Understanding what drives the need for change
When Microsoft decided to establish a presence in Playa Vista in 2013, they faced a unique design challenge that would test the boundaries of traditional office planning. The tech giant needed a space that could serve two distinct yet interconnected purposes: provide a productive, permanent workspace for their local team while simultaneously functioning as an immersive showcase for potential clients, partners, and customers exploring Microsoft's latest innovations.
The complexity lay in creating an environment where employees could focus on their daily work without disruption, while also ensuring that visiting clients could experience Microsoft's cutting-edge technologies in an engaging, demonstration-ready setting. This dual-purpose vision required careful consideration of how different user groups would move through and interact with the space throughout any given day.
How we brought the vision to life
Tangram approached this multifaceted challenge by designing a workspace that could seamlessly transform between operational modes. The design team created a carefully orchestrated mosaic of distinct zones, each purposefully crafted to support different activities while maintaining visual and functional coherence throughout the space. Height-adjustable workstations formed the foundation, giving employees ergonomic flexibility while ensuring the workspace could adapt for various demonstration scenarios.
The layout strategically positioned collaboration areas, focused work zones, training spaces, and social gathering spots to create natural flow patterns for both daily operations and client visits. Each zone was designed with dual functionality in mind, allowing Microsoft's team to showcase their technology solutions organically within their actual working environment. This approach created an authentic demonstration experience where potential clients could see Microsoft's tools and platforms being used in real workplace scenarios.
1 professionals brought this vision to life
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