Juniper Networks is a
provider of networking solutions headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. For an
office in New Jersey, Juniper leased 16,000 square feet in a large office park
thirty minutes outside of New York City.
The space needed to serve as a showroom and collaborative center for the
company’s east coast clients and partners, so it was crucial that it express
the company’s unique and innovative culture.
Visitors are greeted by a
large elliptical form anchoring a welcome space with an inconspicuously located
reception desk off to one side. An unobstructed ribbon of windows showcase the
forested Watchung Hills beyond.
Juniper’s logo is centered on the elliptical form that contains a boardroom
space.
The perforated ceiling plane
throughout the public space is inspired by the blinking lights of the company’s
rack-mounted equipment. Light fixtures shine down through custom perforated
aluminum ceiling panels, creating a cinematic experience as people move through
the space. The panels are part of a standard lay-in system, but with an
irregular, digitally fabricated custom pattern of square perforations.
The design team incorporated
wood extensively in the public spaces as material for the floors and walls. To
convey the company’s high-tech aesthetic, wood is used in unconventional ways,
folding up from the floor to form objects such as benches and a bar for the
cyber café.
Tall, stand alone light poles
in the shape of an inverted “L” are used in dramatic, sculptural function.
Originally developed for parking lots, they are spaced ten feet apart through
the public spaces; each one is rotated 15 degrees from the previous one,
creating a dramatic splaying of light and referencing the angles of the
starburst-shaped Juniper logo.
An open lab serves as the
main showcase where the company’s engineers display their routers and other
networking equipment to clients and partners. Most of the office is open plan.
Touch-down workstations have glass partitions that allow natural light to
penetrate into the interior. To provide privacy, the glass panels have a custom
film, which is opaque for conference and huddle rooms, translucent for open
work environments. . The pattern is the same as that of the perforated aluminum
ceiling panels. The office also
incorporates open innovation rooms and a multipurpose area.
Lighting fixtures are
equipped with dimmable ballasts that are individually adjustable through a
computer program, enabling Juniper to monitor and control lighting costs with
precision.