edge

The building’s original brick walls, expansive floor to floor heights, exposed wood ceilings and warehouse windows imparted a great deal of character to the space while showcasing the Steel City’s history. The design team chose to highlight these elements by keeping the materials palette mostly neutral, with accent colors used only to differentiate between floors. Metal wayfinding and signage elements use the same dark charcoal paint as the columns to unify all the floors.

Bridging the gap

The design team returned to the idea of the open road, pulling parts from the Silicon Valley flagship office and creating a continuing narrative. The open road ceiling feature, reception wall installation, and signage and wayfinding forms were carried over, but the team expanded the design language to include references to Pittsburgh’s many bridges. Light fixtures painted to match the yellow of the bridges greet you on every floor, a gesture repeated in the collaboration areas that connect the north and south sides of the workspace. Each floor’s bridge design is reinforced in the privacy film and signage patterns.

The finished space is one that maintains the integrity of the historic building, infused with the client’s brand and workplace culture. A workspace that will feel familiar to visitors of both locations, but has its own distinct personality.

Photographer  Edward Massery