Understanding what drives the need for change
When Tangram decided to establish their Dallas presence, they faced a unique dual challenge: creating a functional workspace for their own team while simultaneously designing a living showroom that could demonstrate their design expertise to clients. The space needed to serve as both a productive workplace and an immersive experience that would showcase diverse workplace strategies to prospective partners. Beyond the functional requirements, the team felt a deep responsibility to honor the rich heritage of Dallas's East Quarter neighborhood, where industrial history runs deep through buildings that have witnessed the city's transformation over nearly a century.
The challenge extended into the modern workplace reality of hybrid work. Every space needed to accommodate seamless collaboration between in-person and remote team members, ensuring no one felt excluded regardless of their location. Designer Samantha East knew that creating an authentic connection to Dallas culture would be essential: 'It's difficult to design when you don't understand the people, so this project was about experiencing the culture.' The team needed to balance respect for local identity with Tangram's innovative design philosophy, all while creating multiple distinct environments that could demonstrate various workplace approaches to touring clients.
How we brought the vision to life
The design journey began with deep cultural immersion, as the team explored Dallas neighborhoods, walked historic streets, and absorbed the city's unique identity. They developed an 'Old Meets New' concept that would weave together the area's 1920s industrial heritage with contemporary workplace innovation. Original materials like exposed concrete and dark metals were carefully integrated with natural textures, creating a warm foundation that paid homage to local landmarks including the historic Magnolia Gas Station. This wasn't just aesthetic choice—it was cultural storytelling through design.
The space was conceived as a series of distinct neighborhoods, each demonstrating different workplace philosophies while maintaining visual and functional connectivity. From the welcoming Social Hub with its café and collaborative zones to the flexible Academy space that could transform for various needs, every area was purposefully designed to showcase specific workplace strategies. Technology integration became paramount, with Microsoft Teams capabilities woven into every meeting space—from formal conference rooms to intimate phone booths—ensuring equitable experiences for all participants. The design team created what they called 'Front Porches' outside private offices, intentional collision points that would spark impromptu innovation and connection throughout the day.
28 solutions from 10 manufacturers
Belle Sectional
West Elm Work Belle is an expressive modular sectional featuring an overstuffed form and tufted channels inspired by 1970’s European design. Inspired by deco-era design and expertly tailored, its seat and wide channeled back stands up to commercial wear and tear. Better yet: it’s totally modular, able to adapt to the layout of your space. Designed by West Elm. Made by Steelcase.
Berri
The familiar meets the fresh and new in Berri. Classic ball and seamless tube components come configured in various geometries and sizes. Luminaires can be arranged to create distinctive lighting designs. Berri brings life and enhances any space, from small to large, from classic to contemporary.
Tess
Bring any space to life with the addition of greenery and the Tess Planters. These flat-packed planters create architectural interest and can be nested together in endless configurations to create room divides or standalone centerpieces.
Melt Pendant
Melt is a beautifully distorted pendant light in a modern finish. Emitting an attractive, mildly hallucinogenic light, this Tom Dixon ceiling light creates a mesmerizing melting hot-blown glass effect when on and a mirror-finish effect when off. Made in Germany using a high tech manufacturing technique to achieve the perfect melted orb.
BFF Sofa
The award-winning BFF Sofa by Marcel Wanders is everyone's new best friend! A high quality, soft yet firm modular sofa system, consisting of a wide variety of modules for endless configurations.
Potrero415
Create inspiring settings — from open-plan casual to conference-room formal — with a wide variety of materials, shapes, and sizes. Potrero415 supports all the ways your people work: inside or outside a meeting room, sitting or standing, for long sessions or short bursts of creative energy. Designed for creative collaborators, Potrero415 is at the vanguard of a new standard of craft that looks better, feels better, and performs better.
3 professionals brought this vision to life
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