Blitz designed Northland Controls’ 30,000-square-foot, two-story office headquarters in Milpitas, CA, to provide a modern and sophisticated setting that reveals the vibrant office culture and company brand.
The design team created an open office setting, while meeting the security company’s high-level confidentiality obligations. From the expansive, double-height main entrance to the central conference and informal meeting spaces, the office fosters unrestricted circulation in a space that is both welcoming and secure.
Northland Controls’ previous office was highly enclosed and segmented. Cubicles and private perimeter offices acted as both physical and visual barriers. To break down these barriers, Blitz designed a floor plan that would visually connect departments and support an open, yet acoustically sensitive, environment.
Visitors are greeted by the company logo, a large, graphically stylized bear that pays homage to the firm’s California origins. Metal screens, overlaid with a detailed wood print finish, provide a separation between the main entry and the rest of the office, while allowing for visual connectivity and permeation of natural light. The full-service coffee bar, located directly adjacent to the building lobby, was designed to be a focal point for visitors and clients upon entering the main office. Large pendant lighting fixtures in the form of starbursts hover from above to invite visitors toward the space and provide a welcoming and layered atmosphere. The café serves as a front-facing hospitality space as well as an open meeting area.
The pavilion, located adjacent to the café, serves as the office’s primary board room as well as the space’s organizational anchor, drawing users toward the interior. This central space is elevated with an integrated presentation platform and features full-height glazing that alternates with wood and whiteboard panels. The glazing provides visual transparency and the penetration of daylight and connects the pavilion with the rest of the office. A double-wide sliding door opens the pavilion to the assembly area beyond, allowing for a seamless transition from private meetings to larger social activities. The pavilion’s platform extends to a banquette that also serves as a break or informal meeting space.
The central assembly space utilizes an assortment of seating arrangements. Bar-height stools, small café tables, and larger “family-style” dining tables support a variety of activities and work functions, from presentations and meetings, to daily lunch gatherings and team happy hours. An L-shaped bench extends from the central bar to create an informal seating area. A wood-and-steel trellis above the assembly room creates visual distinction and identifies the space. Warm woods and materials complement and contrast with the cool metals of the exposed airducts above. Floor-to-ceiling windows connect the space to the outdoors. Neutral tones and materials create a subtle yet texturally layered experience.
The workstation areas, located on the first and second floors, are separated from the main meeting space to provide visual and acoustic distinction. Exposed existing steel and wood structural elements mitigate the volume of workspaces. A resource pantry neighbors a latticed collaborative space in the style of the wooden partitions seen in the lobby, creating a casual break and workstation hybrid. Conference rooms along the core interior of the building utilize residential-like furniture that creates a comfortable and intimate space, while providing data integration and ergonomic settings. Each conference room’s glass entry is glazed with a distinct graphic pattern inspired by indigenous textures from Northland Controls’ global office locations. A vibrant, colorful, hand-painted mural, designed by a Northland Controls employee and surrounded by open workspaces, creates a focal point and wayfinding tool.
